Connotation: Manager
Most people think of “manager” as a cold and removed concept. They imagine a boss isolated from his/her employees and unreachable for personal matters. What if you changed that? What if you managed in a personal way?
An effective and gracious manager turns a name ona file to a face with a name.
Managing with Effectiveness & Grace
Now, no one is suggesting that you lower your standards or start wearing flip flops to work. Rather, the idea is that you manage with care instead of calculation. This new model would mostly be noticed as you dealt with problem employees. From tardiness to sloppiness, each employee usually has a weaker area that must be addressed in some way. Now, it’s important not to micromanage them every step of the way. Not only do most workers resent Big Brother staring over the shoulder, they also appreciate the freedom that comes with autonomy. So, how do you balance standards and gracious care? Take a look at the 10 tips below. Far from exhaustive, these tips are designed to help you manage tactfully and graciously.
10 Tips for Effective & Gracious Management
- Remind yourself that not every issue needs dealing with. If you have a preference that is an unnecessary (or even unreasonable) request, take that one for the team. Your employees shouldn’t have to cater to your specifics all the time.
- Prioritize problem areas. Problems that cost the company money or wreak havoc on company morale should be at the top of your list.
- Be reasonable in your expectations. Is it possible that you have not clearly communicated what you need or want? Take time to clearly and concisely reiterate your objectives and goals.
- When appropriate, meet one-on-one with your employees for progress reports. Try to give positive feedback, too, so that they don’t dread coming to your office. If it’s unrealistic to meet with them all, delegate this task to your own subordinates and make sure you meet with them (the subordinates) yourself. This is a good time to set personal goals- real, achievable, specific goals, such as monthly sales (versus corney or cheesy ones, such as “Be my best.”)
- Hold yourself to the same standards you ask of your employees. If you expect timeliness, be punctual. If you require a dress code, honor it yourself. No one wants to work for a hypocrite, even if you have good reason to be one.
- People love praise, so any genuine encouragement you can give would be welcome any day, any time.
- Deal with conflict in person. This is a tough one- it’s easier for you to email about a problem, but remember that email does not convey your tone of voice and is read as a whole without any breaks for interaction. Additionally, emails can be printed and distributed out of context. By talking about an issue face to face, you can set the tone and have a two-way conversation that is more likely to result in a solution, rather than a further conflict.
- Consider office dynamics- who gets along and who doesn’t? Personality clashes are part of working together, so don’t stress over minor annoyances. On the other hand, you may want to rearrange who sits where.
- Many businesses implement sound masking to cover office noise. Akin to white noise, sound masking offers a noise solution for better productivity and fewer overheard conversations. It could be that this low-level noise option cancels out personal conflicts or stress, too.
- Be yourself. If your goal is to be more effective and gracious, nothing says that more than being genuine.