CEO or line or project manager, what do you think?

In this blog, a spokeswoman of working ability management is on deep thoughts; should working ability be seen more as a result of successful leadership rather than an isolated, additional part on manager’s desk, already full with other responsibilities? And even more, are we leading the right things in today's working life, or are we still using management models and practices inherited from the industrial era?

First: It's very important to take care of the well-being of managers

Today, the expectations for managers are sky high. They should ensure the implementation of company strategy and values, enhance company culture and ensure the goals are met. And have one to ones on regular basis, boost team members' skills and motivation and team spirit, build hope in the middle of continuous change (this last one was even highlighted as the top expectation in a recent Gallup study), etc. And on top of all that, they should also carry their responsibility on managing working ability. 

For many managers, in practice these tasks are handled side by side with operational expert work. No wonder a recent "How is Finland doing?" study raised a particular concern about the well-being of managers: "The likelihood of burnout has increased, especially among managers and leaders. The number has tripled compared to the time before the pandemic."

The multiple roles of the manager made me think: do we really know what we should be leading? A hassle like the one described above, I assume no one can really grasp fully? What is then the very fundamental goal of leadership, isn’t it to ensure the employee can succeed in his/her job; agreed tasks are done in the way agreed, and in a way that doesn't put the well-being and health of employees under a risk? 

Could the goal for each manager be to ensure the employee can succeed in his/her work? 

I once participated in a development project led by process development guru Kai Laamanen. I will always remember a question he often asked us: "Can you clarify, who does it?" We noticed that we were using a lot of passive forms, such as "it’s done" or "Company xx does this." But who is actually doing? "Company xx" doesn’t do anything; the people do, many times assisted by IT systems and/or machines.

When we talk about leading work, shouldn't we primarily lead and support the people who do the work, so they can succeed in their jobs? Top level management is responsible for company level decisions, resources and processes. These decisions impact the actual work, so top level leadership also plays an important role in enabling success. More on this in an upcoming blog.

But how often do we stop and think about what and how we really need to lead? When we succeed in leading people, as a "side effect" we achieve goals, create a company culture with psychological safety and ensure that employees are motivated, skilled and committed, and the work is not harming their health. Succeeding in these usually means good results for the business, including cash flow. 

What kind of skills does the manager need to succeed in managing modern work?

And then the burning question: how good are we at leading people? And more specifically, what kind of skills does the manager need to succeed in leading people? My answer to this is that we need to understand human beings, especially their brains and what makes good and what makes bad for the brain. Bad things for the brain mean more stress, decreased recovery, less resources to take care of his/her health and inevitably decreased working ability, either by lack of fluent work flow, motivation or symptoms of illness. 

Just as an employee needs to know the instructions on how to use an expensive machine, a manager must constantly keep in mind the basic principles of brain function: what motivates us, what triggers primal instincts leading to stress responses, and what helps us succeed, to name just a few perspectives.

Understanding and considering the brain's operating system also helps in the current chaotic world, so this skill is also beneficial for manager's own well-being, also in personal life.

Thoughts?

Please share your thoughts on managerial role. 

If you think your managers need help to succeed in their role and to take care of their own well-being, please send me an e-mail or call me!

Here's an important bonus: when a manager succees and has a sense of control of their work, it has a positive effect on their own well-being, which again promotes their capability to lead people, and the people to perform their tasks in time and with high quality.

So you can have a real win-win-win situation: the company, its managers, and employees all benefit.

Let’s have a chat; chat is free of charge!

With Brain regards
Anna-Mari