Remember, our values are what make us “tick. " If you manage by respecting your team’s values, they will give you their best effort. Ask the employees how they’re liking their job on a regular basis. Encourage them to be honest with you. Then take action based upon what they tell you. Offer perks that your employees will value. If health is important to them, give them time to go to the gym and work out. If their family is important, respect the time they may need to send their kids off to school in the morning or pick them up in the afternoon.
In a meeting with your boss, for example, mention something one of your workers did well. If your boss happens to mention to that worker that you said something good about them, they’re likely to feel that you appreciate them and made the effort to put in a good word. That sort of compliment doesn’t go unnoticed. Privately laud what your employees do well. Tell them when you have a moment. Go into detail. A private chat, however short, can have a positive impact on morale, resulting in more self-motivation.
Don’t be the kind of person who never shoots for the moon. Staying measured in your goals doesn’t mean that you should always play it conservative, never setting high goals. A manager who never punches above her weight can come across as lacking ambition. Even the conservative poker player knows they need to go ‘all-in’ from time to time.
Set up a schedule for feedback. Offer it regularly so that your employees know when to expect it and can make space for it in their workflows.
Start small. Give people tasks that, if performed incorrectly, can be fixed. Take the opportunity to teach and empower your employees. Then gradually give them tasks with greater responsibility as you come to understand their strengths and weaknesses. Learn how to anticipate any problems they might have so you can coach them properly before they begin.
Doing this allows your employees to innovate and, ultimately, to learn or grow. Workers who learn from their mistakes will grow to become better workers; those who fail to make mistakes in the first place usually play it too safe, never venturing out into deep water.
What happens if you’re the type of manager who “steals” someone’s idea and plays it off as your own? You send the message that you only care about your image and are ruthless enough to sacrifice someone else in order to get ahead. That’s not a great image to have, and it certainly doesn’t motivate the people below you to work harder. You may be thinking — take responsibility for other people’s mistakes and don’t take credit for what your employees do; where does that leave me? If you do good work and you’re an effective manager, you shouldn’t worry about dressing up your laurels. People will recognize the work that you do. Even more important, they’ll be impressed that you motivate your employees, know how to be humble, and stay out of the way. If you work hard, you’ll get your dues.
Whenever you’re doing something correctly after having done it incorrectly in the past, let whoever is watching know. For example: “The reason I know to press this button is because this happened to me when I first started out, and I made the mistake of pressing the blue button, thinking ‘This will shut down the system, which should resolve the issue’ and I found out — the hard way — that it makes the issue even worse!”
Don’t be one of those managers who inadvertently makes an employee feel like they’re bothering you when they bring up a question or concern. Instead of seeing it as another crisis to manage, look at it as an opportunity to show your employee how much you want this organization to be a fulfilling place to work. Never minimize or dismiss the concerns of your employees, and always make sure that you’ve answered their questions completely.
Being in-tune with your employees’ lives outside the office can potentially alert you to times when that person needs extra consideration from you, for instance if he or she requires sudden time off for a family funeral. If you can be accommodating about upheavals in the personal lives of your workers, they’ll feel good about rewarding you with loyalty. Know your boundaries. Don’t overstep and ask your employees about anything too personal, such as religion, politics, or personal relationships. You can keep up a friendly rapport without being invasive.
When you mix positive and negative feedback, both areas suffer. The positive becomes overshadowed by the negative, and the negative doesn’t carry the full force of its potential impact. Of course, there may be situations where you’d want to communicate this, but on the whole it makes communication less effective. When you silo positive and negative feedback, the positive stands out even more and the negative becomes more urgent.
When employees are actively sharing ideas. Don’t butt in and talk just to make sure your voice is part of the mix. This can put the idea-sharing into a stranglehold. When emotions are turbulent. Let people voice their emotions in a safe, controlled environment. Stifled emotions can turn into resentment, eroding your working relationship. Similarly, emotions that are not adequately dealt with can interfere with rational discussion, which should be the mainstay of your work environment. When teams are building relationships or having discussions. Offer your employees a receptive ear when they’re building relationships and getting creative.
Instead of asking your co-worker “I’m sorry, can you repeat what you just said? I’m not sure I understood. " say something like “So you’re saying that we could drive up productivity by offering more meaningful incentives. What might that look like in the flesh?”
