How a manager’s role will evolve in 2023 and beyond

Traditionally, managers were only expected to handle challenging tasks and fulfill corporate expectations. However, an ever-evolving corporate landscape has shifted employees’ expectations to that of a flexible and autonomous workplace. As a result, managers are now in a precarious position, where they also need to balance project outcomes and ensure employees’ growth and well-being in a flexible environment.

On the one hand, managers need to ensure that the team is advancing toward achieving departmental goals and meeting project deadlines. On the other hand, they are required to balance team members’ personal and professional preferences.

As a result, the role of managers will evolve in 2023, as they will ensure adaptability and resilience to steer through business challenges.

Earlier, managers were expected to coordinate departmental work to ensure organizational growth. However, now the evolving corporate world has led HR teams to prioritize managers’ transformation as coaches and mentors. The role of a manager is to empower employees and help them expand their expertise using available tools and learning opportunities.

Nine ways the role of managers will change in 2023 are:

Managers need to flatten the organizational structure, as this approach creates a collaborative and cross-functional environment. This inclusive workplace environment promotes communication, increases employee morale, and enhances decision-making. As a result, employees fulfill their responsibilities to receive effective outcomes and gain job satisfaction.

In 2023, managers who adapt and implement a decentralized organizational structure will be better positioned to drive workplace success.

In this advancing technology environment, managers require continuous learning and skill development. Most managers’ knowledge and expertise will become obsolete in the future. Mental agility and creative thinking will gain prominence over manual monitoring and mundane tasks.

Therefore, managers must take action to expand their knowledge and learn new techniques in 2023. The first step is to identify their skill gaps. The manager’s role must evolve beyond just technical or project management areas to include soft and leadership skills for improved outcomes.

Managers must break away from micromanaging and delegate suitable responsibilities. Micromanagement may be due to personal choices, peer pressure, or the fear of letting go; however, managers must learn why, how, when, and what to delegate appropriately.

Inefficient task delegation leads to stagnation and affects the firm’s competence and success. Therefore, managers should rethink their roles and involve their teams in discussions and assignments to drive progress. This will help bring out the best in each employee, encouraging independent thinking, fostering trust, and instilling confidence in accepting new challenges.

It is essential to promote equality when it comes to assigning responsibilities. Gender, ethnicity, personal bias, or disabilities should not become prevalent factors in delegating work. Managers must promote strong equality and diversity across teams for better results. They should tap into the knowledge and experience of underutilized team members for high productivity and business efficiency.

Soft skills like emotional intelligence, creativity, adaptability, and time management are crucial for leaders in today’s fast-paced and dynamic environment. Soft skills, which come with time and practice, significantly impact performance and growth potential. They help managers communicate properly, delegate without hesitation, and empathetically understand team challenges.

Managers must recognize their teams’ strengths and efforts and provide relevant praise and constructive criticism when required. They must avoid giving unsolicited critiques or blaming employees for adverse outcomes. Good leaders always take responsibility for their teams’ actions and provide genuine feedback. They lead by example, help employees grow, and allow room for mistakes.

As Gen Z enters the workforce, developing training strategies for millennial leadership is crucial. Leadership styles have evolved in the past decade, and aligning millennial training accordingly will help receive desired outcomes.

Managers can start using AI capabilities to augment human service agents. While these AI-powered bots can handle basic inquiries and repetitive tasks, a robust human service team is still necessary to satisfy customers and take strategic roles.

Several technological innovations are now poised to shape the daily managerial experience. Therefore, the role of the manager now includes knowledge of these tools and implementation of relevant technology for the team. With a quarter of companies investing in technology to boost employee productivity, Gartner reveals that these tools can automate up to 69% of the tasks traditionally assigned to managers. Managers can make more time to engage in progressive and innovative activities.

1. Identify the most critical behaviors of great managers by surveying employees who build high-trust relationships. Interview these managers and ask them to share their techniques. Use this information to identify three to five key behaviors that create a positive work environment and share them with the company. Remember that while certain characteristics of manager effectiveness are universal, aligning these behaviors with your organization’s mission, culture, customer needs, and strategic goals is essential for true insight.
2. To build trust with employees, managers should be competent, honest, and reliable. One way to establish credibility is to keep assurances, such as providing employees with suitable projects or learning opportunities, resources, and support they need to succeed. Additionally, making unbiased decisions regarding promotions and treating everyone with equality is crucial.
3. Companies should rethink their promotion process to avoid relying only on managers’ reviews. Therefore, businesses should encourage managers to consider 360-degree reviews for employees to assess their potential correctly. For example, Mercer | Mettl’s 360-Degree Feedback Tool evaluates employees’ performance based on manager and peer reviews, helping companies make the right appraisal and promotion decisions.
4. Making employee recognition a regular ritual is beneficial for managers and employees. Personal recognition by managers is a key driver of employee performance because employees feel valued and appreciated when managers recognize their efforts. It helps employees achieve goals, innovate, and stay motivated at the workplace.

In 2023, the role of a manager will continue to evolve, encompassing new challenges as well as opportunities. Hence, manager expectations will shift to increase focus on building trust, fostering positive relationships, and creating opportunities for advancement.

Staying informed of the latest managerial trends and best practices is crucial to surviving in this changing world. Managers must navigate the changing demands of their roles to remain relevant.