Have you ever taken a class in a subject that you enjoyed but because of the teacher’s style it ended up being a miserable experience? It has the potential to taint your enthusiasm for the subject.
A similar dynamic can happen in the workplace when working with an unskilled manager. It can dramatically influence your feeling about the work environment and their commitment to the company.
Unfortunately, this dynamic happens in many workplaces. We have a theory about why this occurs.
It’s common knowledge that excellent employees need to be rewarded. This often means moving them up the corporate ladder by promoting them. These promotions typically come with higher pay, a more prestigious title and more responsibility, including managing other workers.
However, being good at your job doesn’t necessarily mean you will be a good manager because being a manager requires skills that are quite different from those needed to be a good employee.
Yet many companies fail to provide additional training to new managers so that they can proficiently develop management skills.
Skills that are essential to being a good manager include
Operating from a broader mindset that translates the company’s vision into actionable strategies
Navigating boundaries with co-workers from their new position in authority
Communicating in a way that drives productivity and values employees
Managing conflict so that it strengthens the team’s ability to achieve its goals
Developing employees to foster motivation and loyalty
Implementing improvements to company processes and improving efficiency
Making decisions that align with company values
When companies fail to provide new managers with a means for developing these skills, they run the risk of having frustrated and unhappy employees along with new managers who quickly become stressed and burned out.
That’s why it was so refreshing for us to provide management training to employees at Summit Hotel Properties. We had a great time meeting with both current and aspiring managers and providing them with foundational knowledge about managing employees along with practical tools they could start using right away. Participants were also given opportunities to reflect on how they, as individuals, related to the content that was covered.
It’s always a gift to work with like-minded folks and we were happy to be in cahoots with Summit Hotel Properties. They share our belief that supporting employees and providing the resources needed for success helps both the company and employees thrive.
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