12

The Elements of Great Managing

by Rodd Wagner & James K. Harter

Gallup Press © 2006
280 pages

Focus Take-Aways
Leadership & Management • To create a peak job experience, build a successful, committed team.
Strategy
Sales & Marketing
• Supporting your employees begins with providing the tools and materials they need.
Finance
• Sincere, frequent praise is a powerful, cost-effective employee development tool.
Human Resources
IT, Production & Logistics • Help employees connect by explaining how their jobs support the firm‘s goals.
Career Development
• Seek employees’ opinions and actively listen to them.
Small Business
Economics & Politics • Employee satisfaction and achievement strongly correlate with having close
Industries friends at work.
Intercultural Management
• Use goals to help employees excel and travel their own career paths.
Concepts & Trends

• Knowing your job also means learning how to handle extraordinary circumstances.
• When pay becomes a point of conflict, you have failed to handle other
management issues.
• To be a great manager, support your employees instead of misusing them.

Rating (10 is best)

Overall Applicability Innovation Style

9 10 7 8

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 Relevance

What You Will Learn

In this Abstract, you will learn: 1) How to use the 12 elements of great management; and
2) How helping people grow builds success for teams and companies.

Recommendation
The Gallup Organization has studied employment and management issues for decades.
Rodd Wagner and James Harter distill its findings into 12 pivotal concepts that managers
can use to develop and keep great employees. These range from creating strong teams
to managing them so that they support corporate goals. getAbstract lauds the way the
authors illustrate their points with real-life examples. They show how and why managers
implement each of the 12 factors, which are usefully broken down into business cases. The
12 principles are nicely interconnected. Each one explains a way to provide employees
with direct management support. This means guaranteeing their loyalty to your firm by
giving their jobs a context, providing a culture that supports their friendships, offering
them clear career paths, and creating opportunities for them to grow and develop as
people and employees. The authors explain why salary does matter, but also why it
is not the most crucial aspect of employee management. They demonstrate how the
worst managers view everything in financial terms, whereas the best managers give of
themselves to support their people.

