The attitudes and behaviors of your supervisors play a critical role in your company’s success. When your managers are putting forth their best effort, the more likely it is that you will, in turn, get the best performances out of the rest of your employees. Here are three ways to supercharge your supervisors:
- Transform them into teachers. Today’s supervisors must be more than team leaders — they also must be teachers. Attentive managers look for situations that will help subordinates learn how to work smarter and more efficiently.
Typically, learning occurs most readily when rewards are applied as close to the intended behavior’s occurrence as possible. Thus, train managers to look for moments when employees are being successful and to immediately recognize those efforts. Managers should praise them in the presence of others and regularly. Low-cost rewards such as the occasional free lunch or gift card also can be highly motivational.
- Turbo-boost their reaction times. Be sure supervisors address problems immediately. The operative word there is ‘address,’ and its meaning may vary depending on the nature of the trouble.
For minor difficulties, just leaving a friendly voice mail or carefully worded email may do the trick. However, for more serious conflicts or dilemmas, a thorough investigation is important, followed by face-to-face meetings documented in writing. In either case, it is imperative not to let problems fester.
- Turn off their micromanagement switch. While supervisors need to keep an eye out for good and bad behavior, they should not micromanage. Those who perch atop employees’ shoulders, checking every detail of their work, are as bad for a business as rude customer service or defective products.
Why? Because the more supervisors micromanage, the more they communicate the wrong message — that they do not believe employees can get the job done. Micromanaging not only lowers morale, but also hinders efficiency, as the manager is basically spending valuable time doing the employee’s job rather than their own.
In the day-to-day grind of business operations, supervisors can understandably get worn down. If yours need a lift, consider reinforcing the points above in training sessions or during performance evaluations. For further information and other ideas, contact us.