Having a good management system in a workplace can be a tricky balancing act. Here are three important practices that every manager should remember.
Have a Sense of Receptiveness to Others
Many instances have shown that being too “nice and friendly” can trigger an adverse effect in others. However, being a receptive manager doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to be “nice”. The goal is to be cordial with your employees, and to speak to them as you would speak to anyone else. Small but business-like conversations are a good way to be receptive to your employees without getting too personal with them.
Managers should avoid doing things like casually talking to employees outside of work, giving random gifts to certain employees, or sharing workplace information with some employees but not others. These actions can lead to favoritism and unprofessional behavior in and outside of the workplace.
It is important for managers to be receptive to their employees because this establishes a sense of workplace respect and mutuality.
Practice Equal Treatment and Uphold Policies
The most important policy at any work environment is to make sure that everyone is being treated equally. This includes the way that members of management treat employees of other positions. There are very few instances where it is appropriate for a manager to make it a point to hold their position as being higher than an employee’s position. Employees should be given logical and reasonable tasks to do that will benefit the company as a whole. Managers should never use their position as an excuse for making employees to unreasonable tasks.
Furthermore, a manager has to uphold the same policies for one employee as they would uphold for anyone else. No matter how much a manager may like an employee, the company’s rules have to remain the same. Favoritism or special treatment is never excusable in a professional workplace environment.
Put The Employees at Ease
Although a good manager wants to establish a sense of order in the workplace, employees should not feel scared or uneasy when speaking to them.
Managers should show their employees that they are approachable and are prepared to handle any situation that may come their way in the workplace.
Situations tend to not get reported or dealt with in many work establishments because of unapproachable management. For example, an employee who has witnessed inappropriate workplace behavior is likely to choose to not report it to a manager if the manager lacks an understanding of confidentiality.
Many employees all throughout the U.S. have admitted to withholding, ignoring, or working through situations that could have been prevented with the correct management techniques.
Communication is key with any relationship, so it’s important to make sure that your employees feel that they are able to communicate with you.
Management proves to be very intricate, even for those who have been doing it for many years. By enforcing these simple techniques, you can improve your management skills and improve the work establishment as a whole.
