What Great Managers Do

HARVARD BUSINESS ONLINE—You’ve spent months coaching that employee to treat customers better, work more independently, or get organized—all to no avail.

How to make better use of your precious time? Do what great managers do: Instead of trying to change your employees, identify their unique abilities (and even their eccentricities)—then help them use those qualities to excel in their own way.

You’ll need these three tactics:

Continuously tweak roles to capitalize on individual strengths. One Walgreens store manager put a laconic but highly organized employee in charge of restocking aisles—freeing up more sociable employees to serve customers.

Pull the triggers that activate employees’ strengths. Offer incentives such as time spent with you, opportunities to work independently, and recognition in forms each employee values most.

Tailor coaching to unique learning styles. Give “analyzers” the information they need before starting a task. Start “doers” off with simple tasks, then gradually raise the bar. Let “watchers” ride shotgun with your most experienced performers.

The payoff for capitalizing on employees’ unique strengths? You save time. Your people take ownership for improving their skills. And you teach employees to value differences—building a powerful sense of team. Read article.