Communication | Managing Employees

Partnering with Your Peers

Employees watch their managers to see how they problem solve, treat others and work with their peers. Your staff will know immediately if you are having difficulty with other managers. How do you build strong relationships with your peers…other managers.

You can’t control the behaviors of your peers, though you can think of creative ways to respond so that you are respectful to all members involved. One of the most important skills a manager can learn in business as well as personal, is listening. Everyone wants to be heard, even if you don’t agree with them. Conflicts happen when people work together, though how you handle the situation makes all of the difference in maintaining a strong working relationship. Take the time to see both sides of the issue, be clear around how you see the situation and share that information in a respective manager, and come to the table looking for a mutual solution.

Office Environment and Your Team

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Unless you are the owner of the company, you may have limited say into the layout of the office. In order to maximize space, companies have open spaces or cubicles as the design of the office. Each employee will handle this workspace differently and to effectively help them, be aware that some members of your team find this more difficult to work in.

In open space offices, even with sound buffering on the walls, this can create high noise levels. You want employees to collaborate and talk to each other, but this can also be distracting. So how do you maximize the performance of each of your team members in an open space work environment?

What If You Don’t Like An Employee

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When you are managing employees, you quickly recognize that people come with different skills, abilities and personalities. It would be great if you had only high performers, who easily followed everything you set out to do and with a wonderful warm personality. People come to work with their personalities and that is one of the hardest aspects in managing people.

How do you work with an individual, who is performing, and you find annoying? If an employee isn’t performing, then you have a different issue. For this post, we are addressing performers who you just don’t like.

Managing Employees Salary Expectations

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It’s an unusual employee that is happy with the salary they are earning. Most employees look for more, just as companies look for more revenue. How do you handle the employee’s expectations around salary and still manage the finances of the company?

Expectations are based on communication. If employees expect a raise once a year, and if this year cash is tighter than usual, communicate before the normal review period so employees know what to expect.

Employees talk to each other about salaries, even if you have a confidentiality policy, so you need to be prepared for any disparity in salary for individuals doing similar roles.

Are You a Virtual Manager?

By pat, No Comments

More and more startups are virtual workplaces since technology provides the necessary tools to allow this. If you are a virtual manager, then you understand what your employees feel and how important communication becomes. Use technology to humanize the experience you have with each of your team members.

Kristi Hedges wrote on Forbes.com “Five Things Every Virtual Manager Should Do” and this short bulleted post helps you to focus on what is important:

We now have a good decade of studies showing what works well in virtual management, and what falls short. The toughest challenges are always communications and trust, so if you want your virtual team to hum, here are some best practices to keep in mind.

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