The world of work is changing, and so is the role of a manager, asserts Jon Greenawalt, SVP of customer transformation at 15Five, a platform for performance management. While it’s a daunting task at a time of so much disruption, building the managers of tomorrow is vital to an organization’s success, Greenawalt said in a presentation titled, “The Rise of The Modern Manager,” part of From Day One’s recent conference in Los Angeles.

As the era of mass resignation ends, Greenawalt believes employees are looking to build stability at their current jobs. Yet statistics show productivity and job engagement are in serious decline. “Only 33% of employees worldwide consider themselves engaged in their work,” said Greenawalt. “But we know that engagement matters.” Effective managers are imperative to keeping employees engaged, but remote and hybrid work models have presented ongoing challenges. Greenawalt maintains that if companies work to build environments where employees feel supported and heard, productivity will follow. 

When utilized by managers, changing attitudes about work environments can motivate employees. Remote work, a solution for the foreseeable future, has caused employees to shift priorities. “They want leaders and managers who care about them and support them in their career growth and development,” said Greenawalt. With talent development in mind, managers can act as an extension of an HR team. Employees “want to work for managers who care about them as the whole person, not just the work person–the whole human being.”

Today’s managers are having something of an identity crisis. Greenawalt cited a survey indicating that 40% of employees believe their manager failed to communicate honestly with them about work. Communication issues then lead to more work for HR, including worker retention. However, the modern manager can be an antidote to lingering problems of the past. “The modern manager is self-aware,” said Greenawalt. One of the ways the modern manager succeeds is by building strong relationships. “A good manager knows how to create a culture on their team that is aligned with the values, goals, and mission.” Better communication, he said, can be as simple as opening meetings with chatting about hobbies and topics outside of work to engage employees on a personal level. 

Indeed, positivity is a game-changer in the workplace. “We are sponges of people’s energy. How you show up has a direct, immediate impact on people,” Greenawalt said. Positivity can be employed in both feedback and goal-setting. Presenting an observation instead of criticism in a difficult conversation can help employees absorb feedback. In goal-setting, Greenawalt says it’s essential not just to set targets but also to include breakthrough goals that inspire employees to go above and beyond what they believe are their limitations. This encourages a growth mindset that Greenawalt believes is paramount in successful employees. “Growth doesn’t happen by creating ordinary goals you already know how to achieve.”

Greenawalt is confident that modern managers will overcome newfound challenges by deploying these skills in the modern workplace. Modern-management development needs to happen in hard skills and soft skills that can be harder to master and more nuanced. “It’s got to be continuous. It’s got to be experiential. You also have to give people the opportunity to have breakthroughs in their own thinking.”

Editor’s note: From Day One thanks our partner, 15Five, who sponsored this thought leadership spotlight.

Maddie Connors is a comedian and writer based in Los Angeles who has written for the New York Times, Vanity Fair, and W magazine. She currently hosts a stand-up show called Icons Only at the Elysian theater and her stand-up has been featured in the Los Angeles Times.