As a manager, you have a direct impact on the well-being of your employees. While maintaining an open-door policy and listening to the concerns of those you supervise are important acts that help establish a positive working relationship with staff members, there are additional steps you can take to motivate and inspire your employees. Following are some tips:
Know their career goals. Determine each person’s career aspirations, then work with your staff members to identify ways to help them achieve their objectives. Perhaps you can pair a new employee with a more experienced colleague to help the new person learn a company-specific software program. Or you may consider offering a worker who is interested in pursuing continuing education the flexibility to attend courses at a local college. Be sure to touch base regularly and let staff members know you’re personally invested in their success and professional growth.
Offer personalized praise. When staff members excel on projects, let them know - and cater your kudos accordingly. One employee may enjoy public praise while another might appreciate a handwritten thank-you note. Your staff will appreciate that you’ve paid attention to their preferences.
Be sensitive to stress levels. After a sustained period of heavy workloads, intense pressure and tight deadlines, your employees may feel burned out. Signs of burnout include missed deadlines, increased absenteeism and changes in behavior or personality. When you notice employees are nearing their limits, consider bringing in interim workers to help ease the strain.
Be fair. While this may seem to be an obvious point, not all managers follow this maxim. You can’t expect your employees to remain loyal if they think you’re playing favorites or inconsistently enforcing rules and policies. You may have to closely examine your behavior toward each team member to determine whether you treat everyone equally. For example, are you more lenient with one employee when she delivers a project late? Do you spend a considerable amount of time asking a certain staff member about his weekend plans? While these differences may appear subtle from your perspective, they could be very noticeable to your staff and lower morale.
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