Abstract

Prosper Through Your Employees

“Matching a Yes, people come to work for a paycheck, but employees feel a big difference between
person to the right
job, or a job to
putting in time going through the motions of the job, and being part of a high-performing
the right person, team. Now you can replicate the elements of a great work experience for your employees.
is one of the After more than 10 million workplace interviews, Gallup found 12 concepts that great
most complicated managers use to create quality employee experiences. These principles do not require
responsibilities rare talents or extreme performance. You simply have to apply them.
any manager will
face.”
1. “Knowing What’s Expected”
Employees want to know what they are supposed to do to accomplish their assignments.
A job description alone doesn’t ensure that an employee will perform well, and an
employee can’t let the company down because his or her job description does not spell
“There is no
such thing as out necessary tasks. As a manager, coordinate with your staffers to make sure that you
an inherently and they understand their jobs’ full implications, how their work connects to results and
meaningless who to call when outside-the-norm events occur. Consistently doing a good job means
job. There are performing well under varying, sometimes unpredictable conditions. Great managers
conditions
that make the
enable their people to feel proud and empowered. Their leadership helps employees
seemingly most connect with their colleagues and their organization.
important roles
trivial and…make 2. “Materials and Equipment”
ostensibly awful Nothing is more frustrating than trying to perform a job without the right gear. Employees
work rewarding.”
must be ready to work, but managers must facilitate that work by making sure that staff
members have the equipment they need when they need it. Too many employers make the
mistake of dictating work to their employees instead of listening to them and providing
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 the resources they request. Front-line workers understand their jobs better than anyone
else and can help the company improve by explaining what they’ve learned. When you
“‘Knowing what’s implement employees’ suggestions, you reinforce positive behavior, garner good ideas
expected’ [means and encourage their implementation. Conversely, if you pressure employees to work
having] a detailed without timely access to needed materials or gear, you spur them to hoard and misapply
understanding resources. Such shortages increase stress and lower job satisfaction. Great employees
of how what one
love to be challenged, but they also want proper supplies, support and appreciation.
person is supposed
to do fits in with
what everyone is 3. “The Opportunity to Do What I Do Best”
supposed to do.” The intersection of what a person is good at doing and enjoys, and what his or her company
really needs, is the “sweet spot” of employment. A manager is responsible for aligning
people with the jobs that are closest to their sweet spots, then helping their positions grow
and develop into jobs they might not even realize they can do well. Helping a struggling
employee is another pivotal management responsibility. Companies sometimes place
“Workgroups for good people in jobs that are wrong for them. Recognize this and redirect misplaced
which materials staffers so they can thrive. Act before they hurt the company or lose their confidence.
and equipment
are managed most Whether the person needs training or reassignment, handle such steps as opportunities,
effectively average not as the results of failure.
higher customer
engagement… 4. “Recognition and Praise”
productivity [and] Showing appreciation for your employees is one of the most powerful tools at your
safety.”
disposal, so use it generously. Your employees will be delighted and you will get to
know them more deeply, which enables you to manage them better – all at no cost. Wise
managers know the power of frequent pats on the back and recognition. Caution: If you
try to get by with insincere praise or a few shallow compliments, it will backfire. Sincere
praise triggers a pleasure response in the brain, a feeling people want to repeat. If you
“Incorporating evoke that response a few times, employees will act positively to gratify their hunger for
employee ideas more praise and that pleasure response. Being stingy with praise is a false economy. The
pays back twice. rewards of positive feedback far outweigh the time and energy you invest.
First, the idea
itself often is a
good one. Second
5. “Someone at Work Cares About Me as a Person”
[it] makes it much Great managers know that people are not machines. Although Henry Ford lamented
more likely [that that he had to hire a whole person to get the pair of hands he wanted, you know that
employees] will be getting the full benefit of each employee’s creativity and passion is much more valuable
committed to its than hiring someone who merely fulfills a job’s required tasks. However, people need
execution.”
connections to other people. Job satisfaction and performance increase when employees
know that their colleagues care about them and have a genuine interest in their lives. No
matter how hard you push, you cannot force great work from people you debase or abuse.
And your organization cannot compete if your employees provide only perfunctory
performance. They must bring all of themselves to work. To nurture their involvement,
“Managers who
tack a dollar create an environment that recognizes that real people have lives outside of work. When
figure on all the people feel that their employers respect their dignity, they work harder.
overtly productive
acts should not 6. “Someone at Work Encourages My Development”
be surprised if
Human beings are not static. When managers give employees opportunities to grow
employees…avoid
doing anything… and pursue individual career paths, employees are willing to stretch to accomplish big
that does not have goals. If you provide them with mentors, their enthusiasm becomes job-performance
cash attached.” rocket fuel. People learn by watching masters and imitating what they see. When a
mentor shows an employee how to do a task and how the task connects to results and

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 rewards, the employee develops confidence in the mentor, in himself or herself, and in
the company’s ability to recognize great performance. Your self-confidence and your
confidence in your company will inspire your employees.
“Customers…
sense the level of 7. “My Opinions Seem to Count”
camaraderie where You will undo all your progress if your employees get the message that their viewpoints
they shop… if for do not matter. Do not wait for them to push into your field of vision. Ask for their
no other reason
than its natural opinions about their jobs, the company and your management. You don’t have to agree
contagiousness.” with them, but don’t disparage anything they say. Simply by acknowledging them, and
demonstrating that you hear and understand what they are saying, you give them powerful
affirmation. They will likely give you ideas and information you can use to improve your
team’s performance. When that happens, praise the person and the team.

8. “A Connection With the Mission of the Company”

Don’t be satisfied teaching people solely how to perform their tasks. To make each
“Few factors are staffer’s work more meaningful, demonstrate how it connects to the team’s goals and
more corrosive to
teamwork than the company’s performance. People who realize that their tardiness or sloppiness could
the employee who compromise another pivotal operation will perform their jobs even better. In fact, they
skates through life will go out of their way to deal with anything that compromises their ability to do good
taking advantage work. They won’t wait passively until someone else fixes a problem; they will contact
of the much harder
work of others.”
someone who can fix it. As a manager, you want this kind of personal investment.

