Managers: Let's Call a Spade a Spade!
Managers have an impossible job. Employees don’t like to be told what to do and bosses can never please everyone in the company. And as managers often have more on their plates than they can handle, it isn’t uncommon for them to let things slide under the radar.
But there's no reason for managers to shy away from having difficult conversations with employees who are not handling their workload; both parties will feel better after a straight talk about expectations instead of passive-aggressive emails. Managers should also be upfront with employees about any changes the company is making that affect roles or day-to-day tasks, and it's important for them to provide feedback when bad work or behavior happens -- sooner rather than later.
What's the best way to have difficult conversations with employees? To get feedback, managers must first identify which conversations will be difficult. Here's a list of conversations that are likely to have the most impact:
Abusive or unproductive behavior -- There will always be bad apples in any workplace and some people can't help themselves. However, managers need to spot problems early and intervene so employees become aware of their behavior as well as what it means for the rest of the team. If a few employees are giving each other too much grief, discuss it first with everyone impacted (before a crisis happens).
-- There will always be bad apples in any workplace and some people can't help themselves. However, managers need to spot problems early and intervene so employees become aware of their behavior as well as what it means for the rest of the team. If a few employees are giving each other too much grief, discuss it first with everyone impacted (before a crisis happens). Company changes -- The nature of work is changing rapidly and all companies are going through big changes. Whether it's mergers, acquisitions or strategy shifts, teams have to adapt quickly to new realities. New requirements on managers include communicating effectively about these changes, preparing teams for the new environment and acting as sounding boards for employee concerns.
-- The nature of work is changing rapidly and all companies are going through big changes. Whether it's mergers, acquisitions or strategy shifts, teams have to adapt quickly to new realities. New requirements on managers include communicating effectively about these changes, preparing teams for the new environment and acting as sounding boards for employee concerns. Conversations with employees who don't see eye to eye -- In any group of people, there will always be those who agree and those who disagree. When managers see tension between two employees or a group, it's important for them to dig deeper and find out if there is a fundamental problem (such as one team member is abrasive). If so, it's important to get people to talk directly with each other and keep the conversation going until they come to an understanding.
-- In any group of people, there will always be those who agree and those who disagree. When managers see tension between two employees or a group, it's important for them to dig deeper and find out if there is a fundamental problem (such as one team member is abrasive). If so, it's important to get people to talk directly with each other and keep the conversation going until they come to an understanding. When employees are having trouble -- Sometimes managers will know when an employee needs help before the individual knows it himself. For example, an employee might know that he's not making progress toward a goal, but might be afraid to bring it up because of how the manager heard about previous conversations with him. But if the manager purposely gets too involved in the employee’s personal life, or keeps asking questions about his personal life when an issue arises in their working relationship, that's a problem. The better strategy is to let employees come to you about their personal lives with whatever problems they have and offer support rather than telling them what you think they should do (although you can shoot ideas from time to time).
-- Sometimes managers will know when an employee needs help before the individual knows it himself. For example, an employee might know that he's not making progress toward a goal, but might be afraid to bring it up because of how the manager heard about previous conversations with him. But if the manager purposely gets too involved in the employee’s personal life, or keeps asking questions about his personal life when an issue arises in their working relationship, that's a problem. The better strategy is to let employees come to you about their personal lives with whatever problems they have and offer support rather than telling them what you think they should do (although you can shoot ideas from time to time). Morale issues -- It's important to find out what the underlying causes of low morale are and make sure they're addressed. If employees aren't happy, they won't perform well, so take a proactive stance.
-- It's important to find out what the underlying causes of low morale are and make sure they're addressed. If employees aren't happy, they won't perform well, so take a proactive stance. When someone is getting bullied -- There's nothing more destructive than a bully who intimidates others from the safety of his cubicle or corner office. Companies that don't address bullying will lose good employees (and not just those being bullied). Bullying is a serious issue and needs to be stopped since it can lead to health problems and legal issues, as well as many other problems.
-- There's nothing more destructive than a bully who intimidates others from the safety of his cubicle or corner office. Companies that don't address bullying will lose good employees (and not just those being bullied). Bullying is a serious issue and needs to be stopped since it can lead to health problems and legal issues, as well as many other problems. When there are cultural or diversity issues -- Whether it's racial or ethnic differences, or sexual orientation, perspective is important.