The performance of line managers and mentors plays a critical role in the success of any business. However, given their many responsibilities, from leading teams to driving results and everything in between, becoming effective in this role is far from easy. More often than not, managers get promoted not because they have the people skills to engage, motivate, and manage teams but because they excelled in their previous roles.
The Working Landscape of Line Manager Performance
The working landscape has undoubtedly become much more difficult for line managers in recent years due to various factors, including the pressure brought on by the pandemic, the cost of living crisis, and deteriorating mental health.
For instance, according to a survey by People Management on line managers in the UK, 25% of the participants have reportedly seen an increase in their team sizes since before the pandemic, while 43% are now leading more than ten people in their team.
These factors pose a major challenge even for the most experienced and skilled people leaders. As such, here are five tips to help give your organisation’s line managers a performance boost.
Communicate effectively
As with any relationship, communication is key to success, which is even more important for line managers. They need to learn how to clearly and effectively convey information from the top to their teams, as well as listen and respond to their feedback. One-to-one check-ins, regular team meetings, and open communication channels are just some avenues to better clarify concerns and exchange ideas with the whole team and its members.
Line managers that become adept at fostering open and effective communication can better build trust among the people they lead and ensure everyone is on the same page at all times.
Set clear goals and expectations
Line managers must clearly understand what is expected of them and their teams, including short-term and long-term goals and certain KPIs to measure their performance. Just like with clear communication, having unambiguous goals and expectations enables line managers to prioritise what’s important, gives them and their team a sense of direction, and properly aligns them with the organisation’s objectives.
This clarity is one of the core ingredients of employee engagement as they have a clear vision to work for and understand the meaning behind their efforts, making them more passionate about their jobs.
Encourage them to give regular feedback and recognition
It is uncommon for line managers to get swept up by the hustle and bustle of their roles that providing constructive feedback and recognition gets left by the wayside. However, this task is essential as no working relationship is perfect; there will always be room for improvement in how line managers and their subordinates work together. Furthermore, even simple recognition can do wonders to boost employee performance, letting them understand what they can do to improve or making them more effective assets that can deliver more than expected.
Offer training and development opportunities
Everyone that works in an organisation naturally wants to grow and develop their skills and knowledge, and line managers are no exception. By providing them with opportunities to attend leadership development workshops and other training programmes, you can help line managers enhance their skills and stay updated on the latest trends and best practices. Moreover, it gives them that sense of improvement that drives them to do better, turning them into more capable assets to the company.
Conclusion
As the people tasked with managing the employees that serve as the backbone of the business, it is only important to invest in your line managers and boost their performance. The tips above should prove useful in helping these leaders become more proficient at leading and managing their teams to drive greater business results.
At StrengthsAsia, we specialise in enhancing the performance of your key personnel with our acclaimed leadership development and employee engagement training in Singapore, proven to make them strong and confident leaders. Let your line managers experience the StrengthsFinder difference today and help them maximise their strengths to boost their capabilities. To learn more about StrengthsAsia and the courses we offer, you can reach out to us here.
