Managerial Skills: Acting as a Role Model to Employees

A managerial role model is one who performs a role in a way admired, expected or respected in some way by a company and colleagues, be they executives, peers or employees. If role modeling is considered a priority in a business then it is important to 1) know your corporate culture, 2) become the embodiment of the most valued ideals in that culture, and 3) perform effectively within that role. Such role modeling may come with well defined communication, performance, and organizational behavior. The importance and relevance of managerial role modeling varies from business to business. Managerial role modeling is influenced by a number of factors.

• Management level influences role

The level of management is a factor as a lower level manager is closer in function and role to employees than an upper level manager. In such cases the distance between employee and manger often increases. This distance is partly due to differences in function but also interest. In such case two out of three or more premises for ongoing rapport between manager and employee are checked off the list of role relations.

• Priority of role modeling to the manager

The previous factor is not intended to state the task of managers is to be role models; to the contrary, role modeling is perhaps one of the less useful traits a manager can have because winning the respect of employees and colleagues is not a time effective pursuit, and the corporate structure is generally not currently designed to include role modeling as a significant aspect of business management.

• Variances in role modeling

Since roles differ from business to business so to does the role model. A role model in company A may be considered a jester in company B. In other words, the corporate culture will determine what the ideal role model is in terms of consensus. For example, an investment bank may have corporate values far different from a client or from an administration that practices Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

• Changes in role modeling over time

In terms of managerial skills, if a manager has to act, they may be in the wrong business unless they enjoy not being themselves. Roles also change with time, what was considered good form for a manager 50 or 60 years ago, would likely be considered non-ideal for a manager in many businesses today. Technology, management style, and managerial functions have all changed to an extent that a manager using half century old techniques may not last long especially if his or her colleagues are from another generation. Despite this, some values are often considered essentials regardless of time.

• Role modeling as corporate function

Managers should hope to have sufficient workplace cohesion if the company's functionality depend on it. If this requires role modeling, then the manager should consider the role important. Doing this means understanding employees and the business, and reflecting the expected roles in so far as is practical, feasible and efficient. Understanding basic needs of employees is often an essential ingredient in retaining and maintaining a working relationship within the corporate framework.

• Role modeling characteristics

In terms of traditional values, things like respect, manners, friendliness, work ethic, and good grooming may be desirable from a role model, but these values are somewhat outdated despite any authenticity of character they may hold. The essentials of business include pleasing shareholders, making a profit, and keeping a company out of trouble financially, organizationally and legally. This nexus of goals and relationships requires a manager to set priorities for him or herself. In some cases, being a role model may not be one of those priorities.

• Necessity for role modeling

The necessity for role modeling may be high or low depending on its relevance to the managerial function. In large part, employees also define what a role model should be by what they are willing or not willing to accept. Due to corporate structuring, this is often easily ameliorated by corporate authority, and not necessarily amicably. If a corporation values a particular kind of corporate culture and the company's performance depends on those values being implanted, the necessity for managerial role modeling may be higher.