The Delicate Art of Managing People
Surprisingly, the hardest asset that companies must manage is people. As a business owner or a manager, you need to recognize the potential of your employees and motivate them to do work while taking into account their own emotions. Getting things done and keeping employees happy at the same time can be a challenge. Here are some of the best techniques to allow you to achieve both.
Respect Your Employees
Simply because someone is occupying a lower step in the corporate ladder, does not give you the right to think less of them. It is imperative to address your team members with respect in order to make them feel comfortable in their work environment. Do not patronize them, nor discriminate against them. Treat them equally and judge their work and character fairly.
Ensure Consistency
The subject of consistency goes hand-in-hand with the previous point. Make sure you stand by your words and actions. The same rules you apply to one worker, need to be applied to all the others. You should reward and dismiss your team based on a set pattern. Also, do not let your mood take over your working atmosphere. The workers should not have to worry how your personal life will affect their day at work.
Make Them Feel Relaxed
You want to be surrounded by people who like coming to work. Even though a job is an obligation, it is also a platform for making achievements. Help your team get there by providing them with comfort. Allow them to customize their working stations to an extent. Encourage them to take short breaks whenever they feel a need to. Create a break room complete with coffee, tea, and other refreshments to allow them to de-stress. A responsible worker cares about getting their work done, and they do not need you constantly breathing down their neck.
Pat Them On The back
Sometimes a pat on the back is all a person needs to feel appreciated. You can do this by publicly recognizing one of your team member’s work. Alternatively, if you have successfully finalized a project, you may want to thank the entire team. Public recognition will make the people feel valued, and the positivity alone will motivate them further. Make sure you do not always praise the work of certain team members while ignoring others. The recognition of all employees will help the team grow closer together if they know they can rely on each other to make their jobs easier.
Communicate Openly
As a manager, it is your job to make sure your team functions smoothly. Communication between people is crucial when trying to accomplish a goal. Therefore, you must strive to communicate as clearly and openly as you possibly can. When assigning their tasks, make sure they know exactly what is expected of them. Let them ask questions, even if they are asked to challenge you. Make sure you provide informative answers. Listen to their suggestions and requests, and try to indulge them whenever it seems reasonable.
Set Realistic And Measurable Objectives
When setting targets for your team, make sure you provide them with all the necessary tools and strategies to reach those targets. With goals that are obviously unreachable, people tend to lose their drive and work just for the sake of working. Each target should be clearly outlined. This way you will know when someone excels, as well as, when someone slacks.
Set Team Goals
Teamwork is widely recognized as desirable. Do not make your team’s only link having you as a boss. Set team goals for a project, and delegate the work. Working on achieving mutual, as well as individual goals, will bring your people closer. Individual goals are also very important to keep people reminded that they need to keep their personal performance at a certain level. If you notice that someone is underperforming for reasons other than the workload, empower them. Put them in charge of a project within the team. They will appreciate the trust you showed them and increase their sense of personal responsibility to keep up with their new role.
Ask for Help
If the conflict persists and you have done everything in your power to resolve it, ask the HR team for help. If those involved in the conflict, stop being an asset to your business, contact a law firm with experience in the field. They will be able to advise you on actions you can take without infringing anyone’s rights or getting sued. This is particularly important for small and medium business owners.
Respond to Challenge
If there is a conflict at work between your team members, or between you and one of your employees, you should not turn away from it. Conflicts bring tension into the team and create disunity. If your team member challenges you respectively, do not dismiss them based on your rank, but calmly engage in a discussion to see whether you can find a compromise and resolve the issue.
Keep Your Eyes Wide Open
Apart from managing the team, you are also a part of it. You should make sure your team members recognize that. You do not want your team to feel like they are on their own and think of you only as a part of the managing structure. Watch them closely and keep track of their progress. If someone is consistently excelling, they deserve recognition which is more than a pat on the back. On the other hand, if what used to be a valuable team member, is now underperforming, try understanding their circumstances. Once you know where the issue is coming from, you can work on resolving it.
Before you start demanding results from your team, set a personal example. Be the employee you want them to be. Show them how to talk, treat other people, and interact with a healthy attitude toward work, goals, as well as challenges. Seeing you do this will show them that it is possible.
