Highlights
- The ability of a manager to accomplish their core responsibilities centres around good team relationships
- Managers are more effective when they give praise and positive feedback
- When you care personally, you make the effort to have real conversations.
Some of the most successful companies in the world have demonstrated leadership that shuns ‘command and control’ methods in favour of a more productive, ‘human’ way to work.
If you lean more towards being a task-oriented leaderyour team may not feel as if you have their best interests at heart, instead assuming that you’re simply using their talents as your means to an end. This can dramatically impact morale and productivity.
The big idea: Build bonds and you’ll unearth hidden potential
The key to getting more out of your employees is understanding where they’re coming from. When you understand their perspective, you’re able to assign tasks they’d be best at completing. This will keep your team motivated.
“The manager-employee relationship is not a friendship,” says Kim Scott, author of Radical Candor: Be a Kickass Boss without Losing your Humanity. “But it is a deeply human relationship, and when it works, it unlocks human potential.”
If you don’t really care about your employees, the emotional investment needed for feedback will drain you. Working at this aspect ensures you don’t struggle with such an important part of your job.
What’s in it for you: You’ll drive results faster and with less effort
It begins with excellent communication, says Scott. “Start by soliciting feedback. This means being humble and confident enough to address concerns without getting defensive. A question you can use: ‘Is there anything I can do or stop doing that would make it easier to work with me?’” You’ll be perceived as approachable and easier to work with, skyrocketing your team’s productivity.
Make it happen:
Here are 3 steps to get you well on your way to a good boss-employee relationship:
- Demonstrate confidence in your team. If a team member messes up, communicate the issue clearly, while assuring them you care and are confident that they’re capable
- Be genuine and generous with praise. No one’s perfect, so focus on the positives by offering positive feedback as often, openly, specifically and sincerely as possible
- Don’t bottle up the negatives. One-on-ones are a good time to catch up, but don’t wait for these as an opportunity to offer constructive criticism. Give feedback regularly in private conversations.