The Engaging Manager

All of IES' work on employee engagement has pointed to the importance of the relationship between the employee and the line manager. This report identifies how engaging managers behave.

In this new collection of articles on managing and being managed, Adrian Furnham, author of Bad Apples, offers an engaging and witty look into the world of being an engaging manager. Based on strong research this book offers a substantial introduction to the joy of management.

USE THE POWER OF EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT TO IGNITE PASSION, PURPOSE, AND PRODUCTIVITY IN EVERY MEMBER OF YOUR STAFF Successful managers understand that their job is to help employees do their best work, not simply give orders. The Manager's Guide to Employee Engagement shows leaders at all levels how to build relationships that support collaboration and drive meaningful performance improvement. Learn how to: Foster loyalty, trust, and commitment in all your employees Create a culture of positive thinking Empower employees to act as internal entrepreneurs Align employee and organizational values and goals Become "the best boss ever"--without losing sight of business goals Learn how to make your employees engaged and successful--and facilitate your own success at the same time. Briefcase Books, written specifically for today's busy manager, feature eye-catching icons, checklists, and sidebars to guide managers step-by-step through everyday workplace situations. Look for these innovative design features to help you navigate through each page: Clear definitions of key terms and concepts Tactics and strategies for engaging employees Tips for executing the tactics in the book Practical advice for minimizing the possibility of error Warning signs for when things are about to go wrong Examples of successful engagement tactics Specific planning procedures, tactics, and hands-on techniques

The mere suggestion of employees working from home is enough to make many managers sweat. Faced with the prospect of managing an employee they can’t even see, many discover that their managerial style just doesn’t work anymore. As an increasing number of jobs can be executed from home, managers must learn how to adapt their leadership style to cater to remote employees. Based on years of research, The Virtual Manager provides any manager with the tools he or she needs to successfully work with virtual employees. Trust us: it’s not like managing office-bound employees! This book is a tell-all user manual for a new generation of managers. To stay competitive in a global marketplace, it is essential to incorporate virtual employees into talent management strategy. The Virtual Manager arms managers with the knowledge they need to be become effective virtual leaders, including actionable advice on how to: Leverage the top engagement drivers for virtual employees Develop or alter policies and procedures to fit virtual employees’ needs Impact business outcomes through a flexible work strategy

If you're like most managers and things keep you up at night, now you can turn to a book that's designed especially for you! But you won't find talking rabbits or princesses here. (There is a cow, but it doesn't jump.) Henry Mintzberg has culled forty-two of the best posts from his widely read blog and turned them into a deceptively light, sneakily serious compendium of sometimes heretical reflections on management. The moral here is this: managers need to leave their castles and find out what's actually going on in their kingdoms. And like real bedtime stories, these essays have metaphors galore. So prepare to grow strategies like weeds and organize like a cow. Discover the maestro myth of managing, find the soft underbelly of hard data, and learn why downsizing is bloodletting and your board should be a bee. Mintzberg writes, “Just try not to be outraged by anything you read, because some of my most outrageous ideas turn out to be my best. They just take a while to become obvious.”

Everyone knows engaged employees are happier and improve the workforce. But engaged employees improve their managers' lives, too! Employee engagement has gotten the rap of being something "nice" to do, not something that can produce results. You need to reverse that perception in your organization by becoming an engaged leader yourself. Align your management style with ways to improve your workforce. Assess how you lead and what that says about engagement levels. Learn what’s in it for you after you successfully engage your employees.