Managers get too little credit. Everybody is always talking about leaders and visionaries or workers who get things done. Sometimes the managers get overlooked – or worse, blamed when things go wrong.
Why is that?
Think about it. When we consider projects or goals, we spend a lot of time focusing on the beginning, creating the vision and mission, setting the course, and describing the goal. Leaders navigate those waters.
A fair amount of our focus also goes to all of the milestones and measures, the tasks that need to be done.
But what about the middle part of the project? That’s the domain of managers like you, and it’s the glue that holds the whole thing together. If you don’t do your job well, the whole project can fall apart.
Here are five essential roles that managers play in keeping things running and making the business successful.
Monitoring the “big picture” – Because managers sit between the executives and line workers, they are able to see in both directions. As a manager, it’s your role to see things from a grounded perspective. Not too far in the future or high in the clouds and not too far down in the nitty-gritty details. Good managers have 360-degree vision and make sure everyone can see what they need to see.
Communication – Managers move information up and down the pipeline (or grapevine). As a manager, you have more frequent interaction with line staff and with executive leadership than they do with each other. Making sure that information is relevant, timely, and accurate and keeping the channels open is essential for organizational success.
Mediation – Because they see the big picture, managers are often called upon to mediate between executives and line staff. Often, this can be accomplished by using language that aligns with the needs and values of each side and finding common ground that can serve as a starting point for problem-solving.
Managing Change – change is a constant in organizations and the task of ensuring that change will be successful often falls to managers. Because you keep your eyes on the big picture, as a manager, you may be the first to notice that change is occurring or that it needs to occur. Making sure everyone is prepared for change and has the resources and information they need to navigate change successfully is part of your responsibility. Making sure that an anticipated change is aligned with organizational values and helping others to understand that alignment will keep a change process moving smoothly until the change is accomplished.
Team Building – As a manager, you are the head coach and chief cheerleader for your organization. One of your key roles is to support and facilitate positive relationships between members of each team and across all levels of the company. When people feel supported and appreciated, they are more likely to be productive and stay engaged. That translates to organizational success and profitability.
Leaders, executives, and line staff are all important to the success of your organization, but it’s the managers who keep things running and make corrections when things go astray.
Today, we’re celebrating you and the important work that you do.