Google's 10 habits of effective managers
They say workers leave managers, not companies. With low unemployment the market favors employees, and turnover is often costly and disruptive to business. Managers are in the best position to prevent it.
Just what makes an effective boss?
Google spent the past decade trying to answer that, studying habits of effective managers. In 2008, the corporate giant began to research traits of good managers, code-named Project Oxygen. After identifying specific behaviors common to their highest performers, they trained all their managers to develop those traits. The result was improvement in employee turnover, satisfaction, and performance.
The 10 behaviors of Google’s best managers, updated by their more recent employee surveys, are:
1. Be a good coach. Instead of immediately solving every problem for the team, use them first as teaching moments. That builds useful experience.
2. Empower the team, don’t micromanage. A good team leader gives people enough freedom to do their jobs, explore new ideas, experiment, and develop their own working style.
3. Create an inclusive team environment, showing concern for success and well-being. Great managers make building trust a high priority. Google concluded teammates should feel safe taking risks, confident that no one will embarrass or punish anyone else for admitting a mistake, asking a question, or suggesting a new idea.
4. Be productive and results-oriented. The most effective managers know what their teams are capable of, and use emotional intelligence to motivate and help employees realize potential.
5. Be a good communicator — and really listen. Great managers are great listeners and transparent communicators. This includes constructive feedback as well as sincere, specific (and frequent) praise.
6. Support career development and discuss performance. Successful companies and managers invest in people. That includes providing career options and supporting workers’ personal goals as much as practicable, not holding them back.
7. Have, and communicate, a clear vision. Great managers let their teams know where they’re headed, rather than keeping them in the dark and just delegating tasks. That includes scope — realistic expectations about the specific actions needed to execute strategies, as well as each team member’s role in achieving it. That helps workers feel more invested in corporate success.
Be generous with credits due when visions are concretely achieved.
8. Get key technical skills. Great bosses are skilled in the work they oversee. When an effective manager enters a new department, they first familiarize themselves with each team member’s everyday work and challenges. This earns workers’ respect and trust.
9. Collaborate company-wide. Skip the “us versus them” mentality; competing against other teams or managers is not the way of good bosses. Great managers see the big picture, and work for the good of the whole.
10. Be a strong decision maker. Workers sense insecurity. Risk and fallibility are part of life; good managers must make tough decisions, and make sure everyone understands the reasons behind those decisions. Then they follow through.
The project is part of Google’s “re:Work” program — a collection of practices, research and ideas to help companies put people first.
For more information see: Rework.withgoogle.com/
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Sholeh Patrick is a Business Journal of North Idaho columnist. Email: sholeh@cdapress.com