Managers Are the Heart of an Organization

05/22/23 • 17 min

2 Listeners

Long-Distance Worklife - A Hybrid & Remote Work Podcast

Marisa Eikenberry and Wayne Turmel delve into the vital role of managers as the heart of an organization. Wayne introduces the analogy of a heart, explaining how managers serve as the crucial link between senior leadership and their teams. They discuss the flow of information, the importance of effective communication, and the challenges faced by middle managers in maintaining trust and authenticity. Wayne emphasizes the need for transparency, honesty, and gathering accurate information to fulfill the role effectively. He shares insights on navigating the delicate balance between supporting decisions and expressing personal disagreements, all while ensuring the smooth functioning of the organization. Tune in to gain valuable insights and practical tips for middle managers aiming to create a strong heartbeat within their teams and organizations.

Key Takeaways

1. Managers are the heartbeat of an organization: The analogy of a heart highlights the critical role managers play in processing and communicating information between senior leadership and their teams. 2. Gather accurate information: Managers should actively seek information from both above and below to ensure they have a comprehensive understanding of the organization and can effectively communicate it to their teams. 3. Transparency and authenticity build trust: Being honest about what you know, what you don't know, and the assumptions being made fosters trust within the team and reduces the risk of being seen as deceptive. 4. Communicate decisions with clarity: Even if managers personally disagree with certain decisions, it is their responsibility to communicate them clearly and provide the rationale behind them to maintain trust and credibility. 5. Balance between supporting decisions and expressing personal opinions: Managers must strike a delicate balance between aligning with leadership decisions and expressing their personal disagreements, all while maintaining their role as effective communicators and leaders. 6. Effective communication is essential in remote and hybrid teams: In virtual work environments, managers must be intentional about communication, actively seeking and sharing information, and leveraging transparent communication channels to ensure the smooth flow of information.

Timestamps

00:00:00 - Introduction 00:00:46 - Managers as the heartbeat of an organization. 00:02:18 - Importance of effective communication and processing information. 00:03:22 - Navigating the balance between upper management and the team. 00:05:06 - The challenge of supporting decisions one may personally disagree with. 00:06:15 - Being honest about what you don't know and avoiding making things up. 00:08:06 - Importance of transparency and authenticity in maintaining trust. 00:09:24 - Being honest about what you know and don't know to avoid damaging trust. 00:12:00 - Challenges of being a middle manager and delivering difficult news. 00:13:06 - Actionable step for middle managers: Gathering accurate information. 00:15:46 - Balancing support for decisions with personal opinions. 00:16:24 - Recap of the heartbeat analogy and the importance of managers in organizations.

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Featured Guest

Name: Catherine Morgan

What She Does: Career Transition Expert

Notable: Catherine Altman Morgan is the author of the #1 New Release This Isn’t Working! Evolving the Way We Work to Decrease Stress, Anxiety, and Depression . Catherine is a career transition expert, business consultant, and the founder of Point A to Point B Transitions Inc., named Career Transition Coaching Service of the Year, as part of the Corporate LiveWire Innovation & Excellence Awards 2021 and 2022, and Most Innovative Career Transition Coach - North America, as part of Corporate Coaching and Recruitment Awards 2021 and 2022 by Corporate Vision. The company is a virtual provider of coaching services to professionals in career transition and solo consultants.

Additional Resources

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Remote leadership experts, Kevin Eikenberry and Wayne Turmel, help leaders navigate the new world of remote and hybrid teams to design the culture they desire for their teams and organizations in their new book! https://longdistanceteambook.com/

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Timestamps

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Name: Liz Scully

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