{"id":287,"date":"2015-01-01T17:34:41","date_gmt":"2015-01-01T17:34:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.tandemsites.com\/evoke\/blog3\/?p=287"},"modified":"2021-09-09T18:32:48","modified_gmt":"2021-09-09T18:32:48","slug":"managers-are-the-most-important-medium","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/missionpassionblog.com\/managers-are-the-most-important-medium\/","title":{"rendered":"Managers Are the Most Important Medium"},"content":{"rendered":"
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I mentioned Captain Miller from Saving Private Ryan<\/em>, and his successful leadership, in my introductory blog post. This example is especially pertinent in the United States where employees are often leery of top management\u2019s plans and want to hear and discuss business plans and change firsthand.<\/p>\n

Employees on the front lines tend to prefer face-to-face interaction with those who impact them most directly \u2013 their managers. Managers are the best conduit for reaching employees\u2019 hearts and minds with plans and objectives. \u201cFace-to-face interactions are best used for employees to build interpersonal relationships with their managers and also for managers to transmit work instructions and daily operations to their employees.\u201d[1] In short, managers are the medium.<\/p>\n

The military analogy, reinforced by my use of the words, Mission Alignment, may seem unfortunate. But let\u2019s face it, times are tough. \u201cBusiness is war\u201d may be more relevant today than ever. Companies must succeed in an ever-escalating, competitive frame. People must succeed as individuals and teams if they want their companies to be competitive. More and more companies seek innovation and new solutions from the front lines. This innovation comes only with change and an all-new management style.<\/p>\n

Employees need to know why their role in the company  matters, and what success looks like. They need the company\u2019s plans to be real and relevant to them and the jobs they do every day. They need to know the nature of the mission they are joining, where they are going and how they\u2019re going to get there.<\/p>\n

Times are tough and times are fast. People have to come together quickly around new direction, reorganization and the constant demand for innovation.<\/p>\n

Often employees feel really great about working for a brand, but that doesn\u2019t mean they understand what senior management is trying to accomplish, or what they should do to help move the needle. Nor does it mean they can assimilate change or new directives without critical conversations with their managers, supervisors and each other.<\/p>\n

So managers are the critical factor, again, more than ever before. That creates a challenge. Managers have to be in the know, all the time. They must be ready to explain and justify everything that takes place in their units, from supporting high-level strategy to what\u2019s on today\u2019s task list. They need tools to communicate the mission, the destination and the elements of strategic plans affecting their people.<\/p>\n

When managers are not in the know, it weakens their credibility: \u201cJust how connected is my manager? Don\u2019t the bigwigs trust her?\u201d \u201cWhy aren\u2019t they keeping him in the loop?\u201d \u201cMaybe she don\u2019t understand the plan herself.\u201d When managers aren\u2019t plugged in, employees question the soundness of the plan itself: \u201cWhy can\u2019t anyone explain this?\u201d \u201cIf it\u2019s that complicated, how are we going to make it happen?\u201d<\/p>\n

Change communication teams have tried various forms of the information \u201ccascade\u201d over the decades. Is that a good metaphor for change communications, especially when the content of a \u201ccascade\u201d never changes? Every business strategy has many different internal audiences. Each needs a vibrant translation of the plan that resonates with them and makes the company mission real and relevant.<\/p>\n

Most importantly, they need someone to deliver that translation firsthand. The best medium? Managers.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

[1] Ean, Lee Chang. \u201cFace-to-face Versus Computer-Mediated Communication: Exploring Employees\u2019 Preference of Effective Employee Communication Channel.\u201d International Journal for the Advancement of Science & Arts<\/em>, 1 (2010: 44.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I mentioned Captain Miller from Saving Private Ryan, and his successful leadership, in my introductory blog post. This example is especially pertinent in the United States where employees are often leery of top management\u2019s plans and want to hear and discuss business plans and change firsthand. Employees on the front lines tend to prefer face-to-face interaction with those who impact … <\/p>\n

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