Have you ever seen a live performance that left you truly inspired, motivated, with a new perspective or that even changed your life? Performance is an incredibly powerful tool on the stage, but the same tools actors use to captivate their audience — skills like adaptability, communication and collaboration — are the skills new managers need to be great leaders.
Imagine that someone at your organization has just been promoted into management. Wouldn’t you want their direct reports leaving the office or signing off each day with the kind of invigoration and sense of accomplishment felt by actors taking their final bows to a resounding round of applause? Inspiring new managers to master the same performance skills that great actors use, like adapting their presence to different situations, communicating with intention and embracing collaborative teamwork, can help build more energizing work environments.
Skill No. 1 for New Managers: How to Adapt Their Presence to the Situation
New managers, like actors, need to adapt their presence to a variety of roles and scenarios. From one-on-ones with direct reports to delivering high-stakes business messages to large groups of stakeholders, teaching new managers how to align their presence to a range of scenarios can set them up for ongoing success.
Our presence is, after all, not static. How present we are is determined by several internal and external factors, including our physical and mental state and our environment. But it’s also important to remember that, with the right tools, we have the power to adjust our presence to suit specific scenarios.
New managers might be tempted to aim for a constant state of “high presence,” showing strength and confidence in their body language and speaking with a clear and resonant voice to demonstrate credibility and authority. While there are many professional situations that call for “high presence,” new managers also need to know how to lower or “flex” their presence, especially in situations where they’re required to deliver a difficult or high-stakes message.
When training new managers, urge them to practice adapting their presence to a range of situations and take note of how their interactions evolve over time.
Skill No. 2: Communicate Effectively — Ask, Listen and Reflect Back
Good actors, especially improvisational actors, are experts at listening and responding. To help new managers develop this skill, monitor those that might be tempted to immediately jump to giving advice or problem-solving when interacting with direct reports. This communication approach can hinder not only employee confidence, but also the building of long-term trust and relationships between new managers and direct reports.
For new managers that need to develop communication skills, remind them that effective communication starts with asking, listening and reflecting back what they’ve heard to better understand the other person’s needs. Advise them to follow these three steps to have a transformative impact on professional relationships:
- Ask open-ended questions, like “What have you tried in the past?” or “What more can you tell me about that?”
- Listen intently. Remove external distractions and listen for unspoken as well as spoken needs.
- Reflect back on strengths, values and emotions. Use an “I” message, like “What I am hearing is…” or “As I understand it…”
Emphasize the effectiveness of “manager as coach” skills like listening, reflecting back, and asking open-ended questions to support and build confidence in direct reports, rather than leaping to offering advice and attempting to single handedly fix problems. This communication approach helps employees build confidence and problem-solving skills while cultivating a trusting partnership with their new manager.
Skill No. 3: As a New Manager, Be a Team Player
Professional partnership means being a team player. In the theatre, teamwork is an absolute necessity. If the actors, directors, designers, and crew cannot work together, then the show can’t go on. Collaboration is likewise key to a successful professional working environment.
With so many blended in-person and remote teams, new managers might find it difficult to stay connected and inclusive. Encourage new managers to reach out and check in on direct reports regularly to help maintain a sense of partnership. Reinforce not only the importance of communication between managers and direct reports but also the encouragement of teammates maintaining open lines of communication with each other. Motivated and connected teams are the key to building and maintaining strong collaborative work environments.
Conclusion
Memorable and inspiring live performances are built on performers who are present and adaptable, communicate effectively, and work as a team. When we transfer these skills to the corporate world, we have the power to motivate, inspire and transform our teams and work environments.
New managers can learn these skills in experiential presence and communication-based programs. Experiential presence and communication training offers participants a safe space to analyze and rehearse how we create meaning and connections via gestures, posture, movements, facial expressions and vocal tone/visual language.
By promoting the development of these skills — adaptive presence, effective communication and collaborative teamwork — L&D leaders can help new managers transform ordinary workplace interactions into extraordinary leadership moments that inspire and engage their teams.
