Gallup's most profound finding -- ever -- is probably this: 70% of the variance in team engagement is determined solely by the manager. Frontline managers, in particular, are the most crucial lever when it comes to engaging an organization's employees.
When managers are burned out and disengaged, companywide performance suffers. But when manager engagement is high, business success soars.
Gallup's most profound finding -- ever -- is probably this: 70% of the variance in team engagement is determined solely by the manager.
That's why the world's most engaged organizations make a point of supporting manager engagement. For these organizations, manager engagement isn't an annual consideration or a superfluous perk. Instead, they achieve lasting engagement growth because leaders ask the right questions and prioritize consistent conversations about engagement.
Conversations about engagement are most productive when leaders have reliable engagement data. All employees -- including managers -- have 12 basic workplace needs. The Gallup Q 12 measures these needs and is the foundation for frequent conversations that spark change.
The Science Behind the Q 12 Employee Engagement Survey Questions
Gallup's Q 12 engagement survey isn't meant for employees to participate and move on. The Q 12 works because it shows leaders and managers how to better support engagement -- and gives them a framework for conversations about engagement. There are the 12 basic human needs represented in the questions on Gallup's Q 12 survey:
Recently, a large organization sought Gallup's aid to remedy its frontline manager engagement. In this organization, almost every level of leadership was highly engaged at work except the organization's frontline managers. These managers suffered from comparatively low levels of engagement, despite a work culture that emphasizes collective ownership for engagement goals.
Part of the problem was that senior leaders in the organization were struggling to turn manager engagement data into meaningful change. And Gallup's comprehensive analysis revealed that other employee experience factors contributed to the organization's challenges with manager engagement:
To address these concerns, Gallup created a custom index for this organization -- the Manager Enablement Index -- to help leaders engage frontline managers. The index is based on decades of Gallup research that includes multiple years of client data and Gallup's Boss to Coach data. It comprises five benchmarked questions that Gallup uses to measure frontline managers' needs and challenges related to:
While Gallup's Q 12 already provides a strong foundation for unpacking these topics with work teams, the Manager Enablement Index was specially calibrated to drill down even deeper into the support managers uniquely need when leading their teams. For instance, Gallup data show that in the U.S., managers are more likely than individual contributors to struggle with competing priorities and unclear expectations -- which fan the flames of burnout. Because the index focuses on managers' needs, it empowers leaders to target managers' engagement.
After including the Manager Enablement Index in a companywide engagement survey, Gallup and the client found that 83% of frontline managers who were in the top quartile of the Manager Enablement Index were engaged. In contrast, only 11% of managers in the bottom quartile of the Manager Enablement Index were engaged. Put simply, the Manager Enablement Index is strongly correlated with manager engagement -- making it an actionable and powerful tool for engaging managers.
Perhaps more powerfully, manager scores on the index predict individual contributors' engagement, too. When employees report to a manager who ranks in the top quartile of the Manager Enablement Index, 50% are engaged. But only 36% of employees are engaged if their manager scored low on the index.
the top quartile of the manager enablement index have significantly higher engagement (83% for top-quartile managers and 11% for bottom-quartile managers)" />
The client and Gallup used discoveries from the index to craft a roadmap to improve manager engagement. For frontline managers, the insights have sparked supportive conversations with other managers about the five themes outlined in Gallup's Boss to Coach research -- such as how to become an effective coach who drives business results.
Now, client leaders are successfully using the Manager Enablement Index to decrease turnover in high-risk areas of the organization. In fact, Gallup's analysis showed that 54% of employees strongly agreed they planned to be working at the organization two years from now when they reported to a manager in the top quartile of the Manager Enablement Index, compared with only 39% of employees who said the same and reported to a manager in the bottom quartile of the index.
The Manager Enablement Index has made it simple for the client to turn engagement data into day-to-day behavioral change. The index is not only a measurement tool, but also a playbook that shows exactly where managers are doing well and where they need support.
The Manager Enablement Index has made it simple for the client to turn engagement data into day-to-day behavioral change.
And because manager engagement is connected to outcomes like turnover and team engagement, client leaders can anticipate that their tailored plan for manager engagement will also drive bottom-line results, particularly retention and burnout.
Across the globe, many managers are worn, stressed and tired. Engaging them takes skill and determination from committed leaders, but it's an investment that benefits everything an organization does and says. Engage your frontline managers, and you engage employees, customers and society. And with rising manager burnout, urgent action is critical.
Here are five steps any leader can take to start supporting their managers better:
John Pitonyak is a Senior Consultant at Gallup.
Rob DeSimone is a Senior Consultant at Gallup.
Ben Wigert and Bailey Nelson contributed to this article.
Managers are the difference between success and struggle. Give your managers what they need to retain and engage their teams.
