In retaining employees and keeping them engaged, we’ll cover the five activities of great (vs. good) managers (we prefer the term “coaches” — more on this later):

• Help people play to their strengths.

• Don’t demotivate; dehassle.

• Set clear expectations and give employees a clear line of sight.

• Give recognition and show appreciation.

• Hire fewer people, but pay them more (frontline employees, not top leaders!).

What the data showed is that periodic one-on-one coaching (rather than superior technical knowledge) ranked as the #1 key to being a successful leader.

From our experience, great managers must focus those coaching sessions with their “direct supports” (a better term than “direct reports”) on five topics representing the five main activities of successful managers/coaches.

In reverse order of importance:

1. Hire fewer people, but pay them more.

1. Give recognition, and show appreciation.

1. Set clear expectations, and give employees a clear line of sight.

1. Don’t demotivate; “dehassle.”

1. Help people play to their strengths.

By defining the what and not the how, great managers/coaches give employees the autonomy to find their own way of achieving these goals.

The best managers/coaches are less concerned about motivating their people and more concerned about NOT demotivating them. They consider it their job to prevent the hassles that block their team’s performance. Such demotivators are usually related to issues with people or processes.

Focus on ways to make your team’s job(s) easier — a great definition of an effective manager/coach.