{"id":2945,"date":"2018-04-30T11:49:30","date_gmt":"2018-04-30T09:49:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/zestmeup.com\/?post_type=blog&p=2945"},"modified":"2025-12-12T18:11:43","modified_gmt":"2025-12-12T17:11:43","slug":"managers-the-brains-of-the-engagement-game","status":"publish","type":"blog","link":"https:\/\/zestmeup.com\/en\/blog\/managers-the-brains-of-the-engagement-game\/","title":{"rendered":"Managers: the Brains of the Engagement Game"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n
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Managers: the Brains of the Engagement Game<\/h1>\r\n\r\n\r\n

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Le r\u00e9cap de l’article<\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

If we refer to employees as being at the \u2018heart\u2019 of business success, then it follows that their managers are definitely the \u2018brains\u2019 of the game.<\/p>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\r\n\r\n

When we speak about employee engagement, the spotlight is often focused on the employees themselves. If we refer to employees (defined as those without any managerial responsibility) as being at the \u2018heart\u2019 of business success, then it follows that their managers are definitely the \u2018brains\u2019 of the game.<\/p>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t

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\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>But a managers\u2019 job is never easy. Often overwhelmed in a complex battle of budgets, strategy, growth, planning, productivity, ROI\u2026 and of course, ensuring the success of their teams to be a successful manager is tough. The true challenge for HR Directors is knowing how to engage and help managers evolve so they embody commitment and performance, passing this example down through the ranks to the employees themselves.\r\n\r\nSo, what strategies can HR adopt to support and encourage managers to succeed? We\u2019ve identified three main axes: levers of commitment, individualized support, and implementation of new management rituals.\r\n

Deciphering engagement levers<\/h3>\r\nThe industry is putting a big emphasis on listening to employees<\/a><\/span>, , but we sometimes tend to forget that the same principle applies at the management level. With only 8% of managers saying they\u2019re engaged in their job (Gallup<\/a><\/span>), how can a team really be motivated to succeed if they\u2019re working for a manager with no drive, low commitment and poor productivity? The answer is simple: they can\u2019t, but we don\u2019t need to tell you that. Engaged, productive managers are successful, and ultimately set a prime example to the teams they manage.\r\n\r\nMove aside Employee Experience<\/em>, we want to focus on the Manager Experience<\/em>. It\u2019s crucial that HR (and in a broader sense, top managers) actively listen so they can understand the driving forces behind engagement. The good news is that it\u2019s quite easy!\r\n\r\nWith our Key Drivers<\/em><\/a> feature, HR can identify via two simple questions what managers truly value and if those values are being met. From salary to working hours to the company\u2019s environmental strategy, HR can use this new-found information to form a holistic picture of what really drives manager engagement.\r\n
\r\n\r\nWith only 8% of managers saying they\u2019re engaged in their job, it\u2019s crucial that HR actively listen to understand the driving forces behind engagement.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\nWith our engagement meter, you can go even further and decipher managers\u2019 engagement levers through 6 main axes (such as the alignment with the company, the relationship with the manager, or career evolution possibilities) and to monitor regularly \u2013 each quarter for instance \u2013 the progress you\u2019ve made on these topics.\r\n\r\nEquipped with these insights, HR can act and create a work environment perfectly adapted to the wants and needs of managers, ultimately increasing engagement and transforming the Manager Experience<\/em>. The evolution will be visible in no time, and you\u2019ll quickly realize that modern management practices have numerous \u2013 and sometimes unexpected – positive effects on your company.\r\n\r\nSuch actions will help you create a powerful organization based on manager engagement. They can include creating new company rituals (weekly planning meetings, monthly debriefs) or setting new goals (frequent training opportunities, increased team activities); below are a few good practices to try out.\r\n\r\n \r\n

