Great managers can improve employee morale, become a resource for employees, and serve as role models for everyone within the company. Great bosses create great employees, and employees who feel they are being managed well are more engaged, productive, and happier. Unfortunately, the opposite is also true, and employees who don’t feel encouraged by their bosses are typically less productive and unhappy. This article will discuss what great managers do differently to boost employee morale and improve productivity.
Make Smart Hires
Great managers are good at making decisions, especially when it comes to hiring employees. Successful management surrounds itself with the best employees to help support their duties and make their department a success. Managers who make smart hires can trust their employees and not feel the need to micromanage them.
Get to Know People
While being a boss does mean there are some discussions you can’t have with your employees, it doesn’t mean you should not get to know your employees. Great managers understand that managing people and learning about their strengths can help the entire department succeed.
Managers should get to know their employees one-on-one so they can determine the best management style for each employee. While this may sound time-consuming, it can save managers time because it means they won’t have to worry about what their employees are doing down the road.
Lead by Example
Great managers lead by example in many ways. Not only do they show up for work on time, but they never demean or bully anyone within the company, including employees and other executives. They are careful to follow the policies outlined in the handbook and set a positive tone for the entire office.
Remain in Communication
It’s easy for managers to shut their doors and completely block out employees, but what do you do when an employee needs help? By keeping the lines of communication open, great managers become more accessible, and employees feel more willing to talk to them and ask questions, which can help improve efficiency.
Great managers also remain in communication with employees so they can deal with small problems before they become larger issues. For example, if an employee is being bullied, a great manager will stop the behavior before it escalates and the employee no longer feels safe at the office.
Do Grunt Work
While nobody expects management to do the same work as their employees, sometimes it’s beneficial for everyone if a manager helps their employees out by doing the same type of work. For example, if a warehouse manager sees their employees struggling to keep up with the workload, they will put aside a few minutes to help them get caught up before they continue with their day.
Managers who are willing to help their employees out can make the business more productive while continuing to boost morale. Nobody wants to feel like their manager believes they are better than them just because of a title; instead, they want to feel like they have a manager who can help them when times get tough.
Give Credit
When employees do something well, great managers give them credit to make sure they feel valued. If nobody notices when an employee continuously goes above and beyond their duties, stays late to finish work, or becomes the leader of a team, then there’s no incentive to continue doing any of that. Great managers take the time to recognize employees for hard work.
Additionally, great managers never take credit for the work of their employees. If an employee does well on a project, the manager should let the rest of the company know it was the employee who did the great work.
Stay Accountable
Everyone makes mistakes, but it’s important for managers to own their mistakes and remain accountable. For example, if it’s a manager’s responsibility to send an invoice to a client and they forget, they shouldn’t blame it on anyone but themselves. Perhaps the manager was busy helping out their employees, or perhaps the employee responsible for putting that invoice on the calendar forgot. Whatever the case, sending the invoice was the responsibility of the manager, and they should take responsibility for their mistake.
Pay Attention to Needs
While great communication skills are necessary to become a great manager, it’s also important that managers pay attention to what their employees aren’t saying. Great managers who have taken an interest in their employees can tell when something is wrong. For example, a great manager would notice certain body language that can indicate an employee is uncomfortable sitting at their desk. The manager would then ask the employee if there was anything wrong, opening the door for the employee to explain what’s going on.
In this case, if the employee is in pain because sitting is bad for their back, a great manager would put in a request to purchase the employee a standing desk converter so employees can stand when they’re feeling uncomfortable sitting.
Stand By Their Employees
Great managers always stand by their employees, even when their employees make mistakes. If an employee accidentally did something wrong, great managers never complain about them to other managers or executives; instead, they have an honest and sincere conversation with the employee and try to come up with a solution together.
Additionally, a great manager never throws employees under the bus in front of clients, managers, or business owners.
Help Employees Succeed
Bad managers don’t want to see their employees succeed; they’d rather see them remain in the same position for years so they can continue to have control over them. On the other hand, great managers enjoy seeing their employees succeed and rise among the ranks of the company. These managers will give their employees every opportunity to succeed and showcase their skills so they can get promoted in the future.
Great Managers Benefit Businesses
Great managers ensure employees are happy and healthy, which is why they’re an integral part of enforcing your company culture and ethical policies. When employees have great managers, they feel more empowered to do their jobs and can even surprise you with their dedication to the business.
Author Bio
Matt Casadona
Matt Casadona has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, with a concentration in Marketing and a minor in Psychology. Matt is passionate about marketing and business strategy and enjoys San Diego life, traveling, and music.
