A recent Gallup article highlighted that the traditional management model is coming to an end. And what does that mean? We are entering a new era in business where employees will have more autonomy in decision-making processes. In this reality, self-management possibilities may be alternatives to adapt to the new scenario predicted.
In this context, thanks to its self-management capabilities, NetSuite fits perfectly. It allows modern business collaborators to make decisions and manage their tasks and performance independently. They have access to dashboards with real-time feedback, while modern managers gain a broader view of the business and their teams, collaborating and managing even remotely.
Check out the translated article from Gallup below.
The End of the Traditional Manager
by Adam Hickman and Ryan Pendell for Gallup
In almost every way, the workplace is evolving rapidly. Compared to past decades, the workplace is currently defined as follows:
- More flexible workspaces: 74% of employees have the ability to move to different areas to do their job;
- More flexible working hours 52% of employees say they have some choice when they work;
- More remote work43% of employees work remotely from their team at least part of the time;
- More matrix-based teams: 84% of employees are enrolled to some extent.
But this new fluid workplace isn't just about the work environment. Workplaces are increasingly project-based, and employees today are drawn to interesting problems and meaningful work – not just the job title.
To be more agile in a project-based work environment, teams make more decisions without top-down approval, which means that non-managers must act more like leaders and think more like "senior executives".
But thinking and acting like a leader is what companies want from an employee. Organizations are looking for employees who can confidently make independent decisions, solve problems with diverse groups of colleagues, and manage their own schedules, projects, workload, relationships, and career plan on their own.
Whether implicitly or explicitly, companies often expect employees to "be their own bosses" and do for themselves what used to be considered "management."
This change in the workplace alters what employees need from their manager. In short, a manager who is always visible, watching every minute and stopping to ask if you received the memo, is becoming obsolete.
Under new direction
What happens when people have more autonomy at work?
Empirical evidence shows a correlation between increased performance and engagement, as well as greater sensitivity to failure, when people have more independence at work.
In other words, autonomy leads to an increase in performance and engagement of employees, But employees still need support from their manager in difficult situations. Managers can't offer autonomy and then disappear.
While companies employ people, they need leaders who can develop talented individuals. This applies even to flexible, temporary, alternative, or non-transitional workers. The personal relationship they maintain with their supervisor is the most significant relationship they have with their organization.
But there are new rules for management, and traditional management practices generally no longer work.
For example, managers often assume that the expectations of remote workers are the same as those of in-office employees, but there is a phenomenon that separates these two types of workers: isolation. Perceived workplace isolation can lead to a 21% drop in performance.
The reality is that you can't manage the modern workforce using traditional management methods.
Today's manager needs to be a coach, holding employees accountable and encouraging their development and growth.
With many aspects of management now being automated, what remains is the most powerful tool a manager has – meaningful conversations.
Consider your favorite sports coach and how they communicate with their star players. They have a deep understanding of their players through hours of dialogue. They know what to say to motivate each player differently – who needs more feedback, who needs less. Over time, great coaches develop the confidence and openness needed to have difficult conversations under pressure.
Most managers, however, are not ready for this type of personal approach to dialogue with their employees. Organizations can help by providing managers with training on how to conduct strengths-based and performance-oriented conversations regularly with employees.
The Future of Management
Could management become decentralized?
Instead of having one "manager," imagine your best employees interacting with a team of specialized managers – one a technical expert, another an interpersonal skills guru, another a career coach, and so on.
Different managers address specific performance obstacles while consulting with each other to ensure they are viewing each employee holistically and objectively.
Of course, managers would still need to have tough conversations with employees when necessary, but they would take a backseat when the team was performing well.
The chance to be mentored by this dream management team dedicated to your long-term career development would be a powerful draw for talented job seekers..
Regardless of what the future holds, it's worth considering unconventional ideas when it comes to management. Sometimes it's easy to lose sight of how quickly business, as we know it, is changing.
The old rules no longer apply, and that means leaders need to reinvent management for a more autonomous workforce of the future.
