Unlocking Potential: The Manager as a Catalyst for Growth

Transform your managerial role with key coaching skills! 🚀 Learn why humility and listening are essential for employee engagement and loyalty. Tune in with Ed Drozda, The Small Business Doctor. #BusinessGrowth #LeadershipTips 

Episode Transcript

Ed Drozda (00:11):
​Welcome to The Water Trough where we can't make you
drink, but we will make youthink.
My name is Ed Drozda, The SmallBusiness Doctor, and I'm really
excited you chose to join mehere as we discuss topics that
are important for small businessfolks just like you.
If you're looking for ideas,inspiration, and possibility,
you've come to the right place.
Join us as we take steps to helpyou create the healthy business
that you've always wanted.

(00:45):
Hi folks, this is Ed Drozda, TheSmall Business Doctor.
I want to welcome you back toThe Water Trough.
I was thinking back to the daywhen I decided I was going to be
a coach back in the late 1990s,which seems like an awful long
time ago.
I guess in fact it is quite abit of time ago, and a lot of
things have changed since thosedays.

(01:06):
When I was engaged in thetraining and certification
process coaching was a thing,but it was not what it is today.
Today there's a coach for justabout everything you can
imagine.
For those of us that have chosencoaching as a profession, I
believe there's a necessity forformal education and training.

(01:27):
In some cases certification aswell is required for us to do
our jobs.
But, more and more the coachingrole is being employed for those
in managerial positions.
In such cases, formal trainingand certification may not be
practical, but it is importantto have a fundamental

(01:47):
understanding of coachingpractices and what can be
effective in your role.
Traditional management is atop-down sort of arrangement
where the manager basically setsthe stage, declares what will be
done, monitors it being done,and the subordinate follows

(02:09):
through and does those things.
That is in a nutshell, thetraditional approach.
When a manager adds coachingtools to his or her portfolio
things are a little bitdifferent.
The manager still has theresponsibility of getting things
done through people and must doso with effectiveness and with

(02:30):
efficiency.
But when they throw in thecoaching tools, things are a
little bit different.
The approach is more from thedirection of the individual
versus the task.
The responsibility to get thejob done remains.
That has not changed at all.
But on the other hand, it is theway in which the manager seeks

(02:51):
to get things done, taking intoaccount the personality of the
employee, the level ofpreparedness of the employee.
Taking into account theresources that the employee has
available to them.
It is if you will, a softerversion of the traditional
management style.
I'm not suggesting that themanager has to acquiesce to

(03:16):
things over which they shouldhave control.
Quite the opposite, actually I'msaying that because the
manager's role is to get thingsdone through people it's
important to ensure that thosepeople who are getting things
done are in the best possibleplace.
That's why coaching comes fromthe human resource perspective.

(03:41):
The tasks remain vitallyimportant, but it's with an eye
towards who is doing it and howthey are in that role.
So this differs considerablyfrom the traditional management
style.
And for those that think that'sjust too soft and too mushy I

(04:03):
ask you to think again, becausethe reality is the employee who
is engaged and committed is theone that is going to be the most
valuable to your company.
They will be loyal to yourcompany.
They'll be loyal to your task.
They will be passionate abouttheir job.
If you pay them the respect andconsideration that people

(04:28):
deserve, you will in turn havethe outcome that you seek, and
you'll be able to sustain thatoutcome.
There are such a large number ofskills that are associated with
coaching in the workplace, butthere's two that I believe are
the most important.
They are humility and listening.

(04:50):
Humility is important because itreminds us of our roots.
We weren't always managers.
At one time we were thesubordinate as well.
Well, most managers remain assubordinates, but at one point
we did not have managerialauthority.
When we're humble we embrace thefact that those around us are

(05:15):
not unlike us; that we came fromthe same origins and that we owe
them the respect of theirindividuality and the things
that they have to offer.
The humble manager is one thatcan be reached.
The humble manager isapproachable.
The humble manager is one whoengenders in their employees the

(05:39):
notion that this person is herefor us.
That sort of presence enables amanager to develop sincere and
productive relationships withtheir employees.
On the other hand listening isalso profoundly important.

(05:59):
As managers we're accustomed totelling people what to do.
Talking about what needs to bedone.
And so on and so forth.
We're really good at talking.
And we like to think that we'relistening.
Certainly, at the very leastwe're hearing people say things.

(06:20):
But are we truly listening toand understanding what is being
said?
A manager who's able to listeneffectively is able to put aside
their personal agenda.
A manager who is willing andable to listen effectively is
going to encourage people tospeak up, and is going to

(06:41):
process that information andutilize that information in
building a more productiveworkspace.
Both humility and listening fitinto the notion that managers
get things done through people.
The role of management is to getthings done through people.

(07:04):
Sure the manager has tasks oftheir own to accomplish as well.
But the principle one is toensure that their employees are
getting things done effectivelyand efficiently.
Humility and listeningcontribute substantially to
this.
Humility and effective listeningare characteristics of a manager

(07:27):
as coach.
Humility and effective listeningare two things that can help
build employee engagement andemployee commitment, both of
which are essential to realizesuccess in a company.
An employee who is engaged isone who is truly passionate
about what they are doing, thetask that they're performing.

(07:50):
These are people who feelunderstood, appreciated, and
welcomed in the workingenvironment.
The humble manager as coachwho's able to listen effectively
is going to inspire that sort ofidentification of the employee.
The committed employee is onewho is also loyal to the

(08:13):
organization for which theywork.
Their commitment to theorganization ensures that they
are going to do everything theycan within their ability to
support the organization.
Employees who are committed tothe organization learn to do so
through the modeling of theirmanagers.

(08:35):
They are inspired by theirmanagers who in turn are also
committed and yet, able torecognize the individual
contribution of the employee.
As you can see, having coachingskills in a managerial role is
very impactful.
These are just a couple of verysmall aspects of the whole

(08:56):
thing.
I'm an Adjunct Professor at alocal business school, and my
specialty is management andleadership.
I'm continually encouraged bythe students with whom I work
and how they realize howimportant their own fundamental
development is in becoming goodmanagers and leaders.
I try wherever possible toinstill the notion of coaching

(09:19):
practices, even though it's notconsidered traditional
management.
Although at some point itprobably will be.
Because I truly believe thatthose things are what makes us
most effective as managers.
My hope for you is that you'llconsider incorporating coaching
tools into your managementpractice, and I do believe that

(09:41):
it will be something to beincredibly valuable to you and
to your employees.
This is Ed Drozda, The SmallBusiness Doctor, and once again
I want to thank you for beinghere.
Until next time, I wish you ahealthy business.

(10:06):
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