What great managers do differently – consequences for HRPresentation based on the article „What great managers do differently“ of Susan M. Heathfield

By Christiane Baumann, 11.11.2010Course: New Trends in HRLecturer: Terry George

What you (hopefully) will have learned in the end:

•Common wisdom is not always true

•The core tasks of a normal manager

•The core tasks of a great manager

•What does this mean for HR?

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Tasks of a normal manager:

1. Select a person based on experience,

intelligence and education

2. Set expectations by defining the right steps

3. Motivate the person by helping him identify

and overcome his weaknesses

4. Develop the person by helping him learn

and get promoted

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Why common wisdom is wrong

A little story:

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What does this tell us?!

•People don‘t change that much.

•Don‘t waste time trying to put in what was

left out.

•Try to draw out what was left in.

•That is hard enough!

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Conclusions of Buckingham & Coffman

•Based on interviews with over

80.000 successful managers

•Gallup Organization

Great managers break every

rule characterized as

conventional wisdom when

dealing with the selection,

motivation and development of

staff

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Let‘s have a look to the back & front:1. When selecting someone…

they select for talent2. When setting expectations…

they define the right outcomes3. When motivating someone…

they focus on strengths4. When developing someone…

they help him find the right fit

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1. Select people based on talent

… Not because of experience, education or intelligence

Talent is: a recurring pattern of thought, feeling or behavior that can be productively applied

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2. When setting expectations for employees, establish the right outcomes

• Micromanaging is a mistake!

• Great managers assist each

individual to establish goals that

are congruent with the needs of the

organization

• they let each employee find the right path

to reach the outcomes

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3. When motivating an individual, focus on strength

• everybody has unique strength• If you help people becoming more of who they already are it will lead to success

• Find out what motivates each staff member and try to provide more of it in his work environment• manage around the weakness

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4. Find the right job fit for each person

• Help each person find roles where his unique combination of strengths match the distingt demands of the role

• guide the employee toward roles where he has the greatest chance of success

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Implications for HR

•Remember:

•People don‘t change that much!•Try to draw out what was left in!

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1. Selecting for talent

•Realistic testing

•Behavioral interviewing

•Look for patterns of talent in application

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2. Defining the right outcomes

•Coach the managers in more partizipative

styles of working

•Establish organization-wide goals

•Think of reward system

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3. Focusing on strength

•Promote a work environment in which

people feel motivated to contribute

•Make certain that individual strenghts are

nurtured

•Design reward, recognition, compensation

& performance development systems

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4. Finding the right fit

•Familiarize yourself with every position in

the organization & with the talents and

capabilities of each person

•Keep excellent documentation

•Development promotion & hiring process

which supports placing people in positions

that „fit“

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Conclusion• Implications of this findings are enormous!!

Assess each individual’s talents and skills.

Then provide training, coaching and

development opportunities that will help the

person increase these skills. Compensate for

or manage around weaknesses.

• Is this realistic and possible?

•Does this meet your personal opinion?

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What you (hopefully) will have learned in the end:

•Common wisdom is not always true (?!)

• The core tasks of a normal manager

• The core tasks of a great manager

•What does this mean for HR?

Did you??

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Thanks for your attention!

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