The pressure on managers is enormous: what made a manager successful 10 years ago would not even be enough for an average rating today. The requirements are changing massively, the economic environment is becoming more and more uncertain and the goals that need to be achieved seem to be getting higher and higher.
Classical leadership methods are no longer effective today (especially with young people). The new demands on contemporary leadership are too drastic and comprehensive:
A constructive approach to these changes and rapid learning are required.
But that's easier said than done. When looking for solutions and help, it's easy to get lost in the dense jungle of seemingly limitless possibilities: the range of courses, training and coaching available is almost impossible to understand. The same goes for the book market - in 2021 alone, over 2,000 books on the subject of leadership were published. And new leadership models are springing up like mushrooms.
How should managers keep track of this and find the right measures for them?
When we work with managers, we always start with the question "Why?" We basically press the "reset button" and start at the very beginning: "Why are you a manager? What does your company expect from you as a manager?" Most people react with surprise that their complex area of responsibility can be divided into three pragmatic areas of responsibility.
It’s about simple answers to the 3 crucial questions:
How can I demand and promote performance in the team/company in order to deliver the expected results?
How can I give my employees a sense of meaning and belonging in order to keep them in the company in the long term or to attract new ones?
How can I initiate and support change in order to further develop and promote the teams?
The most important thing is to realise that there is no universally valid leadership style. Every manager, every team and every company is different. Only the individual situation determines what a manager must do and be able to do.
For us, managers are superheroes!
Precisely because they have to manage all these changes and demands. And because they are doing one of the most responsible jobs there is: Hardly any other job offers more opportunities to take responsibility for others and support them in their professional and personal development. Leading by example, winning others over to your cause, achieving goals together, learning and having fun together can be a deeply satisfying task - if you want to and can do it.
The OKR framework offers a practical approach that helps managers implement their performance and development tasks:
Continuous review in short cycles ensures that goals are achieved and continuous improvement takes place.
Working together to develop goals promotes motivation and linking them to the company's vision creates meaning.
The clarity and transparency of the framework creates understanding and promotes collaboration across all teams, areas and levels.
The demand for highly ambitious goals requires us to think outside the box and thus promotes ambition, innovation and development.
Managers can even use the principles and values of OKR to develop their teams in a needs-oriented and goal-oriented manner.
One thing is clear: If you remain at the same level as 10 years ago, you are wasting valuable opportunities. The world keeps turning - if management lags behind, this will affect the entire organization. Therefore, use the opportunities offered by the OKR framework to further develop your managers and make your company fit for the future.
How is it in your company?
Is it clear to all managers why they are here, what their responsibilities are and what is expected of them? How are managers supported in their development? And what help do they receive to cope with the changed requirements and to master the change processes well with their teams?