Do you consider yourself an open-door manager? Do you make yourself available for your employees or do you just offer lip service? Are your employees comfortable coming to you with questions and concerns?
When employees approach you with a question or for help, you’re bound to encounter some sticky situations. How you respond to employees in those first moments says a lot. Say the wrong thing and instead of building confidence, you can leave a person feeling shattered and frustrated.
So how do you respond to your employees when they come to you? Here are five things employees want to hear most when they come to you or their managers for help.
1. “Remember It’s Not The End Of The World.”
If an employee screwed up, you need to address it. But acting like the mistake will cause the world to come to an end just makes everything worse. Obviously you need to do the right thing and be firm, but rationally explaining that most broken things can be fixed goes a long way.
When an employee makes a mistake, keep things in perspective. The employee is already mentally packing up in fear of being demoted or even fired. Employees need to hear they have a chance to make things right. Tell them what they did wrong and the possible consequences. Then give them the opportunity to correct the problem: “What would you suggest we do to fix this?”
Offer to help, but make it clear that the employee should be the one to fix it if possible. This way, you’ve both diffused the situation and encouraged your employee to take charge.
2. “Don’t Panic! We Can Make This Work.”
When your business is going through difficult times, no one’s talking, but you know they are all thinking the same thing: ‘Where’s this leave us?‘ In the event of unpleasant news such as layoffs, transfers or a shift in goals, everyone gets a little antsy. Employees are wondering where they fit into the new plans.
Putting a calm face on in times of unknown change is something employees appreciate. After all, if you’re panicking, what should they be doing?
So keep calm and tell your employees what you know. Be honest about what you DON’T know as well. Speculating only spreads unfounded rumors. Explain that things should continue as business-as-usual and that you’ll keep them up to speed on things that happen at the higher levels that could affect them.
3. “I know You’re Frustrated But I’ll See What I Can Do.”
Employees often become frustrated about problems their managers can’t fix. Issues like needing more staff, restrictive workplace policies and what employees feel are “unreasonable” demands can leave even good managers feeling useless if those issues are outside their jurisdiction.
Saying, “There’s nothing I can do about it” (even if this is true), makes you look ineffective, and worse, makes your employees feel frustrated.
So hear them out. Let them describe exactly what they’re concerned about. Then, if necessary, take it up the ladder to HR, your boss or another manager to see if a solution or compromise can be reached. If the rule or policy really can’t be changed, then deliver the bad news diplomatically as soon as posible. At the least it shows your team that you have their best interests at heart.
4. “You’ve Got What It Takes To Solve This Problem Yourself.”
Employees need to be told that once in a while they are empowered and can take up issues on their own. Tackling a challenge head-on is a very effective motivational tool.
Instead of just solving employee problems, help the person step up and take the lead. Suggest they write out exactly why and what they believe needs to be done for the problem to be solved. Letting your team tackle a situation in which they have a vested interest allows them to grow and allows you to be less of a micromanager. Challenge your employees particularly if they are complaining, to describe the problem andcome up with an approach that will solve it.
5. “You Deserve A Lot Of Credit.”
Admit it – it feels great when the boss says they are impressed with the results you’ve been turning in lately. A “job well done!” pat on the back makes you feel good.
The problem is, you or members of your team could be stewing because they didn’t get any credit from others. Managers who pass the praise onto their employees earn more respect. Plus, you know your employees deserve a lot of the credit as most leaders couldn’t succeed without them.
So share it with them. Recognize them – preferably out loud – in staff meetings, in the café over lunch, and more importantly do it as often as you can.
I hope this has been helpful. Try it, share it and begin putting yourself in your employee’s shoes. One of the strategies to keep you from experiencing high employee turnover and a constant hiring state is to create a better working environment in your business. The results will be “MAGICAL”!
Need help? Contact John to schedule a FREE Strategy Session Call by emailing him at info@johnformica.com.