I recently came across a new year’s resolution post entitled “Resolve To Be A Better Manager” that I thought was interesting (read here). The article listed 12 things a manager should focus on in the new year. Of the 12, the following 5 have served me well over the years:
- Get to know your employees - As a leader it’s important for your employees to know that you are interested in them, who they are, not just what can they do for you. Take time to get to know ‘em. You’ll find it time well spent.
- Treat your employees how you would like to be treated - The Golden Rule definitely applies here. I’m not talking about how you manage them (as that could be different from how you like to be managed), but instead, how you treat them. Do you like to be treated with courtesy and respect? Odds are pretty good your employees do as well.
- Say “please” and ”thank you” - It never ceases to amaze me when I see managers ordering their people around, without any hint of politeness. Yes, it’s part of a manager’s job to tell their people what to do…but that doesn’t mean you can’t be polite about it. “Please” and “thank you” can go a long way to helping you get things done.
- Be consistent – This is one I sometimes struggle with. Employees want a manager who’s going to be consistant day to day. Be consistent in how you treat everyone as this will establish expectations and define acceptable behavior.
- Think before you hit “send” – Have you ever gotten mad and fired off a less than polite email or text to an employee? I know I have…and I usually end up regretting it. The trick is to think about it before you click the send button. Many times I will type it and then leave it for awhile. Once I’ve calmed down, I’ll go back to the email and most times change it before I send it. At the very least, the delay gives me time to remove the anger and/or frustration (see #2).
What other steps would you recommend managers take?
