Here is a list of three ways leaders can excel in the new world
of work:
1. Be nice. This may seem obvious; however, some managers get
too focused on ego, power and control and they forget to treat
people with care and consideration. Other managers get so
focused on the task at hand that they forget basic manners, like
saying “thank you” for a job well done.
2. Set a clear direction. Leaders need to provide their team with
a clear and inspiring vision. This helps people to feel a sense
of purpose and understand how their work contributes to the
success of the organization. It is also important to ensure that
each team member understands the expectations of their role.
Consequently, everyone is focused on what is important and
feels confident that they are spending their time on the right
things.
3. Give your people an opportunity to learn and grow. Research
indicates that if people are learning, they are more likely to be
engaged at work. In fact, if employees feel they are being paid
fairly, career development is more important to most people
than money. So, if leaders want their team to be engaged, they
must encourage their development. For example, leaders can
create opportunities to place people on special projects. Leaders
also need to learn to delegate work that will allow others to
grow and develop new skills.
MAINTAINING HAPPINESS
Recently, a longtime employee at a certain company left his job.
Why? It wasn’t because he didn’t like the work he was doing. Nor
was it because he didn’t like his organization. Rather, it was be-cause
his manager was making his life miserable. Have you been
there before? Working for a disrespectful manager can be a misera-ble
experience.
Do we assume that it is a manger’s role to ensure his or her team
is happy? Absolutely! After all, in many cases, people leave manag-ers,
not companies.
Being a leader is not easy. Yet, it is critically important that if you
choose to manage other people that you learn how to balance both
people and the execution of tasks. After all, people will only work
hard for a leader who they like, trust and respect.
Does that mean that employees get a free ride? Not a chance!
While leaders need to create a culture that people enjoy, employ-ees
have a role to play, too. Employees need to come to work with
a positive attitude, a desire to work hard and a willingness to grow
and develop as their organization evolves. Employees need to be re-silient.
They need to be willing to adapt to organizational change.
So, for executives like David, adjusting to the expectations of a
changing workplace can be difficult. However, leaders need to real-ize
that this change is necessary. Although learning to be a different
type of leader can be hard, it is the key to a happier, more produc-tive
work experience. ■
Vanessa Judelman is president of People Mosaic Development.
feature
Benefits of Skills Training #8:
Learn to chart your success.
With skills training, you can acquire the tools needed
to succeed, like document use. By understanding and
creating graphs and charts, employees can become
more engaged within the organization.
Skills training can change your future. Start today at EssentialSkillsDay.ca
fli #LearnForward
The Advancing Workplace Learning joint project is funded in part
by the Government of Canada’s Adult Learning, Literacy and
Essential Skills Program (ALLESP).
30 ❚ NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014 ❚ HR PROFESSIONAL
