Managers must ‘walk their talk’

Lionel Wijesiri

If you work in an organization, big or small, you’ll often hear one specific complaint repeatedly. “Our managers say they want change and continuous improvement but their actions do not match their words”.

For the employees the leaders’ exhortations ring false when their subsequent actions contradict their words. A General Manager once asked me, “Why do they do what I do and not what I tell them to do?” Another senior manager asked, “Do I really have to change, too?” These are scary questions coming from leaders.

The power of an organization’s leaders in creating the organization’s values, environment, culture and actions is immeasurable. That is why the concept of “walk the talk” is essential to enable organization change and improvement.

If the managers want to take the power away from the oft-repeated employee complaint that they don’t walk their talk it is time for them to learn how to walk their talk.

Mental attitude

If you are a supervisor, manager, sectional head or any leader, motivating yourself to be an example to your employees, should not be something you should do only when the spirit moves you.

It is an ongoing process that should include every facet of your business life.

This means your mental attitude, physical well-being and appearance, work atmosphere, your interaction with others (clients and employees alike), and your off-the-job environment.

While you might not be able to become a Bill Gates or a Warren Buffett, some elements of style that help keep your managerial operation running smoothly and profitably can be learned.

An ex-employee contacted me recently about her experience at the new office where she works. The company was moving to a new location and the owner asked every employee to work during the weekend so they would be ready bright and early on Monday at their new location.

He then took off for a holiday on that same weekend. On Saturday, the boss called one of his staff who was busy coordinating with the movers and chastised him for not taking care of some detail.

The only problem was that he was calling on his cell phone from a hotel in Nuwara Eliya. The moral of this event is straight forward. Your actions set the employees’ workstyle.

You’re on the same team. If you’re providing a good work ethic example to your employees, you have a right to expect that they’ll deliver too. If they don’t, have a talk with them and try to find out what the problem might be. Try to get problem employees on the same playbook, but if they don’t want to work up to standards, cut them from the team.

Make a difference

Before you can lead others, you have to believe that what you do counts for something. It is not a question of “Will I make a difference?” Rather, it’s “What difference will I make?” Interestingly, the leader who has the most influence over an organization’s people’s desire to stay or leave, their commitment to the company’s vision and strategy, and how well they do their job - is not the CEO - it’s their direct supervisor.

In my long experience on managing human resources, I have discovered eight guide lines on how a manager can walk a talk.

1. Credibility is crucial - The believability of the manager determines whether people will willingly give more of their time, talent, energy, experience, intelligence, creativity and support. Only credible leaders earn the full commitment of their people.

2. Core values matter - People want to know what you will stand for and wouldn’t stand for. They need to see alignment between your actions and the company’s values.

3. Focus on the future - Being forward-looking is the quality that differentiates leaders from individual contributors. Getting your people focused on a brighter future is one of the leader’s unique roles. This requires you to spend more time reflecting on the future, more time reading about the future, and more time talking to others about the future.

4. You can’t do it alone - It is not about you. It’s about the relationship between you and your people. You must attend to their needs, and grow the capabilities of your people if you want to accomplish extraordinary things.

Rather than thinking that you have all the answers, you need to ask them great questions. This communicates that you believe in their abilities. Give them choices. Give them discretion over how things are done. However, you must then hold them firmly accountable for outcomes.

5. Trust is earned - The level of trust others have in you will determine the amount of influence you have. You have to earn their trust, and to do that, you need to show that you trust them first. Trust comes first and following comes second. Trust motivates people to go beyond mere compliance with authority.

5. Challenge the status quo - Great managers are always associated with challenging the status quo. Sometimes leaders have to shake things up. Other times they have to overcome tough industry conditions. Whether your challenges come from the outside or the inside, leaders make positive change happen.

6. Lead by example - You can’t ask others to do something you aren’t willing to do yourself. Managers have only two tools at their disposal; what they say and how they act. What you say might be interesting, but how you act is crucial.

7. Managers are learners - The best managers continually work on their personal development. Leadership can be learned. It is an observable pattern of practices and behaviours. Learn from your failures as well as your successes, and always be open to better ways of doing things. You have to have a passion for learning in order to become the best leader you can be.

8. Leadership comes from the heart - You must be honest with your people about the current reality - even if times are tough. However, it’s your obligation as a leader to emphasize the positive. Leadership is not about wishful thinking. It’s about determined doing. It’s not about telling others that they need to solve these problems.

It’s about seeing a problem and accepting personal responsibility for doing something about it.

As an ending note, let me quote Machiavelli who wrote in 1513, “There is nothing more difficult to plan, more doubtful of success, nor more dangerous to manage than the creation of a new system.

The initiator has the enmity of all who would profit by the preservation of the old system and merely lukewarm defenders in those who would gain by the new one.”

These thoughts from Machiavelli - true for centuries - provide leadership and sponsorship through walking your talk: incorporate these tips and behaviours to ensure the success of your organization. Walk your talk!

(The writer is a company director experienced in human resource management and development)