Nowadays outstanding and memorable managers do more than just attend meetings and fill out performance reviews, they teach their team how to be better workers and incredible human beings. Actually, people never forget a manager who fights for them. I'm not breaking any news, but everybody has a boss—including you. The key to being an effective manager who fights for your team is successfully navigating hierarchies and layers of politics. Being the manager who fights for their team, or the best boss your team has ever had calls on you as manager to abide by the following ways and these are:
1. Manage up
Managing up is about doing everything you can to ensure your boss is successful so your team can flourish likewise:
First, you need to know where the company is headed and the critical objectives for your leader to frame your departmental accomplishments and requests in the proper light.
Then, whenever you meet with your manager, use your time strategically by offering a brief status update on the priorities that matter most to them.
Then, if you are hitting new obstacles or roadblocks or need resources, use the language of empowerment.
Finally, walk a mile in your manager's shoes for:
o Your boss might be a terrific mentor and coach, and they might be human.
o It’s not uncommon for leaders to feel overwhelmed with family, caregiving demands, and healthcare issues—just like you.
If your team is facing a challenge try these:
I'd like to talk to you about it, and it's important. I have some ideas on addressing it, but I'd like your insights. Is this the right time to chat, or should we schedule another meeting?”
Give your boss an option to hear you out or find another time on your calendar that works for both of you.
Get crystal clear on your manager's objectives.
Be strategic in your communication and see your leader for who they are—a boss like you who might be looking for a bit of slack.
3. Prioritize the well-being of team members
Discussions on Individual well-being should be a part of every one-on-one with your employees for:
The Great Reshuffle has caused global discussions on mental health, work-life balance, and childcare.
You don't have to hold a therapy session, but you should regularly ask, “How are you doing?”
You can also proactively ask yourself, “If I were a team member, how would I be doing right now?”
Then act on your insights.
4. Get Assistance
And as a manager, if you ever struggle with your well-being or work-life balance issues, you should:
Partner with HR and get in front of these issues if anything is off on your team.
You can also recommend the employee assistance program to members of your team who may be struggling.
Also known as the EAP or a confidential worker helpline, these programs are designed for people to resolve problems that may affect their performance.
Call the EAP yourself, test it out, use the benefit, and talk about your experience for that's the only way to remove the stigma, and it shows your team that you care about and prioritize their mental health.
5. Work It Wisely
Also, you don't need a million-dollar budget to be a manager who fights for your team for:
You can tap into local resources and invite social workers, leaders of nonprofits, academics, and even researchers to speak to your workforce on the most pressing wellbeing issues of the day.
Create a monthly, biweekly, or even weekly moment of enrichment, where you learn valuable solutions to the typical well-being challenges.
Not every organization gets well-being right, but every manager has an opportunity to come to work each day and improve the lives of their team members.
Be someone on the right side of history. Seize the opportunity and fight for your team's well-being starting today.
6. Show recognition and gratitude every single day.
Recognition, appreciation, and gratitude are the most effective ways to keep your team happy, engaged, and connected to your company's mission for:
Mike Robbins is an author, speaker, and consultant who defines recognition as the act of giving positive feedback for work-related accomplishments.
Appreciation is about acknowledging your employee's inherent value for being funny, compassionate, punctual, or whoever they are as human beings.
And gratitude is all about saying thank you and being specific about why your staff's contributions truly matter.
When you recognize and appreciate your team and thank them for their hard work, you do more than just fight for your team. You create a meaningful culture with a competitive advantage.
7. Show recognition and gratitude Survey Guided
Don't believe it can be as easy as that? For:
A recent survey by a company called Workhuman showed that nearly two-thirds of employees believed that giving or receiving a thank you during the pandemic motivated them to work harder.
And because everyone is always going through something, it might be helpful for you to know that recognition, appreciation, and gratitude can positively impact turnover.
Across industries, such as technology, pharmaceuticals, and manufacturing, Workhuman reports that receiving over five recognition moments in a year, something as simple as a thank you, reduces turnover from 15% to 7%.
So, here's my advice: thank yous are never wasted, never.
8. Decide How and When
So, how and when do you recognize, appreciate, and thank your team? It is likewise:
As a manager, you get to decide what's part of a formal recognition program and what's just good manners. And recognition should be timely so that your team can connect the moments of gratitude with their recent accomplishments.
And you can say thank you in various ways. Of course, cash is one quick way to show appreciation, but you can go on the internet and search for no and low-cost, easy-to- implement ideas for thanking employees.
Some managers worry about creating a culture where everybody gets a trophy. Those leaders are mistaken.
Recognition, appreciation, and gratitude aren’t just the basics of an engaging culture at work. They are the framework for teaching workers how to live better lives.
9. Remember your roots
Being a manager is one of those jobs where everybody thinks they can do it, but very few have the right mix of character, skills, and guts to do it well. But you do likewise:
The challenge is to remember your roots likewise:
o Who showed up for you?
o Who gave you slack when you made mistakes?
o Who taught you the power of investing in learning and development?
o Then, be the manager you wanted, needed, or even had early in your career.
I’m not saying that any of this is easy, but you're not here for the easy work.
You're here to help make a difference in the lives of your staff.
So go out there and fight for your team, become a memorable influence that sticks withthem and serves as a positive, instructive example of who a terrific manager and aperson can be.
10. As Highlighted in Courses
For more on how to be the best boss your team has ever had, watch full courses for:
Let's create a culture where employees have higher engagement rates and stick around longer because they’re happy and challenged.
Let's shield people from politics and conflict.
Let's help your team demonstrate consistent gratitude, take more thoughtful risks, and feel more substantial levels of satisfaction once and for all.
Let's also read on some ideas like the aforementioned to help you become the memorable leader you’re meant to be.
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