Top 5 Ways to Improve Manager Performance

Manager performance has a huge impact on productivity, retention, and overall success of the workplace. However, good management is easier said than done. In a recent study by Gallup, 51% of employees who quit their job reported that their manager could have done something to prevent them from leaving. 

Luckily for you, this is what OneTeam360 is all about. We’ve done the research, developed the management methods, and gotten the results. Here are the Top 5 Ways to Improve Manager Performance within your organization. 

1. Regularly Gather Employee Feedback on Manager Performance

We all need a guiding hand here and there when it comes to the challenge of leading a team. Even with standardized expectations set in place, there needs to be a way to regulate your managers when things go wrong, or even when things go right. Moreover, how do you know when things are going well, and when they aren’t? 

Who knows better about your managers than the employees managed by them? Their feedback is a treasure trove of improvement opportunities.  If you know anything about us at OneTeam360, you know that we are crazy about the importance of feedback and how it can drastically improve employee management. 

P.S. Not only are you gathering valuable insight into management, but you are simultaneously making your employees’ opinions feel valued! 

2. Rewards, Recognition, and Self Motivation

In the first point, we covered how to get a full scope of the good and the bad of daily management situations by gathering feedback. Onto our next point, how do you acknowledge your managers in those positive or negative situations?

Whether you have a handful of employees or a few hundred, it can be hard to acknowledge their wins or address those learning opportunities and areas of improvement. 

When a manager does something outstanding, award them a point. Decide how much those points (aka moments of accomplishment) are worth to you. Once your manager reaches a certain level of points, award them an incentive. It can be anything from movie tickets for two, a gift card, a 3% raise,  or some company swag, a social media shoutout, etc. 

Importantly, keep your managers in the loop throughout this whole tracking process. They should be able to know instantly when they have earned a point, and when and what they need to do to reach the next level. 

Studies have shown that employees that quit are generally dissatisfied with the opportunities for advancement available to them. This incentive system can completely solve that by presenting employees with a roadmap to higher levels and recognition. 

3. Make Everything Easier to Achieve and Keep Organized

Managers manage a lot. Depending on the type of business you run, they’re probably running around to ensure that the work environment is up to standards, employees have everything they need, clients are happy, regulations are met, and various other unique day-to-day situations. 

The least you can do for them is make the system organized and as easy to run as possible. One way to do this is to keep everything online or in some sort of shared drive. Things like daily reports, notes, or incident documentation should be a pre-made template that they can easily fill in and file away online. 

4. Goal Oriented Competitions and Sprints

Is there an important goal that isn’t being met? Or, maybe you just want your managers to brainstorm some creative ideas. Anyhow, a fun competition is a great way to drive it. 

Have you ever heard of a “sprint?” This term is typically used in project management to describe when a team focuses on a specific challenge by setting a timeframe and outlining objectives for completion. 

The same principle applies to your managers and employees. If there’s something you want accomplished, set a time frame to focus on it and outline the timeline clearly. Here’s our twist on it: set a reward at the end of the tunnel. This can be a team-based reward (like a pizza party), or an individual reward to whoever completes the goal first (like a gift card). These sprints and competitions are sure to keep your team goal-oriented, and it’s also a great opportunity for bonding!

5. Utilize Manager Performance Reviews That Are Actually Helpful 

Sit down with your managers and conduct a performance review at least twice a year (or more). These should be organized, goal-oriented, and insightful. 

Use this opportunity to not only assess their accomplishments but also to delve into their growth areas and challenges. Constructive feedback should be a key component, focusing on specific examples and actionable suggestions for improvement.

 Encourage an open dialogue where managers can express their career aspirations and voice any concerns. See where their aspirations may fit within your organization. Perhaps they’re interested in pursuing photography, and you just so happen to need more photos of your facility on the company website. 

Additionally, align the performance review discussions with the overall objectives of the team and the organization, ensuring that the outcomes contribute to both individual development and the company’s success. Remember, the aim is to foster continuous improvement, strengthen leadership skills, and build a positive and collaborative work environment.

Check out our free manager performance review template here!

We hope that these 5 ways improve manager performance is helpful for your team, and we’re confident that they’ll be game changer. We’d like to say we’re experts on the matter, so feel free to reach out and book a demo if you need a little extra guidance or want to see how our employee management app can automate and simplify the entire process.