From boss to coach

A friend recently related a horror story from his workplace. At the start of the year, his team leader proposed setting up an objective performance evaluation system. This, he said, would make the year-end appraisal relatively transparent. Everyone agreed. The team decided how many points a member would earn for each task. My friend, an industrious chap, then set about notching up points with great zeal. By the time the appraisal came around, he had accumulated double the number of points as the next person and felt confident going in for the appraisal meeting. That was when his team leader dropped a bombshell. The points system they had decided upon, he claimed, was flawed and would have to be altered. My friend, who got barely an average rating under the new system, consoles himself by saying that he is poorer by a few thousand rupees but richer by an anecdote.
 

I am sure the reader would have many such horror stories of his own. The point is that there is much room for improvement in the way leaders manage their teams.  

The book under review has been written by the chairman and the chief scientist at Gallup, a name synonymous with polls and surveys. On its web site, Gallup describes itself as an organisation that uses analytics to offer companies advice on how they can unlock the full potential of their employees.

One rather odd feature of the book is that many of the chapters are very short—of barely a couple of pages. If this puts you off—this reviewer’s first reaction was definitely negative—overcome it and get down to reading the book as it has several powerful insights to offer.  

The authors begin by saying that one of the most serious problems before the global economy is declining productivity at the workplace. One reason is that barely 15 per cent of employees all over the world, according to Gallup’s estimates, are engaged at work, which means they derive a sense of mission and purpose from it. The authors then assert that one factor which accounts for 70 per cent of the variance in how engaged team members are is the quality of the team leader. Selecting and nurturing high-quality team leaders is a sure way for chief executives to augment the productivity of their organisations.
 

The influx of millennials and Generation Z into the workforce poses a new challenge. These are often youngsters from well-to-do families. A good paycheque alone does not satisfy them. They constantly ask themselves whether their job is also contributing to their personal growth.

  

One suggestion in the book managers would do well to adopt is nurturing a strengths-based culture. It means they should focus on their team members’ strengths rather than their weaknesses. The underlying reason: While weaknesses can at best be reduced or limited, strengths can be developed infinitely. Team leaders can get more out of their members by offering them responsibilities that align (largely) with their strengths.

Managers also need to behave less like the boss and more like a coach. This means establishing clear expectations and accountability, and offering regular feedback—even on a weekly basis and not just during the year-end appraisal. Managers also need to have regular conversations with team members on how the latter can develop themselves. They could even recommend them for suitable training programmes. 

People often become managers because they are good at their job and hence get promoted, or because the previous manager leaves and the position falls vacant. Only rarely do people get managerial positions because they have demonstrated a talent for leading. Those who step into such positions should not assume they will automatically be good at it. Instead, they need to approach the assignment with humility and constantly be on the lookout for resources that can help them improve. A book such as this one, based on the study of the best literature on the subject and on global surveys, can act as a guide.

      

A cynic may say that the advice in books such as these, while it may be suited to the West where there is a perpetual manpower crunch, is far removed from the realities of the Indian workplace, where workers, at least at lower rungs, are easy to substitute. A friend commented that his team leader, far from behaving as a coach, behaves like a feudal lord presiding over a minor fiefdom. He overpromises before his superiors, passes on all the load to his team members, and then hogs all the credit if a goal does get accomplished. It may be possible to condone such behaviour at present. But as competition intensifies, organisations will need to work harder at retaining their star employees. Managers who fail to create an atmosphere of camaraderie and a growth-oriented culture find themselves shown the door.

It’s the manager  

Jim Clifton & Jim Harter

Gallup Press

Pages: 433; Price: Rs 1,199