But What Does Every Employee Want from their Managers/Leaders? And, How Do We Get These, Together?
In a 2017 article in INC online magazine, the desired universal list of what every manager looks for in an employee was highlighted:
- Predictable results (get stuff done – be counted on to deliver!)
- Drama-free collaboration (play well in the sandbox; don’t cause interpersonal issues)
- Spontaneous initiative (don’t expect to be told exactly what to do every time)
- Truth-telling (candid about issues; willing to speak up, diplomatic)
- Enthusiasm (show your positive engagement)
- Continuous growth (treat your job as part of career)
But what does every employee (universally-speaking) want as traits in their managers/leaders (excerpts from the SESCO Survey report)?:
- Honesty. 90% say they want honesty and integrity from their manager. Lies and secrets are the biggest killers to credibility.
- Fairness. 89% want their manager to be fair and to hold all employees accountable to the same standards.
- Trust. More than 86% want to trust-and be trusted by-their manager.
- Respect. 84% want to respect-and be respected by-their manager.
- Dependability. 81% say they want to be able to count on their manager when needed.
- Collaboration. 77% want to be a part of their manager’s team and be asked to contribute ideas and solutions. Shutting employees out will shut them up-and send them shipping out.
- Genuineness. 76% want their manager to be a genuine person. Employees sometimes spend more time with their boss than with their families-they don’t want a phony.
- Appreciation. 74% want their manager to appreciate them for who they are and what they do. When was the last time you handed out a “Thank you!” or “Great job!” to employees?
- Responsiveness. 74% want their manager to listen, understand and respond. Be a sponge, not a brick wall.
I share all this because, if you follow my work with the Process Enneagram©, you can pick up very quickly that there are certain things that are integral to each point of that framework – especially the pattern for excellence that I call Partner-centered Leadership©.
Particularly, the qualities that employees want from their managers (and their coworkers) fall into the Building of Relationships by living by agreed-to Principles and Standards – essential ingredients: Honesty, Fairness, Trust, Respect, Dependability, Collaboration, Genuineness, Appreciation and Responsiveness. This is how we choose to behave with and treat each other!
Employees want sufficient information to be able to do their jobs and to understand how they fit in the big picture. Each cog in the wheel is essential. Yet they also need to understand where that wheel is rolling, what direction, and how fast. They do not want to be jerked around.
Information-sharing & Identity/Frame of Reference: Employees want the truth about the business…where does it stand? What is needed to move forward? What is required performance-wise for the next quarter? What is in it for me? How can I grow as the business succeeds? These are valid questions. How do I fit in to our success (likened to the stonecutter who was building a cathedral!)?
Leaders / Managers / Employees …Yes, you can get it all…together! Call me at 716-622-6467 and I’ll share the process with you. We teach Leaders and Managers how to do this, and we train-the-trainers too – so that you can have sustainability.
These three legs on the 3-legged stool are essential: Living by a set of Principles and Standards so that you can Build Relationships, Sharing Information, and Ensuring a Sense of Identity. Why? Because all things get done through people. And People Matter! And these are the ingredients for a successful business.
The key features for leaders/managers to remember in Partner-Centered Leadership are:
- Valuing people, change and the future
- Seeing organizations as if they are living systems
- Recognizing organizations as complex, adapting, self-organizing networks of people
- Focusing on the open flow of information, building respect and trust
- Helping people to find meaning in the work itself
Partner-centered Leadership | Safety Excellence For Business
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