How to be a manager you can be proud of. When you read that title, did you think, ‘Yeah, easier said than done!’
Well, when you know exactly what your employees are looking for, there’s no reason why it can’t be within your grasp. Here are some ideas:
1. Let your team actively participate in team goals and objectives. Look for every opportunity to include your employees in being active participants in goal-setting. Most delegates on our courses tell us it’s normally just one-way…downwards. Keep your team members involved and there’s a good chance they will be more committed to those goals.
2. Allow employees to suggest better ways of getting their jobs done. Ask each person for suggestions for other ways of getting the task or project accomplished. Listen and be willing to really hear their comments. Team members often state that they have no input and are told exactly how to perform their jobs, leaving no creativity.
3. Provide positive reinforcement. Always listen and acknowledge your employees. They often report that their decisions and actions are second-guessed and that most, if not all, feedback given is negative.
4. Clearly delegate responsibility and give your employees authority along with the responsibility. Do you give inconsistent messages? Do you ask the employee to handle a problem or project and then give them negative feedback. Employees often say that they are given tasks and then told they did it wrong.
5. Be clear in your communication. When you express goals or explain projects, be sure each individual on the team really understands what you are asking. Often, the goals are unclear and they are not sure what they are being asked to do.
6. Show you have trust in your employees. Allow them to make mistakes as a form of learning. Show that it is really OK to make mistakes. Let them know you really support their decisions. Otherwise, they fear that someone is always looking over their shoulder to make sure they do things right.
7. Listen Actively. Do you do most of the talking? Employees sometimes say that conversations are one way, comprised mostly of their ideas being criticised. They don’t feel they are heard.
8. Be interested in the career development of each team member. Meet with your staff and discover their goals and their wants. Team members often report that their goals are not viewed as important in the organisation.
If you are able to convince your team members you have their best interests at heart, you have a great chance of being that manager you (and your team) can be proud of!