9. “Coworkers [Are] Committed to Doing Quality Work”

When you ask people to describe their peak employment experiences, they usually cite
working on a great team. This is because high-performing teams encapsulate the most
important aspects of a meaningful job experience. Great teams know what they are doing.
Team members support each other. They coordinate their tasks, bond and recognize
“If a manager can each other’s contributions. Your management approach can foster or impede your team’s
maintain a strong, success. No matter how well things are going, never stop managing. Continually take
regular discussion
of progress, nine
the pulse of the team and each team member. Be ready when team membership changes
in 10 workers will because of promotions, moves or departures. Have a possible list of replacements in
consider the review mind, so you can minimize the sense of crisis or disruption such changes can cause.
system fair.” Keep your team committed by helping members stay focused on their success rather
than on any disruptive events. Dealing with outside issues is your job.

10. “A Best Friend at Work”

Employees who have close friends at work have the lowest turnover and the most positive
performance ratings. Polls with sentences that use the specific phrase “best friend” have
“Employees have
the highest predictive power for employee performance. Having deep friendships with
innate needs... colleagues greatly enriches a person’s work life. Friends can communicate more freely,
to create the best exhibit more trust and support each other. Arriving at work and entering a friendly
possible self- atmosphere is much more inspiring than coming into a sterile, hostile interpersonal
image through
environment. Who wants to feel invisible or disliked? As a manager, foster friendships
achievement. This
drive is so basic and support employees who are the least able to find friends for themselves.
that evidence of its
existence confronts 11. “Talking About Progress”
us every day.” Unless you are in a position to decide your company’s appraisal methods, you have to use
the tools the firm gives you. However, you can choose how effectively you use them. Too
often managers treat appraisals as trials to overcome. But done right, appraisals can be

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 the culmination of employee development and career progress. Work closely with your
employees so that nothing in the appraisal is surprising. Spend time together preparing
goals for the next year that represent not only expected and stretch performance, but also
a step forward on the individual’s career path. All employees should know where they
are headed, and how their performance enables or hinders their progress.
“Before a person
can deliver what
12. “Opportunities to Learn and Grow”
he should as a
manager, he must Although a few people prefer learning one job and staying with it, most people regard
first receive what such monotony with a special kind of horror. Nearly everyone wants to learn and grow.
he needs as an However, many employees will avoid taking risks if they perceive that the company
employee.” will punish them for even the smallest failures. To reap the rewards that come from
helping employees improve, even with some risk, create an environment that supports
risk taking and the inevitable failures that accompany it. Back your staff members in
learning needed skills and securing educational opportunities. Each person should
become familiar with several jobs within the team’s scope so the group has coverage
during absences or transitions. Your team members will trust and appreciate you more
“Managers who if they know you will help them advance and not hold them back for selfish reasons. Be
fail to [use] ready for change due to the growth you encouraged rather than trying to stunt growth in
positive feedback order to prevent change – not that you can prevent it anyway.
are not only
handicapping their
“The Problem of Pay”
own managerial
effectiveness, they For most employees, salary is fundamental. However, pay usually is not a job’s most
also diminish important characteristic. If you have all 12 of the managerial elements in place, you
the power of the rarely will lose a staffer over money unless your pay scale is very uncompetitive. Wages
salaries they are become the most contentious issue when the 12 elements are not managed well. Employees
paying.”
can’t change a toxic culture, but they can demand more money for enduring it. Yet, pay
will not cure a person’s performance problems, and raises lose their motivational power
very quickly. Even bonuses can become an expected part of a pay package, so their
absence can cause problems. Be aware that employees talk about their salaries. Trying
to discourage them from doing so makes things worse by fostering rumors. Develop a
rational pay plan that rewards great work without overpaying (easier said than done). To
“Managers keep great people without breaking the bank, implement the 12 management concepts.
who…create the
greatest financial “The Heart of Great Managing”
performance
All CEOs say employees are their companies’ greatest assets. This praise is usually
start with the
least pecuniary meaningless, because these executives’ actions contradict their words. Gallup’s findings
motivations. They show that the managers who elicit the most out of their employees are those who give their
work hard to do employees the most – not necessarily in terms of wages, but in humanity, dignity, and
the right thing support. The managers who derive the best financial performances from their employees
for their people,
and…end up doing
are the ones who are the least motivated by money. If you work hard for your people, they
well.” will work hard for you; ultimately, everyone will benefit.

About the Authors

Rodd Wagner is a Gallup Organization principal and an expert on high-performance
management and the interplay between employee commitment and company performance.
James K. Harter, Ph.D., a chief scientist at Gallup, focuses on its international workplace-
management program. He has written or co-authored more than 1,000 research studies.
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