1. Improve communication
Poor or lack of communication between a manager and their employees is a real cause for concern. Employees that feel comfortable talking to their manager about problems that arise are far more likely to resolve issues quickly. Similarly, if managers feel that they have a more stable line of communication with employees, they can keep better tabs on productivity and ensure that the workday is running smoothly.
With the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, more and more people are working from home which makes communication more difficult than usual. Where you might normally have a chat with your employees multiple times throughout the day, you now have to schedule zoom calls or communicate via message or email. This can put a strain on good communication. We advise setting regular periods of time for communication between you and your employees. Whether that's a weekly meeting or a daily catchup, better communication will yield better results all round!
2. Be a motivator
No matter what industry you work in, your employees will have days where they come to work and they'd just rather be at home. On those days, you really need to step up to the plate and be a source of motivation and inspiration for your employees. If they see you working hard and setting achievable goals, then this is a great way to keep everyone on board.
If you've noticed that some of your employees have become de-motivated recently, schedule a 1-on-1 chat with them and see if you can get to the bottom of the problem. Perhaps they're struggling to adjust to the new remote way of working, perhaps they're having disagreements at home, it could even be something as simple as being stuck on a task and unsure what to do. If you can support them and help them through their struggles then they'll be much more motivated to work hard.
A great way to keep employees motivated is to set up incentives. This could be anything from awarding an employee of the month to a gift voucher. Giving your employees something to work for will make the mundane, day-to-day tasks more bearable. They'll want to work hard to impress you and win a little something for themselves too.
3. Acknowledge people's success
There's nothing worse than achieving something great at work and not being recognised for it. Employees work long hours to help the company progress, so if they secure a new client or complete an outstanding project be sure to recognise it.
Something as simple as an email acknowledging an excellent piece of work can put a smile on your employee's faces and will let them know that you see the hard work they're doing. Again, with lots of people remote working, employees can quickly feel detached from the team and will worry that their hard work is going unnoticed. Taking a few extra minutes out of your day to acknowledge the hard work being done can really motivate your workers and boost morale.
4. Listen to your employees carefully
If an employee comes to you with a concern or an idea, it's important that you give them your full attention. This links back to the good communication we spoke about earlier! When employees don't feel heard they'll often end up talking to each other about the missed opportunities and problems within the business.
You could have a situation on your hands where a lot of your employees are unhappy with the way things are being done but don't feel like they'll be listened to if they bring it up. No matter how busy you are, a good manager will always make time to listen to the ideas and queries raised by their employees.
More tips to help you become a better manager in 2022:
- Work on your leadership skills
- Get to know your employees
- Go easy on new starters
- Keep challenging long-standing members of staff
- Provide clear routes of progression
- Nip bad behaviours in the bud quickly
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