What Great Managers Do

07/16/2014

Hide not your talents, they for use were made.
What's a sundial in the shade? Benjamin Franklin

"Great managers perform their magic by discovering, developing, and celebrating what's different about each person who works for them," observed Marcus Buckingham in his Harvard Business Review article, "What Great Managers Do," (March 2005; hbr.com). In the article he shared three tactics to help employees use their unique abilities to excel in their own way:

Continuously tweak roles to capitalize on individual strengths.
Pull the triggers that activate employees' strengths. Offer incentives such as time spent with you, opportunities to work independently, and recognition in forms each employee values most.
Tailor coaching to unique learning styles. Give "analyzers" the information they need before starting a task. Start "doers" off with simple tasks, then gradually raise the bar. Let "watchers" ride shotgun with your most experienced performers.

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