Good employees are the backbone of any company – but it’s hard to have good employees if you don’t have good managers to guide them. Read on for some tips for being a good manager – for the good of the employees and the company.
Know Your Business
Have you ever worked at a company where someone new was brought in to be a manager – and you got the feeling that they had no idea what was done at that company and how things were run? It can be demotivating to employees when they are working for someone who isn’t even sure what is going on at the business they are managing. Whether you are a company that specializes in Freight Audit, marketplace management, restaurant supplies, or vitamins, it is a fact that those in charge should know everything about how a company is run. Good managers know what employees do all day, not only for employee morale but also so that when a problem arises they know what to do about it.
Keep Communication Lines Open
The best work atmosphere is one where the lines of communication are open; a place where employees know they can go to their manager with problems, concerns, and even ideas for how things can be done better. Bad communication makes for frustrated employees, high employee turnover, and eventually company-wide problems.
Encourage Your Employees
While it’s true some people are just working for the paycheck, there are others who are in it for something more. Maybe they are the type of person who needs to be challenged at their job, maybe they are bored in their current position, or maybe they have ambitions that go beyond what they are doing now. If your employees are showing an interest in doing more, show them that you believe in them – give them a chance to develop new skills, pay for a class that will help them do their job better, or make sure they have opportunities to rise in the company to marketplace management, if that is what they want.
Show Them You Appreciate Them
Bonuses and annual Christmas parties are nice, but there are also little ways throughout the year that you can show your employees that you value them, which can go a long way toward good company morale. Buy everyone lunch once a month, or make sure you bring donuts at least once a week. Install a big screen TV in the breakroom and have a special movie afternoon (complete with popcorn and snacks, of course). Have an ice cream party, buy tickets for the local baseball team and take everyone, or give everyone a goodie bag out of the blue – there are so many ways to thank your employees for all the hard work that they do.
Pay Attention to Your Attitude
It is hard to be an uplifting manager if you come to work every day in a grouchy mood. A negative attitude affects all of your staff, even if you don’t think you are necessarily showing it. You wouldn’t appreciate it if your staff members came to work in a crabby mood every day, and a manager with that attitude can be even worse, because it can end up affecting everyone else. No matter what is going on, at home or at work, remember to always be cheerful and professional.
It isn’t really that hard to be an uplifting manager – ruling by the old motto “treat others as you would like to be treated” is a good place to start. An uplifting manager makes for happy employees, which makes for productive employees and a successful company.
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