The tough role of being a line manager

2009-06-10T12:35:35+01:00

It’s been a while since I’ve posted a blog. It’s been a busy time but no excuses. Mid-year resolution is to get typing more frequently!

Recently I ran a three-day middle management course for line managers. I always find these courses very grounding for me as they remind me of what it’s like to be a line manager and how tough a role it is. I’ve managed various teams in my career ranging from large teams in call centres through to smaller internal communications teams. Either way, it’s a demanding role, something I sometimes forget.

When hearing some of the stories from the managers it also reminded me of our role as internal communicators in helping them communicate to their teams.

So many of the managers on the course mentioned to me that they were asked to deliver messages to their teams with the general understanding that they just need to tell their teams the message. They’re not being provided with the context of the messages, nor the rationale. And yet, they are expected to get their teams on board and engaged.

What I took from this is a harsh reminder of the need for internal communicators to put themselves into the shoes of their line manager community. So often leadership teams and internal communications teams complain that their line managers aren’t doing their job and that they can’t be relied on to pass on messages. But would you if you weren’t being given the rationale or context of a decision? I know I’ve struggled in the past when I’ve had to deliver a message without this.

So what can we do? The key things I took away from thinking about the course we can do:

Spend time with managers to understand what they need from us to help them communicate with their teams.
Set a good example. So encourage the senior leadership to set the context and explain the rationale for the line manager community. If they don’t do it why should we expect the line managers to?
Offer guidance or training on how to make the connection and provide line of sight for their teams
Provide communication skills training to help managers bring the message to life for their teams
Above all else, put yourself in the shoes of line managers. Their role is a tough one and I think we should do whatever we can to help make their communication to teams easier

Til next time

Sally

Black Belt Dojo

The tough role of being a line manager