Some of workers’ biggest complaints often center around feelings that their managers don’t understand the contributions they make and the challenges they face.
Only about half of employees know what is expected of them, according to a Gallup poll last fall, and more than half feel underappreciated.
That could be a result of managers not knowing enough about the jobs they supervise.
A few decades ago, it was common for managers to start in the mailroom and work their way up to CEO — often holding every job in the company. But in today’s specialized marketplace, rising from coat check attendant to top executive is nearly impossible, experts say.
“It’s a good thing but it’s not possible anymore,” said John C. Camillus, a professor of strategic management at the University of Pittsburgh’s Katz School of Business. “There is no nice stable track anymore.”
There are, however, tangible ways for managers to make up for the experience they may not have. At Rivers Casino and Fairmont Pittsburgh hotel, human relations managers share how they learn about the positions they oversee.
A common theme: Realizing that they don’t know everything.
Fairmont’s director of human resources, Mayah Alima, has worked in HR throughout her career. Though she has never worked the front desk, as a housekeeper or bellman, she’s engaged in those roles. To grasp them, she routinely shadows, cross-trains and checks in with colleagues.
“Understanding what the life is like for somebody is important. You need empathy,” Mr. Camillus said. “If the only way you can get it is by washing dishes, do it.”
Ms. Alima attends meetings in other departments, including housekeeping. She says it’s a good time to answer questions and concerns. Fairmont’s general manager often joins her.
Some of the hotel’s culinary teams have visited local farms to see where the restaurant sources its ingredients. The management team occasionally visits the laundry room.
The hotel management’s offices are just a few doors down from housekeeping. This way, “You’re aware of the pulse of the hotel,” Ms. Alima said.
Fairmont managers also may pick up trash, direct guests in the lobby or help flip a ballroom from a morning meeting to a company lunch. “Assisting where we possibly can,” she said. “Providing our employees that support.”
How much an executive knows about his or her business boils down to the simple difference between focused versus diversified, said Robert Atkin, a clinical professor of strategic management at Pitt’s Katz School of Business.
In a focused company, such as a hotel, it’s still possible for the manager to rise up.
In a diversified company, such as General Electric or Johnson & Johnson, it’s no longer feasible. Those executives probably have general, but not intimate, knowledge of every single role in the firm, he said.
The CEO of the focused firm Southwest Airlines, for example, may have extensive knowledge of the airline business but be unable to command a 747 jet.
A caveat to the typical rise from attendant to CEO lies in an industry’s — and an organization’s — evolution.
Even in a focused firm “coming up does not guarantee you know everything,” Mr. Atkin said. “If you held an entry-level job 20 or 30 years ago, it’s unlikely that job has stayed the same.”
At Rivers Casino, vice president of human resources Rich Stewart manages about 15 people. He says the key to understanding the people you’re managing is premised on letting the people you manage focus on what they do best.
For instance, within Rivers Casino’s human resources department are managers who work solely with employee benefits, managers working solely over employee relations and those who handle recruitment, compliance and administration.
“I may not be the most knowledgeable person about benefits,” Mr. Stewart said. “As VP, I’m more strategic, determining big picture items, helping drive the things we're doing and aligning the goals and vision of the large organization.”
Yet he still values learning about his colleagues’ duties. One way he does so is by reflecting on past jobs.
He’s held many HR positions, from the legal side to hiring to benefits. “You can’t lose connection between day to day as opposed to the strategic commitment of your company,” he said. “There has to be a connection.”
First Published: August 18, 2016, 12:22 p.m.