My line managers – love them or hate them!

“Of all the 1-2-1 conversations I’ve had with my line managers over the years, those that stand out clearly were timely, evidenced and positively focused on my learning and development”

This quote is not from a management guru, but rather my own words based on experience.

Such conversations have made me feel engaged, enthusiastic, empowered and keen to carry on, sometimes in challenging circumstances. They have often had sufficient impact for me to be able to recall details of the conversation and circumstances years later. I often refer to these types of interactions as ‘me time’. Meaning that the discussion is about me rather than the task, excepting how this reflects my behaviours and development needs.

The worst times I’ve had – and some conversations I’d really rather forget – were with a few poor managers. This was not just in my opinion, it was shared with colleagues. These managers seemed unable to lead or improve anyone’s performance and their impact was wholly negative. During such (happily short) periods I and my colleagues just kept our heads below the parapet.

To develop this theme why not look through the Investors in People Standard and map the role of leaders and managers. It runs like a ‘golden thread’ through the requirements for best practice.