Whether or not you hold a formal meeting or a weekly conference with your employees, you should still talk to them…
Being a good boss isn't easy and even the best people sometimes struggle to find enough time for everything. Even so, managers should still maintain regular weekly, monthly and quarterly conversations with employees. Why? One of the easiest ways to improve your relationship with your direct reports and improve overall team morale is through communication.
Every week
Whether or not you have a formal meeting or a weekday brainstorming session with your employees, it's still a good idea to talk to them.
Inquire, care about employees' lives
This should have been done every day, but due to the actual situation and busy schedules, it's a good idea to check in with each other at least once a week. And this is not really a "asking yes" but "really interested in their answer". This means reading what lies beneath the surface of an answer and asking a follow-up question if it senses something important is happening to the other person. This is also a way to help you know what is going on in their lives that may or may not affect their work.
How can I help you?
Good bosses know how to delegate and know when to step aside, but that doesn't mean letting employees "fight in the dust." The boss's lack of presence can be interpreted as "I don't care" or "I don't have time for your problems".
Monthly At least once a month, you should cover the important topics below to ensure that your employees are on track.
“This is what I want you to prioritize…”
Changing strategies, transformational goals… will make it difficult for employees to know what they should focus their energy on. When this happens, the manager should not only explain the reason, but also explain the impact on the individual and whether they need to reorganize their work schedule or realign priorities at work. or not.
“This is where I want to see growth over the next month…”
Regular feedback is essential for employees to continue to grow and produce good results. If you can do this weekly or even daily that's great, but it's perfectly fine if once a month you take the time to talk about ongoing problems or mistakes. are suffering. Also, do not forget to set clear metrics and deadlines to help improve the situation and get specific results.
What can I do to help you achieve your goal?
Good managers know that they can be their employees' biggest advocates but also their biggest hindrances. By asking the above question, you can be sure that you won't accidentally "get in the way" of your subordinates.
Quarterly
These questions relate to the employee's career path. If you cover these topics quarterly, you'll be more likely to retain good people and build a stronger, happier team.
Question about long-term goals
The boss should know about the subordinate's goals for the next three months, six months, a year from now. You might be surprised to learn that they want to take on the projects you're working on. Or you might discover a passion of theirs that you never knew existed. Or you will find that their work performance is not as expected because they have to do things they don't love. By understanding all of this, you will be able to see and harness the power of your employees and motivate them to produce the best results.
What skills do employees need to learn or need to continue to develop?
Similar to the above, this question will help you get an idea of what kind of training your employees need and what “exercises” they need to improve their skill sets.
In fact, there's no hard and fast rule about how long you have to hold these conversations. Perhaps you want feedback more often, or you think it's important to talk about your long-term goals every month. It's important that you actually conduct these conversations. That way, your management job will be easier and your team will be more successful.
The source Business Forum
