Question:
I have recently been promoted to a managerial role. I am now leading a team of 6 customer service executives. How can I ensure a healthy working relationship with my subordinates?
Answer:
Congratulations on your new role. Maintaining a healthy manager- employee relationship at the workplace was indeed deemed to be essential by 72% of MENA professionals in a recent Bayt.com Poll Series, whether to boost employee motivation (and thus productivity then corporate profitability), or to promote a serene work environment. What can you then do to lead by example and make sure you build and preserve a solid and transparent relationship with your employees? \\\\
Focus on the employee role rather than the employee himself:
Being task oriented is key here - base your judgment- first and foremost- on job tasks that are to be accomplished. Whether an employee shows an obvious fondness of you or not should not at any stage affect your judgment of their job performance- rather focus on their consistency, commitment and accomplishments.
Be clear about your expectations:
You obviously have displayed the necessary skills, expertise and knowledge to take on this managerial role. Thus, aim to know all there is to know about the department and its cornerstones (aka employees), precious accomplishments and present position. Only then, would you be able to define where it is that you want your department to be and the most suitable strategies to get your team there. Once your plan is set, it is of crucial importance to communicate it clearly to team members, answer all their questions and most importantly make them feel as an integral part of your corporate plan.
Show Trust:
Encourage initiative and participation- a healthy employee- manager relationship leaves room for contribution, creativity and leverages an employee’s self confidence and passion to grow. Listen to what your staff has to say, take their opinions into consideration, allow them to try (and fail if they need to) before they score big. Macro- manage them if the nature of their job allows you to and empower them just enough to take decisions that are directly related to their job responsibilities.
Praise:
If goes without saying that praising a job well done is of utmost importance whether an employee is working individually or as part of a team. A manager who is looked up to is a manager who appreciates well invested efforts and who praises them as/ when needed. Keep in mind at the end of the day that, like any other relationship, a healthy manager – employee relationship is based on give and take and fundamentally built on mutual appreciation and respect.
