Frontline Manage Or Frontline Team Leader?
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Is the frontline supervisor in your organisation a manager or a leader? The answer to this question could make the difference between keeping your company afloat during a recessionary economy and closing its doors due to performance issues.
The hierarchy in the majority of companies shows a broad base made up of those staff members who have the most interaction with – and most influence on – the corporation’s clients and processes.
They are the team members who are relied upon to show up day in and day out and perform the tasks that support the foundation of the organisation.
Yet how much effort is spent training their immediate supervisor? How the frontline manager handles their needs and concerns, gives feedback, and provides instruction can make an enormous difference in productivity and performance.
Management Versus Leadership
What is the difference between a manager and a leader?
A manager who is someone who is expected to meet certain goals; a leader is one who has been given information on the company’s profit & loss statement to understand how sales impact the budget.
A manager sees his or her role as nothing more than a babysitter for a team of frontline employees performing mundane tasks; a leader uses his skills to mentor staff members and ensure they are in the right position to effect the best results. A manager is just another member of low-level staff; a leader sees the big picture and how his role is important to the company’s success.
The Importance of Feedback
Managers wait until the employee’s scheduled review process to give a critique of his or her performance. Conversely, leaders are empowered to give immediate feedback and take steps to follow up on it.
This applies to both positive and negative feedback; if an employee is doing a great job he should be immediately rewarded but if performing under par he needs to know this is unacceptable. A leader will find out why this is occurring and delve deeper to determine how the situation can be changed or recommend that the employee be moved.
Of course, without positive feedback, criticism is viewed as merely that – unconstructive and debilitating. Regular, consistent feedback can make a world of difference in performance and fix problems before they become issues that negatively impact the company’s bottom line.
Leaders can take underperformers and turn them into star employees, but only if they are allowed the necessary latitude to do so.
Obviously a frontline manager is far less effective than a frontline leader. With the proper training and empowered to take immediate action, the supervisor in charge of your key staff members can make a large and positive impact on the company’s measures of success.
For more tips on helping your average employees turn into top performers see my blog http://www.frontlineleadership.com. James Brava is a specialist in Frontline Leadership Support which results in significant improvement in employee engagement and business performance.
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