Tweaks!

If you are a manager or a supervisor this blog is for you.  If you are managed or supervised by someone other than yourself, you may want to pass this along.  The number one reason people look for other work is due to poor management.  It costs an organization from 125% to 200% of the salary to replace an individual.  Following are some tweaks you might want to consider embracing.

Tweak 1:  Take time.  You’ve got lots of priorities every day.  There never seems to be enough time to get everything done.  A good manager makes time for their staff.  Spend at least 20% of your time focused on your staff.  Make sure your employees know that they are your number one priority.

Sub-tweak:  Ensure your staff has access to procedures and training.  You want to be available to answer questions, however you don’t want to become a human procedure manual.

Tweak 2:  Meet regularly.  Your employees want to know what is going on in the organization.  Schedule weekly or bi-weekly meetings to update everyone on a regular basis.  The meetings may be five minutes or an hour.  Avoid the trap of thinking there is nothing to talk about.

Tweak 3:  Walk around.  Sitting in your office sets you apart from your team.  Shooting off emails to staff who are just outside your office is silly.  Face to face discussions build deeper relationships with the people you work with.

Tweak 4:  Respect others.  Examine your expectations.  Your employees are busy completing their work, they are not working to serve you.  If you expect staff to respond immediately to every email you send, your department’s productivity will be cut in half.  Save up your questions for one discussion rather than several emails/phone calls as questions occur to you.

Tweak 5:  After work hours.  You may be sending out emails or texts after work hours just to clean these thoughts off your plate.  This translates to your employees that they must be available 24/7.  Remember you’re the boss so most employees will be pressed to respond to you – even if you’ve told them they don’t have to.  Save up those thoughts in draft form – when you start your next business day, send them off.

Tweak 6:  Interest.  Find out the work goals of each staff member.  This is a one on one conversation that takes place once a quarter – not once a year.  The goals are theirs, not yours.  Use the quarterly meeting to understand progress and see if something has changed.  Do whatever you can to support your employees’ goals and development.

Tweak 7:  Pitch in.  When things get hectic join in on the project.  Employees like to see that you’re part of the process.  Don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty from time to time.    Helping out can enlighten you about what is happening in your department.  You may find ways to improve your department’s efficiency and effectiveness.

What have I left out?  Think about the greatest boss you’ve ever had, how did they treat you?  What behavior did they exemplify in the work place?  Leave your comments below.

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