Top-down management. Monday-Friday, 9:00-5:00. Management by walking around. There was a time when these made sense. There was a time when the frontline workers in offices were office workers. Their objective was to complete tasks assigned by managers. Period.
By the 1950’s, office workers were becoming knowledge workers. While the evolution was slow at first, it has - with few exceptions - become complete. While office workers might have been, knowledge workers are not interchangeable cogs. They are unique people. Some work best early in the morning, others in the afternoon or even at night. Some can get in the zone, working on their computers for hours on end. Others are most productive when they get up, walk around, sit down away from the desk and “daydream,” or even take a nap.
The management style that worked for office workers is not the management style that works for today’s knowledge worker. The signs have been there for a long time, especially among Millennial and Gen-Z employees. With the Great Resignation, it is becoming increasingly evident across every generation of employee. People want employers who care about their mental as well as physical health, supervisors that are empathetic even as they hold people accountable, and they want work that has meaning to them as well as to their employers. They want to be able to blend their personal and work lives in ways they couldn’t before Covid forced them into Work From Home and more. They want enlightened management.
Your goal is to better understand the evolving needs and desires of your workers rather than to dictate the terms of employment. Dr. John Boudreau, Senior Research Scientist and Professor Emeritus, University of Southern California
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it’s DO-BE time is about the DOing and BEing of business. Each week our guests address the challenges that are top of mind for business owners and leaders at all levels of the organization, from the 4-day work week to tough conversations to providing a psychologically safe space for the people in our organization, you will hear the counsel of those who have made it work here.
Assess the Fit: Your People, Their Roles, and Your Organization’s Needs
All too often, we hire people for the skills they claim, only to find out that their skills aren’t as strong as they think they are, or they have the necessary skills but are a poor cultural fit in the organization. Their values may be misaligned, or they may not work with others the way that is needed for the best results. The dynamic work environment driven by Covid and your business’s response to Covid (work from anywhere, hybrid, flexible schedules, back-to-office, etc.) may have resulted in some of your best employees becoming middle-of-the-road or even poor performers. Do-Be’s affiliate People Values can help you assess fit pre-hire and identify the root of current challenges. The Do-Be Associates are prepared to work with the results of your assessments to guide you to the most successful results for your business and your people. Find out more here.
When times are tough in business, it’s DO-BE time. Tony Carnesi and Brian Gorman