Impact Narrative: Unlocking a manager’s potential for effective team engagement

Picture this: It’s the performance review season. Rahul, a manager responsible for overseeing a team of 70 team members, is struggling. With confusing memories amidst a sea of faces and names, he forgets important details and has confusing recollections of top performers. He is also unable to recollect what he had said in the last one-to-one clearly.

In the fast-paced world of management, overseeing a large team of subordinates can be a daunting task. As the performance review process looms, the pressure to remember each employee’s name, achievements, and strengths intensifies.

Unfortunately, Rahul is not alone — many managers face this challenge – even with a much smaller number of team members. Instead of struggling to find the information, what if he had all the information related to the employee in one place? And what if he knew exactly what to say that would inspire action?

The impact narrative

Brainayan, a company focused on improving manager effectiveness, has developed a concept that could be the key for managers – an “impact narrative”.

An impact narrative, through a series of assessments, allows individuals to explore and articulate how their values, strengths and personality influence their work performance, facilitating better self-awareness and understanding of their work style. “This information is readily accessible to managers, aiding them in effective management and motivation. The impact narrative empowers managers with a comprehensive understanding of all team members, enabling talent benchmarking and informed decision-making,’ notes Nitin More, Founder of Brainayan.

Understanding and aligning with personal values is crucial for effective team engagement. For instance, a manager’s struggle to connect with a team member might be rooted in conflicting values, such as autonomy versus perfectionism. By recognising the impact of micromanagement on the team member’s engagement, the manager can adjust their approach, allowing for more space and autonomy. Embracing delegation and being open to different approaches can also help foster a more productive and harmonious work environment, which can be a true win-win for everyone.

The process

The “impact narrative” is an integral part of a comprehensive tool called “Soul,” which resides within the “MApp”, Brainayan’s manager development application.

Using these applications, employees can identify their top five values. They can then reflect on how these values influence crucial aspects of their work, such as building relationships, communication, decision-making, and conflict resolution. This process encourages introspection, helping individuals gain a deeper understanding of their own strengths and motivations.

Interestingly, the “Soul” tool does not limit itself to values – it extends its reach to other critical areas of work as well. For strengths assessment, the tool allows users to utilise their preferred third-party tool. Users can input their identified strengths and link them to the work areas previously explored by them. Similar processes are undertaken for personality traits, knowledge, skills, and experience. These elements collectively contribute to crafting a comprehensive profile that constitutes the “impact narrative”.

Tips to work better

Beyond individual development, “Soul” is a powerful team-building asset. Managers, in particular, are encouraged to leverage this asset to foster team cohesion and camaraderie.

Overall, the “Soul” tool not only captures the “impact narrative” to simplify managerial decision-making but also offers the added advantage of “soul tips”. “These tips alleviate the burden on managers to process the plethora of information at their disposal independently, ensuring they receive timely and relevant guidance on how to engage and motivate their team members effectively,” adds More.

By doing this, organisations can foster a culture of personalised development and growth, nurturing leadership potential from within their own ranks. As new leaders join the organisation, they are provided with the necessary tools, resources, and training to develop the skills required for effective people management. The focus is on cultivating leadership qualities and empowering individuals to take on managerial roles with confidence and competence.

Through this proactive approach to talent development, organisations can create a robust leadership pipeline that can adapt to the evolving needs of the company. By investing in the growth and readiness of potential managers, they can ensure a seamless transition as new leaders step into managerial positions, fostering stability, continuity, and continued success. This commitment to nurturing managerial talent can help organisations boost long-term growth and sustainability in an ever-changing business landscape.