The language used by front-line agribusiness managers to describe interactions with their teams is broad and sometimes unclear, especially when it comes to differentiating activities or knowing when each is appropriate. To help with this, the Center for Food and Agricultural Business has developed a flow chart to help managers diagnose common interactions with their team members. Choosing the right tools depends on the desired change, whether it affects an individual or group, and who initiates the change. But before we dig into the diagnosis process, it’s important to define what we mean by “management.”
Diagnose and Choose a Tool
The four stages of effective management
Management is a term that appears in many titles, but as a function, it’s often confused with achieving specific organizational outcomes – like operations, sales, supply chain – rather than focusing on people-related activities. A formal definition of management includes a four-stage, cyclical process: analysis, planning, execution and measurement. While most managers are pretty good at planning for outcomes, some struggle with outlining the specific activities that lead to those outcomes in any meaningful way.
Historically, managers concentrated on results such as sales, market share, or labor costs. However, they often overlooked the factors that drive these metrics and the processes that improve them. The repetitive nature of certain processes, like cyclical or seasonal tasks, led managers to focus primarily on execution. But with access to better data and technology, leading organizations are now paying more attention to analyzing and planning human activities at local levels.
Supportive vs. Directive Management: When to use each approach
When managing their teams, managers must think about how they execute their roles through two basic approaches: supportive or directive. Supportive approaches are collaborative, with managers working alongside their direct reports as equals to accomplish goals. Directive approaches are unilateral. The manager makes decisions about what needs to be done, how it should be done, and then tells their reports what to do. Directive methods work best for repetitive tasks, often with volume-based incentives to encourage throughput. In contrast, supportive approaches are better suited for creative tasks that require judgment, where volume-based incentives could encourage the wrong behaviors. Sales used to be driven by commissions as a repetitive task, but the increasing complexity of relationships today often requires more nuanced judgment.
Some management tools focus on individuals. Supervision is typically directive, where direct reports are instructed on what to do. On the other hand, counseling and consulting are more reactive, initiated by direct reports. Counseling involves helping a team member talk through options, where consulting is appropriate when a direct report just needs an answer. It’s important for managers to avoid offering either when unsolicited, as it can alienate direct reports. Counseling and consulting behaviors can alienate a direct report who has not sought out these functions.
Other tools can apply to both individuals and groups. Teaching and coaching are directive tools. While teaching is usually a group activity, individuals may request learning opportunities in areas where they lack confidence. The main goal of coaching is to help develop and reinforce repetitive skills—skills that can be applied in specific “if/then” situations. While these skills are often first taught to groups, coaching is what helps people practice and improve them. It provides ongoing support for groups where several people may need help, as well as targeted guidance for individuals when it’s worth investing in their personal development.
The role of leadership beyond administrative hierarchies
When managers move beyond directive actions, they shift toward guiding their team’s thinking. Many organizations reference the word leadership, but often confuse the word with administrative hierarchies. True leadership, especially in non-authoritative roles, involves having a vision, engaging others in that vision and working together to achieve it. Effective leaders rely on influence, not authority, to achieve many of their objectives. Leadership often engages groups, but since followers are individuals, leaders must also align their vision with the goals of followers.
Development is another critical aspect of management, distinct from coaching. Development focuses exclusively on helping individuals maximize their strengths. I often describe the difference between development and coaching in a sales context. Many sales managers were promoted because of their ability as sellers. Sales managers may coach their team to sell using the same approaches that originally made the manager successful, based on their own skills and experiences. However, development is about helping a direct report succeed using their own distinct skills and experiences.
The power of mentorship and training in agribusiness
There are a few tools that aren’t included in the flow chart. Some tools, like mentorship, are often discussed but without instruction on how to be a mentor (or mentee for that matter). Similarly, training is a frequently misused term. Training is one of the most common terms used to describe interactions that help a team adopt new behaviors or receive new information. Many organizations mistake teaching for training, offering a one-time learning event without follow-up. True training involves teaching, repetition and coaching. Without repetition and coaching, the positive effects of teaching are usually short-lived. Neil Rackham’s book Rethinking the Sales Force highlights that teaching alone leads to only a 17% change in behavior, which fades quickly while combining teaching with coaching leads to a 34% change in behavior that is sustained over time.
Outcomes are what pay the bills, but in a market that competes for talent, the ability to achieve those outcomes depends on a manager’s ability to measure, analyze, plan, execute and improve behaviors. By having clear definitions and consistent practices, managers can more effectively use their resources and drive better results.
An Opportunity for Development
Seeking feedback is a powerful step toward becoming a more effective leader, but it’s only part of the journey. The Strategic Talent Management workshop, taking place from November 5-7, 2024, dives deeper into these ideas by providing you with the tools to understand the capabilities your organization needs and strategies to develop, manage, and continuously improve those capabilities. Join us to not only master the art of feedback but to transform it into actionable steps that elevate both your leadership and your team’s performance.
