Share your State
Many of the managers I coach complain that they are not acknowledged for the work they do. They often feel like they work in a bubble where they do so many things that move the business forward and yet these efforts go unseen by their bosses and supervisors. Conversely, many of the owners/GMs/DO’s/chefs that I coach complain that their managers are not doing enough. They share that these managers are just going through the motions and are not doing the work that is essential to the business. It always gets my attention that this is an equally weighted, two-sided disconnect. And each and every time it comes down to a lack of communication between manager and boss. It’s a stoppage that both sides are unaware of and that both view as the other person’s problem to improve or remedy.
What I recommend each and every time is that the manager and boss start to use “status reports” in order to improve communication and demonstrate the efforts that are being put in by the management team. Inevitably the use of status reports helps to improve communication in two important ways:
It clarifies how the manager is using his or her time and where he or she may need support or assistance in reaching the goals of the business;
It helps the manager claim his or her time and priorities in a way that can be both empowering for themselves and illuminating for their supervisor.
Derived from “status quo” and defined as “the existing state of affairs,” a status report is simply an email, sent weekly by the manager, that is used to update the boss about how they’re spending their time (aka: their existing state) and their priorities. It’s a “hey, check this out” email where the manager can share his or her priorities, goals, vision and efforts, both in his or her specific role and in service to the business as a whole. The idea of the status report is that you, the manager, give your boss a direct view into what you do, how you spend your time and what is possibly derailing your efforts. On the flip side it gives your boss a greater understanding of what you are doing and how you fill your time, while illuminating how you see yourself as an impactful force in the business.
It’s also a powerful act of initiation that creates empowerment for the manager. By writing out what you’re working on as a manager, what you’re aiming for, and what you’re accomplishing, it allows you to track your own progress and gives you credit for the small wins in your week. This helps eliminate the manager’s sense that one’s work is never acknowledged by those above and it definitely helps quell the boss’ fear that the team isn’t doing much at all.
In order for a status report to increase communication there are a few things to keep in mind:
For the Manager:
Effort: When writing this email, you need to include your works in progress, your accomplishments and also those things you want to do but cannot get to. This helps you and your boss understand better where you’re spending your efforts and how they’re paying off. It also demonstrates where the business may be hindering your progress or when you’re being assigned work that interferes with your weekly tasks and responsibilities.
Priorities: It’s important to share what items are priorities to you and why. If you’re woking on improving the training docs for the reservations department but haven’t had a new hire in a few months, it might not seem like the greatest priority. However, if you’ve recently added a new software system for reservations and the docs don’t reflect this, you need to include this important detail: the priority becomes one of preparation; so that you won’t be unprepared when a new hire inevitably joins your team.
How: It’s not enough to state that you’re working on things, you must share “how” you’re approaching your duties and tasks. This does a few things: “how” allows you to state how you think about the task at hand while demonstrating an understanding of the steps necessary to complete the task. It also shows where there may be some gaps in your learning or abilities which then explains why you’re having trouble finishing or completing the task in its entirety. On the flip side, it is reassuring for your boss to understand how you’re approaching your work and it demonstrates awareness of your strengths and weaknesses, abilities and areas of improvement.
Timing: Sending a weekly status report is a helpful benchmark for both you and your boss. You can send at the end of your week to tie the week’s work in a bow. Or you can start the week by sharing the previous week’s work and the priorities you’re taking on in the upcoming days and hours.
For the Boss:
Goal: When integrating status reports into your team workflow it’s important to share your goals around this with your team. To improve communication is a the biggest reason, and increasing transparency and accountability helps clarify why you’re asking for this new weekly task. Ask your managers to keep it to one page and to think of it as a place to share their proudest moments, weekly efforts, areas of challenge/improvement, and share their goals with you, so you, in turn, can acknowledge their efforts and see where they each many need some extra help.
Schedule: It’s not enough to ask for a status report, you must create a workable schedule with your managers so that they can add this to their individual workflow…so it feels like a benefit not a punishment. Bring it up in a group meeting, then, in 1 on 1 meetings, discuss the individual approach with each of your direct reports so they can best utilize this tool and ensure that it works well for them too.
Acknowledgment: When someone has gone to the effort of including you in their work and goals it is ESSENTIAL that you respond within one day. The sooner the better! By responding and acknowledging their work and efforts they will be more inclined to keep going and you will have satisfied the question “what are they doing?” because you will have the answer. Communication is a two way street and your piece is to acknowledge your managers’ efforts and then guide and aid them when they hit roadblocks.
Adding a status report to your repertoire can adjust the culture of leadership in your business. It removes the blinders so that you can see clearly what each member of your management team is doing and it illuminates the progress that your business and leadership team as a whole is making, increasing satisfaction and production at the exact same time.
