Employees resistant to returning to the office, the changing face of AI, older and more experienced direct reports, and employee mental health are among the big issues challenging today’s managers, according to Modern Manager: Conquering the Five Frustrations of Leadership.
“The demands on today’s manager have changed and increased dramatically post-pandemic,” St. John’s-based author Corina Walsh told Entrevestor.
"Today's manager is facing greater challenges in leading a team than ever before due to the ever-changing landscape of workplaces and shifting employee expectations.
“Before deciding that 'management is not for you', consider if you have received the training and skills to do your role effectively,” said Walsh, who heads well-known leadership development company Shift People Development.
She said a nurse would not be promoted to a doctor, but companies are still promoting strong technical individual contributors to Team Lead without giving them the skills they need to excel in a different role with a different skill-set.
Some companies are proactive with management training, but many others wait until a manager is struggling or staff are complaining about them before offering training.
“Statistics show that, on average, managers are in a role for 10 years before they receive leadership development training, and that training might not even help if the training is theory-based or out-of-date. My book is looking at today’s needs and takes a people-first approach.”
She said it has become common for employees to talk to their managers about their mental health, for example.
“Employees disclose very personal things and expect managers to take care of them. Is that a fair expectation? Managers need to know communication techniques that balance empathy with boundary setting. They need to know how to direct employees to the right help.”
Walsh, who is also the author of The Engaged Employee Blueprint and host of the podcast The People and Culture Success Show, says the five big issues are:
1. Micromanagement misunderstanding - today's manager is so worried about being a micromanager they run the risk of not managing enough and leave their ship without a captain. Today's manager spends more time stressing over whether they are micromanaging than focusing on what their team needs from them.
2. Delegation disappointment - managers are delegating but not getting the work they need completed to the quality they need so they 'take back the work and do it themselves', experiencing disappointment. They experience disappointment however because they do not understand how to delegate and communicate expectations effectively.
3. Feedback fiasco - when a manager attempts to give an employee constructive feedback but the conversation goes sideways. A manager must be trained on how to communicate constructive feedback, the old ways of the 'feedback sandwich' won't work.
4. Coaching confusion - a manager is told by their employer that they must 'coach' their team for performance but they have no idea what coaching really is and therefore are frustrated when they don't get changes in performance from their employees.
5. Motivation misunderstanding - when a manager does not understand how to motivate 'this generation' of employees and they rely on extrinsic motivators to try to motivate a team which often creates entitlement.
“I explain why managers are experiencing these five frustrations, the outside influences that exacerbate these issues, and what managers can do about it,” the author said.
Among favourable early reviews, including one from marketing guru Seth Godin, is Jennifer Gillivan, President and CEO of the IWK Foundation.
"The stakes have never been higher, and Corina has captured practical, actionable strategies and tools for leading teams effectively. This book is an essential guide for the managers who will steer your organization through these disruptive yet exhilarating times,” Gillivan said.
The book becomes available in January and can be pre-ordered here.
