More than a third of employees feel that their managers behave very inefficiently. That is the finding of a new study by Development Dimension International (DDI). As a result, 37% of employees stated that this is the reason they do not feel motivated to perform at their best.
So what do managers do wrong? According to the DDI study, it is mainly the following three mistakes:
1. It's work, not a personal dispute.
Up to 70% of employees say their managers fail to keep calm and provide constructive criticism when they are dissatisfied with their performance. Most even claim that in such cases, managers hurt their self esteem. What is the correct course of action in similar cases?
- Praise in public, criticize in private. Often it's not about what you say. It's about where and when you do so.
- Lead people with respect. Show that you are on their side and that you appreciate them. Then it is much easier to discuss improvements.
- Empower staff by asking for their help. This old tactic that can work wonders, even if the employee performed poorly. Just tell them you really need their help.
2. Feedback must be mutual.
More than half of the respondents felt that managers do not understand their needs. Furthermore, they don't have the opportunity to tell them what would make their work easier. Many employees also feel that they are not clearly said, in what aspects they could improve. Managers can improve the situation by the following:
- Quarterly e-mail inquiries. Allow employees to express themselves constructively to managerial work in key areas. Obviously anonymously.
- Monthly coaching. Regular mandatory meetings where managers focus on improving key skills of their people.
- Quarterly evaluation. This is usually done in companies only once a year. Quarterly process helps to address key issues before they seriously affect the results of the company or the department.
3. Avoid having your "favorites." This is what is perceived as the third largest managerial problem. Management devotes their time to a few chosen ones and ignores the rest of the department. Although it is a fact that 80% performance is caused by only 20% of the key people, the goal of management should be improving the performance of all employees. Try the following point of view: If each employee improves by only 5%, you are happier, the team will be more motivated, and the overall company productivity will jump up.
-th-