Managers can inspire and encourage employees to work efficiently. However, employees may face challenges and need support at times. But employees refuse to ask for help in management due to various reasons. Are you pondering how to speak up or ask what you require? It can be related to your work culture or anything to improve on. According to a survey by Monster.com, 76% of job seekers left the job without notice due to toxic bosses. Also, managers are looking for strategies to retain their employees amid great resignation. Here, you’ll get insights on things to tell your boss to improve on and how to make your boss listen.
Support Your Employees
Most companies have a framework of hierarchy to deal with teams.This hierarchy places business leaders at the top, followed by the rest of the employees. However, top businesses like Starbucks, UPS and Best Buy describe themselves as “servant leaders” for better leadership management.
Managers need to be supportive and equipped to direct the employees towards the right path. This kind of leadership is helpful to manage staff and give training to them accordingly.
Know that servant leaders are not taking all the credit for themselves. They look for opportunities to collaborate with the team and empower them. Therefore, they ask employees about improving and digging even deeper to discover better.
Avoid Micromanaging
Remote working has become a storm now. Many companies are shifting to virtual space, especially due to the spread of contagion. According to Harvard Business Review, managers spend more time working with remote working teams.
The struggle is real as managers are not able to track employees. And this leads to delay in projects and subpar works. The Boss Barometer Report in 2019 states that “72% of American employees wanted more responsibility.
Here comes the urge to micromanage your employees. But micromanaging your team can actually backfire. Managers fail to accomplish their best work by micromanaging the team.
Be Transparent With Your Team
According to the Boss Barometer Report of 2019, only 34% of workers said their managers checked them regularly. However, this helped employees manage critical projects, but it was less beneficial for the whole company.
Many old-school managers practice this method to manage employees. But actually, they fail by following direct reports. Instead of being alienated, managers must take the responsibility to make the final decision. This ultimately proves their leadership as well as signals company productivity.
Michael Araten, president and CEO of Sterling Drive Ventures, on the Thomas Industry Update Podcast, shared that “hiring great people” can turn to expertise. Therefore, managers can also benefit by utilizing direct reports in the right way.
You also need to know the power of involving employees in decision-making. This will help you to improve workflow and manage productivity at the same time. In a study by author John Izzo, he found that employees are not taking responsibility because managers fail to involve them in making decisions.
Create A Friendly Environment
In some scenarios, employees fear to raise any questions in a team meeting because of toxic managers. Usually, such managers bark at employees and give negative responses. At the same time, others pretend to hear in one ear and dismiss the meetings. All these issues will make your employees turn against the company.
Employees must have the freedom to share their ideas. There’s nothing wrong if your employees come up with great ideas every day. Honestly, employees find the stress level high at working in companies where culture is lacking.
The Top 8 reasons why employees fear to speak up are:
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Being punished for past performance
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Alienation from colleagues
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Labeling is not a fit in an existing team
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The issues won’t be solved anyway
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Offending coworkers on the team
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The point of getting devalued
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It can be risky and not safe for longer-term
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The fear of getting exposed by lack of knowledge
The employees also fear transparency in companies as everything is carried out within the leaders. The lack of information about the company is the major reason why people hesitate to take action.
So how can you improve transparency and build a great culture? Let’s uncover the key points to keep in mind. This will help your employees to take the initiative and share their thoughts openly:
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Understand your employees; some can express in words while others can write down.
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You can have 1:1 sessions to discuss issues with each employee
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Ask questions and be consistent
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Don’t drag past errors always
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Keep in mind that the best ideas might look dumb first.
Discuss Errors Privately
Don’t point out the mistakes of your employees directly. You can politely address the issues as every human makes errors. Treat your employees in a good way to avoid miscommunication at the workplace. This will also help you find problems at the initial stages and avoid the risks later as employees will come forward to disclose if any mistakes happen.
Managers can also send emails to employees regarding the mistakes. A constructive criticism will take you a long way towards success, and You can highlight their achievements and give suggestions to improve.
Even the best-performing employees will make errors in a while. You can’t exclude the mistakes happening, but you can find ways to resolve them at the earliest. For this, ensure to correct employees’ mistakes privately. This works as a golden rule to manage the mistakes of your employees.
Finding mistakes in the initial stages can also help employees. By doing that, people can learn the skill and perform better. You need to build that positivity in their mind and break down the boundaries.
As mentioned earlier, employees' fear of making mistakes can ruin their productivity. People will struggle with decision paralysis and the task will get delayed at the end. So, managers need to discuss everything properly.
June Silny, in her “20 Reasons Why Not Making Mistakes Is The Biggest Mistake in Life,” has discussed this issue. She tells her audience that one who makes mistakes can only get opportunities to gain wisdom. To add value to her point, the BBC reports that mistakes have positive consequences for scientists accidentally discovering penicillin.
Take Your Responsibility
Take your own responsibilities, even when things go wrong. A manager should not be the person who blames their employees for mistakes. Making direct reports to impress the boss will only lead towards great resignation. Managers must be transparent with employees to build trust within the organization.
A true leader will never blame their followers for any errors. Instead, they take complete responsibility and try to resolve it. The same thing works in an organization, and you can tell the errors in private. This tactic will resolve most of the issues and reflect on your success.
A Gentle Reminder to Managers
Mistakes make us humans, and failures help us grow. Everyone should be positive towards criticism. Direct reports from supervisors or bosses can help you achieve. Nothing is better, nothing is worse, and it all depends on the work style you follow. Mutual respect is the key to manage your boss; you first invest and then earn it. If a team is healthier and happier, it’s easy for a company to achieve goals.
Shellye is committed to helping people from diverse backgrounds to achieve their aspirations in careers and life. The content published above was made in collaboration with our members.
Shellye Archambeau is determined to help you with all possible strategies to climb the ladder of success. She values your feedback. Do mention them in the comment section below.