The most important person in an organisation is the Chief Executive Officer.

Well, they think so. But that’s not true.

Their influence is limited by the quality of the company culture and the aura they emanate. It also depends on whether the CEO’s vision and mission are shared and communicated on the ground.

Therefore, the most critical person in a company is the manager.

In their Future of Work Trend 2023, Gartner reported, "More than 60% of hybrid employees say that their direct connection to company culture is their direct managers.” In a new world of work where companies are struggling to get employees back in the office, the manager may be the only point of contact with the workplace. The way they communicate the ethos they work by and the current focus they prioritise are far more critical than the high-level activity of the CEO.

Your manager has the most influence over employee engagement. The variance between a good and bad manager can be as much as 70%. According to Gallup, highly engaged teams are 21% more profitable.

So, if managers can effectively communicate with their team and help them feel part of a company mission, the growth of the business is assured. It is hard to be 21% more profitable and not grow.

And yet the bad news.

According to Harvard Business Review, two-thirds of managers are uncomfortable speaking to their team. More shockingly, they report being afraid to give feedback.

This is both a bad and good news story. Your manager, 75% of whose job is communicating within the company, finds it hard. The good news? According to the State of Business, 72% of leaders reported that developing effective communications increased productivity.

Enough of the stats. You get the point. You need to help your managers talk to their people in a positive way that increases performance and engagement. To do this, they need to learn a language of behaviour and know their people well.

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