Truly, Would You Want to Work for You? by Jacob The Intern
It is no secret that the key to running a successful business is to maximize the utility of the workforce. A manager can have planned everything perfectly, have an excellent and innovative idea and hired a talented staff to assist in carrying out all the ideas and plans the manager has put together. But unless that staff is motivated, dedicated and excited to get to work, all the careful thinking and planning will have been for nothing. So, how does someone who manages others at work ensure that the staff will work efficiently and carefully all the while whistling while they work?
In answering that question it is important that the leader of the company looks inward at his or her own leadership style before blaming the workforce for being lazy, poorly trained or careless. As a manager, it is often easy to dream big and to have fantasies of greatness. The vision of the manager can cause him or her to alter their normal personality in a variety of ways.
The first thing a manager should consider is if he or she is being too demanding. A manager who asks for an unrealistic amount of work to be accomplished by the staff is bad news for the long-term health of the company. Employees will become overwhelmed with requests and will feel helpless beneath the heaps of tasks that have been thrown at them. While there are certainly times of great importance when productivity needs to be ramped up, very intense working conditions will eventually begin to wear on individuals and will cause a decrease in production, due to fatigue and feeling like the task is impossible to complete. This is especially compounded when training is absent.
If you are someone who manages people, try to think about how you delegate work. Do you have realistic expectations? Honestly, would you want to work for you?
Another important aspect of a manager’s leadership style is approachability. There will always be problems that arise at any job. There may be employees who fail to get along with each other, or feel like they need extra training or assistance on a project, or even experiencing personal problems at home. A manager needs to present themselves as being open and genuine. If an employee is experiencing work related stress but does not have a proper outlet for it, problems will arise in the person’s work. On the contrary,if an employee sees their manager as being a helpful and trustworthy person, they will be able to address and resolve their issues and allow them to function at full capacity on the job. Relationship management is the key to building an engaged employee. Machiavelli would have been a nightmare of a supervisor.
If you are someone who manages people, try to think about how you present yourself. Are you brief, cold, or uninterested in your staff? Would you want to work for you?
A final thing to consider about your own leadership style is the way you show your confidence in your staff. People will rise to the challenge when presented with an opportunity and have some confidence instilled upon them. An employee will always be flattered when their boss shows great faith in their abilities. It will inspire them to challenge themselves and rise to the occasion. If a manager does not outwardly express confidence in an employee, the employee may not feel capable of completing the tasks of work at the highest level.To delegate establishes trust and often employees will go above and beyond to not let the trust placed in them fall to the wayside.
If you are someone who manages people, try to think about how you make employees feel about themselves. Do you let them know that you believe in them? Aim to always ask yourself, would you want to work for you?
