Good Managers Know Their Team Members

Contributed by Elaine Landau

Lucky managers are those who were able to handpick the members of their team. Not everyone has that luxury. Many times managers inherit problems and problem employees from their predecessors. Unfortunately, when a new manager inherits a staff, they assume that the employees who were problems previously will continue to be trouble. That assumption cheats everyone: the manager, the employee, the team, and the company.

Getting to know you.
It sounds corny, but spending time with members of your team instead of separating yourself from them with an office door or a way-too-full appointment calendar, will make you a stronger, more effective manager. By working with them side by side, you will get to know their quirks, strengths, weaknesses, and what motivates them.

Some people work to live. Others live to work.
By getting to know the members of the team, a good manager will understand what motivates each person. If an employee is a workaholic, overtime is not a motivator, it’s almost perceived as a reward. The manager trusts him/her enough to keep him/her working on the project until it is done. For the employee who works simply to get to the weekend, the manager has to work a little harder to discover what motivates that employee to want to do his/her best.

It’s nice to know you care.
Distant managers tend to stay that way in the hearts of their employees… distant. There is no bond, no trust, and no real loyalty. If a manager indicates that he/she is willing to take the time to find out what would make an employee’s job more fulfilling, the employee feels that the manager truly cares about him/her. That promotes loyalty, productivity, trust, and excellent communication. With trust and good communication, that manager will be the recipient of honest feedback. When asked if there is a way to improve the team or increase productivity, if real communication has been established, the manager will get some constructive feedback instead of blank stares from their staff.

Which scenario bests fits you as a manager?

Problem:
The department secretary, Harriet, has basic computer education, but lacks basic Internet training. When deadlines are looming, Harriet is unable to help the copywriters do any online research because of her lack of Internet training.

A.) The Distant Manager’s Solution
The manager emerges from behind closed doors to berate the copywriters for missing their deadlines. The manager is greeted by shrugs and stares. The manager, unsatisfied with the lack of response, just assumes that the copywriters are lazy or slow, initiates the termination of one of the writers and starts interviewing for a newer, faster writer. Team morale goes further into the dumper. Deadlines continue to be missed.

B.) An In-Touch Manager’s Solution.
This manager has frequent team meetings. When the manager asks why the team is missing deadlines (not targeting the copywriters) the suggestion is made by one of the copywriters that online research is slowing them down. When the manager asks how that problem can be solved, one writer asks if Harriet could take a free Internet lesson or free Internet tutorial. If she would prefer, she can learn at home at her own speed. Then Harriet can work closer with the writers doing research and deadlines could be met.

The manager, having spent time getting to know Harriet, understands that Harriet would like to expand her responsibilities as the department secretary. After the meeting, the manager approaches Harriet with the good news that her role will be expanded to helping the copywriters with online research. Harriet is very pleased and the rest of the team feel as though all of their needs have been addressed and answered by an effective manager. The solution works out smoothly.

Let’s hope option A disappears after managers read this article.
Remember that communication goes both ways. A good manager gets to know his/her staff, but also allows the staff to know that he/she is human. Managers make mistakes. Managers have emotions. Managers sometimes have family commitments outside of the office. That means Managers and their team members share many of the same stresses and commitments. There is an underlying understanding that the job and the deadlines are indeed important, but none of us live in a vacuum. With more understanding comes more tolerance and forgiveness.

With understanding also comes productive feedback. If an employee is failing in an area, and a manager understands all the circumstances leading up to the deficiency, then the solutions agreed to by both parties are more likely to be realistic and workable. Managers, too, should expect feedback from employees. If for example a manager is always late for the 9:00 staff meeting, perhaps the employees could suggest making it a standing 9:30 meeting, so they are not wasting a half-hour in the conference room waiting for the manager. Again, feedback is constructive when all individuals know each other a little better.

When managers know their team members, they can include them in the overall goals and objectives of the department and company. That way, everyone is on the same page. Of course, managers must sometimes keep confidential information for the sake of stockholders or other sensitive situations. However, when employees feel that they are part of a plan, not just contributors, morale shoots up and productivity is at its best.

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