Better Information Retention

 

 Beware The Busy Manager

Have you ever felt like you were surrounded by busy leaders? They are constantly in meetings and they soak up all the attention. They may not be intentionally ignoring their employees, but they are neglecting to give them the space they need. 

As a result, many employees end up feeling unimportant and neglected. In this article, I'll explain how busy managers can make matters worse for their teams and why these managers should avoid certain behaviors that may come off as inconsiderate or unprofessional. It will also provide you with a few tips to create a better work environment for your team members.

Here are a few examples of busy managers at work:

1. Busy managers often have too many tasks to handle.

It might only take one of their employees to file an insurance claim and they will have to respond to 50 emails and call 20 people, all at once. They feel like they're just not good enough so they give up trying to deal with it on their own and start asking for help. Instead of asking for help, though, it's better to ask whether the employee has enough resources available for the project or which steps he'd like to take in order for him or her to be included in the task. When making their requests for help, you should also take time to determine whether you are interrupting what the employee needs to do.

2. Busy managers often have too many meetings.

They may have so many in a day that they feel like they can't be interrupted by an employee's appointment or phone call. So they ask workers to come in early or stay late, which most people would be fine with doing at first but as the weeks and months go on, people become disgruntled when their boss calls them into work multiple times every week without any notice. They also don't want to take time out of their schedule to meet with an employee if it's not necessary and their busy schedule is already full that day.

3. Busy managers always have ''important'' things to do.

Because of this, they don't always respond in a timely manner to employees who need access to them. Some employees may even find it discouraging when their boss is response for days saying that he or she is too busy to meet with them and will get back to them later. Rather than telling an employee that you're too busy at first, you should tell the employee what your goal is and how you plan on reaching that goal in a way that ensures the employee understands their role in your strategy.

Some busy managers may not even realize that they are acting so casually around their team members. If you find yourself acting this way around your employees, then it is time to change your ways and take a step back to observe how the things you do can make or break morale in the office.

Here are a few tips on how to avoid being a busy manager:

1. Acknowledge your team's accomplishments. As an employee, you may feel unappreciated when your boss doesn't recognize you for all of the work that's getting done around the office. When someone does something special or if there is something outstandingly difficult about a project, these things should be acknowledged. You should also let employees know how the work that they do is positively affecting the company through social media sites like Facebook or Twitter.

2. Encourage your employees to have outside responsibilities. Working in another part of the office gives your team members time to pursue other interests and it can be an opportunity for them to grow professionally. Rather than seeing them as a burden on you, be understanding of why they need these outside pursuits and offer to help whenever possible. For example, you might suggest they join an organization at work and then host a meeting where they can meet their peers or volunteer with their own contributions. In this way, you encourage them to grow personally without taking time away from your agenda as a manager.

3. Give your employees space. It's important for you to let your employees know when they are needed, but it's also important for you to give them time to do their jobs. You are not there to sit over their shoulder and make sure that they're getting everything done perfectly. You should empower them by giving them the freedom to be able to work on tasks without any disruptions or pressure. As long as they are communicating what they're doing and getting things done on time, then that is all you need from them.

4. Be available for your team members. When your employees need to meet with you or ask for your help, then it's important for you to be available for them. If you want them to feel like you're a team player then you should provide the same opportunities to them that they would want from their teammates. The same goes for social media. Offer to take pictures of their projects so they can share them online and provide opportunities where they can interact with the office outside of work like golf outings or parties.

5. Look out for people around your team members' projects. Sometimes people tend to miss something on a project because they are so caught up with their own workload and responsibilities. As a manager, though, you can step in and make adjustments for your team members to avoid any issues with the final product. It is important for you to work with your team members so that they feel like you're there for them when they need help.

6. Take time off from your busy schedule to spend time with your team members and let them get to know the real person behind the busy manager persona. No one will complain about spending time with their boss who always has something going on when that person is genuine and interested in getting to know them as a person instead of just as an employee. This will make a practical difference in how engaged your employees are at work and how they see you as their boss.

7. Take time outside of the office to work with your team members on their projects. As a team leader, it's important for you to observe what your employees are doing and make suggestions or provide guidance where you can see that the project is heading in the wrong direction or there is room for improvement. A great way to do this is through working side by side on their projects, especially if they're hands-on type of skills with things like programming or carpentry.

Conclusion

To sum things up, a busy boss can be a great motivator for some people and a very bad thing for others. If you are one of those people who tend to work better with someone who is willing to show you how to complete tasks and delegate, then being a busy manager may be for you. However, if you prefer a boss who lets you enjoy your work and doesn't always call on you for help all the time, then this might not be the best role for you.

Ultimately, it's important that you set your priorities right when it comes to managing your team.