Dissemination rituals<\/h3>\r\nWanting to act to improve managers engagement in your company should be natural for two reasons: They are both beneficiaries of these practices (in their relationship with their own managers: top management) and the ones enforcing them (with their teams).\r\n\r\nMoreover, the HR sphere has been questioning the very traditional \u2013 if not \u201cantique\u201d – management style a lot lately. How could a company be successful and face its inevitable challenges with outdated management practices?\r\n\r\nWe are now moving forward and entering a new era where Taylorism and Controlling management styles are abandoned in favor of more autonomy, agility, continuous feedback and self-questioning practices. From these new considerations was created the concept of \u201cmanager\/coach\u201d, a new way of considering the time and support we give our employees. And guess what? This transition can\u2019t wait, employees around the globe are not just aware for it, it has become a requirement. But how can you make this concept a reality in managers\u2019 day to day life? <\/strong>\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nWe always encourage our clients to take advantage of this digitalization of the HR landscape to create and adopt new practices. The good thing is that they are easy to implement and beneficial to every hierarchical level. The possibilities are almost unlimited: weekly briefs, daily mood, 360\u00b0 feedback, frequent check-in with the team, encouragement between colleagues \u2026 to mention only the ones Zest can help you with right away.\r\n
\r\n\r\nThe most successful rituals are those that are conducted frequently, in real-time, are agile, measurable, and promote a 360\u00ba dialogue.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\nAn excellent example of this dynamic is the \u201ccheck in\u201d module we designed around a customer\u2019s need. Decathlon wanted to find an alternative solution to the dreadful \u201cannual performance review\u201d and asked us to develop a new module. Check out Decathlon\u2019s Success Story here.\r\n\r\nThe most successful rituals are those created giving priority to the managers\u2019 needs (more than HR directors or the top management). They should be conducted frequently, be measurable, agile, and happen in real-time. Other advice, rituals promoting a 360\u00ba dialogue tend to work best as they are not forced or imposed from above. When they are led from the bottom-up, they are most likely to be adopted as they are rooted in concrete necessity rather than projected needs.\r\n\r\nWith the backing of HR, those new management practices can become a real toolbox for the modern manager and be an accelerating factor for the success of his team (and as a consequence, for himself). This is the best cure for unmotivated or uninspired managers.\r\n\r\n \r\n

Master of your own success<\/h3>\r\nThose new management practices give managers the opportunity to be the master of their own success. By giving them the starring role of enhancing their performance and strengthening their commitment, HR are facilitating managers\u2019 professional development without really lifting a finger.\r\n\r\nWe love Zest, and we think it is the best solution ever. But we are not going to say that a digital app is an answer on its own, as we are aware that this profound transition is challenging. All the more when only 61% of the managers are satisfied with the support provided by their top managers to acquire new skills.\r\n\r\nTo have everyone on board, the trick is to complete this transformation with a strategy built around two main ideas: individual development and<\/u><\/strong> collective intelligence.\r\n\r\nWith individual development, managers can forge their own paths, learn from first-hand experience, and discover which leadership techniques work for them and their teams. The most powerful form of individual development is coaching. Calling on coaches was previously reserved to top managers, setting aside middle management. Once again, we are lucky HR trends are changing! Solutions as MoovOne help you popularize this practice.\r\n\r\nAdd collective intelligence to the mix \u2013 in particular co-development practices \u2013 and you\u2019ll push transformation forward by encouraging managers to share their successes, failures and best practices amongst themselves. This collective management dynamics will naturally increase managers are committed to their work.\r\n\r\n \r\n

3, 2, 1\u2026 Blast Off<\/h3>\r\nWith all these ideas for improving managers\u2019 commitment and performance, it\u2019s time to put them into action.\r\n\r\nAn engagement solution, like Zest, facilitates each of the mentioned axes and will assist you in creating an environment where managers are heard, empowered and supported. Engagement solutions do just this: with features centered around individual development (skill development, goal management, performance progression<\/a><\/span>) and collective success (sharing ideas, providing feedback, giving recognition<\/a><\/span>). managers can learn to enhance their performance to the benefit of their teams, their own individual career development and the success of the company.\r\n\r\nOur mission is to help you in this beautiful project, so don\u2019t hesitate to get in touch with us if you want to transform your Manager Experience<\/em>!","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If we refer to employees as being at the \u2018heart\u2019 of business success, then it follows that their managers are definitely the \u2018brains\u2019 of the game.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","blogcategory":[],"class_list":["post-2945","blog","type-blog","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/zestmeup.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog\/2945","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/zestmeup.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/zestmeup.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/blog"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/zestmeup.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2945"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"blogcategory","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zestmeup.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blogcategory?post=2945"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}