Balancing Expectations and Support With Employees
Managing employees is not an easy task. Yet, when a manager is clear around their expectations and also respects each individual and their contributions, individual and team performance is elevated to a higher level.
Balancing performance expectations with listening and supporting your employees is the challenge for a manager. Performance is the overall goal and employees need to be aware of what is expected of them. Yet employees are people and each of them have different learning styles, ways they process their work, as well as personal issues that impact their performance. Knowing your employees is the support aspect of your role.
“Managing People: Lend Your Employees an Ear” by Norm Trainor on AdvisorAnalyst.com site.
The essential concept is that strong managers are both confrontational and relational, and are able to create high-performing employees by balancing the two.
Think about that quote above and reflect on your comfort zone is being either confrontational or relational with your employees. Some managers choose one side and this creates more stress for them because their management style is off balanced and impacts performance.
I always recommend to managers as soon as you see a problem with an employee…address it. You don’t have to be forceful in demanding the employee perform, rather see it as a research effort to understand what is hindering this employee from performing at their best.
Discussing the issue (confrontational) and listening (relational) to their responses come together for a more balanced approach to managing employees. You have what you need to work with the employee for a stronger performance… then it’s up to the employee to move forward.
Be well,
Pat
