If you ask a group of managers “What is your job?”, the answers are surprisingly consistent.  

Make sure the work gets done.

Keep projects moving.

Solve problems.

Support employees.

Meet goals.

But none of those things can be accomplished by the manager alone. In my experience, a manager's primary responsibility is to help employees perform at their best, because organizational results depend on the people doing the work.

That may sound obvious, but it requires a fundamental shift in perspective. Instead of seeing their role as getting the work done, managers must see their role as enabling others to do their best work.

Most managers are promoted because they are good at what they do. They are knowledgeable, capable, dependable and respected. They've built a track record of solving problems and producing results.

Then they become responsible for the performance of others. The challenge is that the skills that drive success as an individual contributor are often very different from the skills required to succeed as a manager.

When a problem appears, many managers do what has worked throughout their careers: they jump in with an answer.

When an employee struggles, they offer a solution.

When something falls behind, they take ownership.

When a difficult conversation is needed, they spend hours preparing exactly what they want to say.

All those responses come from a good place. After all, most managers genuinely want to help. But over time, constantly providing answers is not actually helping employees become successful.  

Good management requires more than good intentions. It requires the ability to clearly communicate expectations. To provide feedback that people can actually use. To identify the root cause of performance challenges. To navigate difficult conversations with confidence and respect. To adapt communication styles based on the needs of individual employees.

The habit of ‘telling’ must be traded for the skill of ‘asking.’

Changing your approach by asking more questions is a start. Generally, managers learn to ask questions like:  

• What is getting in the way?

• What have you already tried?

• What resources do you need?

• What do you think would help?

These are some good questions. They gather solid information. But there are more effective questions to ask when the work needs to be done by others.  

Research shows that saying something out loud engages multiple psychological mechanisms simultaneously. Spoken ideas are processed more deeply, making them feel more real and meaningful. When we share those ideas with another person, we also create a sense of accountability and commitment. As a result, people are often far more motivated to follow through on plans they have spoken aloud.

Learning to ask the right questions at the right time, so employees arrive at the answer themselves, is a surprisingly simple skill to develop. The impact on employee performance can be significant. A manager who simply tells employees what to do misses many of the benefits discussed above. A manager who skillfully asks questions until employees articulate the solution themselves unlocks all of them.

We took a proven approach from the business literature, studied it, applied it and refined it into a practical, step-by-step process for developing this skill. The results have been remarkable.

Managers shape the day-to-day employee experience. They influence clarity, accountability, engagement and trust. They help people take responsibility and grow or dictate and feel stifled. By their actions, they convey support or lack of trust. Their employees are motivated and engaged, or undermanaged and unengaged.  

The manager who "tells," sends a message that handicaps success; the manager who uses questions skillfully communicates support, genuine interest, and belief in the employee’s abilities.  

The name of our course is Natural Leader, Effective Manager©. It acknowledges that you are in your position because of natural leadership qualities and those qualities got you here. We all access leadership skills and management skills as we help others become successful.  

To be an effective manager, you need both management skills and leadership qualities. These are the capabilities that make your job easier, increase employee accountability, and create a better workplace for everyone. We've seen the impact firsthand.

For anyone who is interested in this unique approach, we are excited that the Natural Leader, Effective Manager© program is being offered this Fall. Developed by me and Sarah Arnett (an amazing organizational development colleague), this six-session virtual program focuses on a practical approach that participants can apply immediately. Together, we'll explore how to set and communicate expectations, provide effective feedback, uncover the real causes of performance challenges and practice a unique approach to performance discussions, all while learning which well-timed, specific questions will best help employees be successful.  

Sarah Lackey