Are You A Good Manager?

Why employees are unhappy at their workplace and eventually end up quitting their jobs? Well, employees could have a million reasons to quit, some totally out of control for the employer but the majority of the reasons are still under control.

I have been working as a sales guy from Past many years, and today would touch upon one of the key challenge faced by the Managers.

Before we start, I would like each one of you to evaluate yourself – Are you doing enough as a Manager? Do you respect your team? Does your team trust you? Are you putting in all your efforts to be a good Manager? Are you motivating your team enough?

As the saying goes – “With power comes the abuse of power, and where there are bosses, there are crazy bosses. It’s nothing new. –Judd Rose”

One point that I want to put forth to all employees – Managers are not Mind-readers, insight reader, they also need to be given suggestions, feedback time and again. A problem arises when they refuse to accept the fact that they are being bad Managers. Most managers who make their employees unhappy are simply unaware of this fact, most of the times employees also do not let them know that what they do is not working, thus creating an unfriendly environment to work in. They eventually lose control over their teams giving rise to high attritions.

Below are some points which will help you gain the employee trust and also reduce attrition –

Communicate Effectively and Listen:

Express one clearly and concisely in conversations and interactions with others, through verbal or non-verbal cues. Listen actively and ensure that information is shared and understood. It is very important that you take your team in confidence and communicate the rationale behind your decisions, encourage all employees to provide input and feedback. Accept the feedback and act accordingly. It takes time to rebuild trust again. A manager must relate well to people at all levels and builds appropriate rapport with the employees.

Respect:

All employees demand respect – Gone are the days when Managers followed a top to bottom approach. Respect has to be earned and can never be demanded; when we think of great leaders they weren’t always necessarily liked. But they were respected for how they led and made others feel good. Do not dictate how things need to be done. Managers have to realize they do not have all the answers. It doesn’t matter who gives the idea, where ideas flow from, everyone deserves recognition for their work. Do not hesitate to appreciate your team and more importantly on time.

Motivate team:

A manager must inspire self and others towards establishing & achieving group goals by providing a clear vision, positive attitude towards work & fostering a healthy team spirit. Facilitate the continuous development of individual & organizational competencies, developing others- potential through the sharing of expertise and providing timely feedback. The old cliché “It takes ten pats on the back to overcome one kick in the rear” is especially true when you’ve lost the trust of your employees.

Foster Innovation and Creativity:

A manager must encourage talent and lets his team think outside of the box, encourages going beyond the conventional ways and demonstrates a willingness to try out different solutions. He understands a situation or problem by identifying patterns or connections and addresses key underlying issues. Give them space and encourage them for more innovative and be creative in their work.

Evaluate Team Performance:

Timely evaluate each and every individual in your team. Work on their weakness, try to find out where they are lacking, where they need improvement. Acknowledge the individual who is doing good and boost them more to get the best results or outcome. Have them share information which each other, their techniques, skills and the way they work. Spend time with your team members and understand their plan and goals for the next quarter.

Leadership Quality:

Leadership is achieving results. A Manager demonstrates focus on action and commitment towards achieving outcomes of their effort. He lets his team contribute to organizational strategic performance by developing individual/group goals in alignment to the Organization’s objectives and goals. He the leader should show the roadmap, should lead the way. As a leader, you need to gain the commitment from every individual in your team to decide their individual goals and target. Use their skill and talents to achieve the organization target.

Leaders earn respect when they reward and recognize their employees and colleagues. They take the time to appreciate and understand the unique ways they each think, act and innovate – and are always on the lookout to enable their talent. They are admired, trusted and respected because they make it more about the advancement of others, rather than themselves. They share the harvest of the momentum they build with others.

Rewards and Incentives:

As a manager, you should always provide reward and incentives to your team members. Whenever an individual gives his best performance always reward them with some perks. Employees always wanted to be motivated and get rewarded for their best performance, because they need to know that the reward is not given out easily. They have to exceed the performance bar to get rewarded.

In conclusion, I would like to say that we all don’t have all the answers. We all do make mistake. We all went through the same phase. What matter most is that you make positive changes which makes difference, it does not matter where the ideas come from, because when employees who know you will listen to their ideas, suggestions will automatically regain the trust on you. But Every Manager should know that there is a slight balance must be maintained between having your team respect you and having them fear you. A manager should know how to earn respect from the employees. It’s ultimately about knowing the employees and giving them the guidance, inspiration, and motivation to move forward and achieve the targets.