Sid has been managing a team of eight for over a year. The performance of the team was up to the mark. He believed that he and his team members understand each other well and share good rapport.
His boss was happy with his managerial skills. Things were going fine till the company hired a management coach, who asked all the employees to assess their bosses. Sid was shocked with the feedback he received.
Unlike what he thought, his image was not positive with his team members. They had issues with his management style and behaviour. Surprisingly, most of them felt that he was distant and opined that he should spend more time with the team to understand their work and the difficulties in it. Some even commented that he does not have proper control on the team.
The management coach, in his report mentioned that the team's potential was not being utilised to the full extent.
He blamed the manager for not motivating them and honing their skills. He proposed to send him for training in specific areas of people management.
Sid was just not expecting this kind of feedback. He never had the slightest clue that his team was not happy with him. Didn't he give them enough liberty to share their mind with him? Were his plans for them not up to their expectations?
This kind of experience is common for managers. They are often clueless about how their team perceives them. The feedback managers receive from their employees is priceless to their career. It gives them insight to their approach, and provides an opportunity to correct shortcomings and improve their skills. But for this they should receive it with an open mind, which is a challenge in itself.
Negative feedback from employees cannot be avoided completely. However, practising a few tips can help improve image. They include:
Maintain composure: Your mettle is shown when you maintain your composure in trying situations. So when you are in pressure do not yell at your staff. Keep watch on your tone because speaking loudly can sometimes intimidate the opposite person. It can damage workplace morale and bring down productivity.
Word mails properly: Most of the communication between managers and employees is through emails. Be thoughtful about how you word it. Spend sufficient time for it.
Managers usually send curt one-worded mails that imply a careless attitude towards subordinates. Such responses create confusions about the message and intentions of the manager.
This in turn leads to wasted efforts, misunderstandings and conflicts.
Talk in person: Whether it is appreciating a team member or sharing unpleasant information, talk to employees in person.
Be available for further discussion. This is essential to show them that you genuinely respect them and value their opinion.
Take cues: A bad boss's affect can reflect on the physical and mental health of employees. So if your employees are frequently, falling sick or taking leave faking sickness, check out if you are the reason.
Talk with them to find out if they have any issues with you. Instead of popping the question directly, begin an informal chat and extract information.
Keep deadlines practical: Some managers, who assumed the specific managerial role newly, especially first line managers, set tight deadlines for the their staff. The reasons are enthusiasm and lack of experiences.
If you observe your staff working overtime very often, then review your action plan for the team.
With the help of training Sid understood the flaws in his approach and learnt better ways of dealing with his employees. Practising them, he managed to build better relationship with them, within a few weeks. From then he began to interact more with his team to understand the kind of image he was projecting and to make sure it is right.
Author:Nitya Sai Soumya
Source: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-opportunities/article1481974.ece
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