This article relates to the Manager/Supervisor competency, commonly evaluated in employee satisfaction surveys. This competency evaluates an employee's feelings regarding their direct manager or supervisor. The manager/supervisor competency covers topics like clarity of goals, manager support, coaching and feedback, and regular reviews of performance. The old adage that "people leave their managers, not organizations" is often true. Of all the workplace stressors, a bad immediate manager is one of the worst and will directly impact the emotional health, productivity, and retention of an employee. This competency can be especially insightful if your organization is losing quality employees while your compensation and benefit packages are equivalent with industry standards.
This article, A New Manager's Tale, was part of EngagedMetrics' compilation, Tales from the Corporate Frontlines. It tells the story of a new manager's search for wise advice that will lead him to a successful career with a new company.
Anonymous Submission
As a recent college graduate, I'd just landed my first management position and was eager to begin. My start date was a few weeks away, and I decided to read up on the management techniques and principles I learned in college. I wanted to be successful with my new company, but more than that, I wanted to be successful and popular with the people I would supervise.
As I sat in my local bookstore coffee shop one afternoon, poring over books and magazine articles, an old friend wandered by. Joe and I had worked together at one of my college jobs for two summers, and when he saw me, he stopped by to chat for a few minutes. He saw what I was reading and asked if he could offer a few hints from his own experience.
A middle-aged worker, Joe was an employee with a great work ethic and sense of company loyalty. He also had experience working for many different managers over the years. I trusted him and wanted his input. "Go ahead," I said, and settled back with my coffee to listen.
" First of all, Joe began, when you give instructions, be as clear as you can. Don't expect your people to read your mind. Let them know what you need, how and when you need it - with regard to workload. Don't make them guess, they hate it and it wastes time and results in unnecessary extra work and inferior quality."
"Secondly, if you have a problem with someone's performance or conduct - take it to the back room. Discuss it, one on one, in private and come to an agreement. I've seen managers berate their employees publicly and come to regret it. In fact, I once saw that practice clear out an entire department - person by person."
"Perhaps most importantly, don't hold back on praising your workers for a job well done. It doesn't cost anything and lets them know that their hard work is appreciated."
"You are their boss, and they want to please you. It's the reason they come to work - other than a paycheck. The company I'm with now actually rewarded managers who scored highly on giving praise and recognition on their recent employee satisfaction survey. Many of them received hefty bonuses."
Joe stopped to sip his coffee. "Is that it?" I asked. "No, he smiled, but those three ought to give you a great start. Good luck, I know you'll do just fine".
I said goodbye to my friend, and a week later started my new job. I've tried to follow his advice and be clear, tactful, and forthcoming with positive recognition. So far---so good!
© 2005 EngagedMetrics, Inc. - All Rights Reserved
This article may be reprinted, provided it is published in its entirety, includes the author bio information, and all links remain active.
Measure. Report. Improve your organization with EngagedMetrics Employee Survey System.
Josh Greenberg is President of EngagedMetrics, Inc.
EngagedMetrics provides organizations of all sizes a powerful web based method for measuring employee satisfaction, determining employee engagement, and increasing employee retention.
Launch your EngagedMetrics Employee Survey System with EngagedMetrics.
![]() |
|
![]() |
|
![]() |
|
![]() |
Does being managed by others smack more of "Survivor" than... Read More
Now we turn the corner to our final phase: Re-Discovery.Last... Read More
Picking people for a job is like going... Read More
This article relates to the Manager/Supervisor competency, commonly evaluated in... Read More
A few weeks ago, a couple of colleagues and I... Read More
To develop and deliver a great Leadership Talk, you must... Read More
One of the greatest time wasters of all are unnecessary... Read More
This week I was asked to speak at an internal... Read More
Second thought! Just in case. YOU or someone you personally... Read More
Not long ago, weeding through DBA applicants with a tech... Read More
If one does not understand a person, one tends to... Read More
When people or groups make a decision to purchase something,... Read More
Make Sure You Understand Your Motivation for SellingAre you thinking... Read More
Soon after I finished a brief seminar on how to... Read More
In order to survive, you have to be happier than... Read More
On communication: One of the biggest strains on the communication... Read More
Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More
Marketing ISO 9001 2000.Lately we've been seeing a lot of... Read More
INTERNAL PUBLIC RELATIONS: Never overlook an opportunity to do internal... Read More
It seemed like a good decision at the time. A... Read More
Despite the fact that everyone sighs "How glamorous!", the life... Read More
One amazing, but sadly true, fact of today's advances in... Read More
To get the best results you have to be very... Read More
It was 7:30 on a Saturday morning, and I was... Read More
It's that time again! Perhaps the most dreaded management practice... Read More
Have you ever heard yourself say to a team member... Read More
Every meeting is a laboratory where you can observe and... Read More
You probably know this already, but there are generally held... Read More
A series of articles exploring the seven critical areas that... Read More
If you are a business owner or a business owner... Read More
Q: I am an executive at a large company and... Read More
About a year ago, I had an opportunity to have... Read More
Human communication is always three-dimensional. No spoken or written message... Read More
Time To Market (TTM) is a vital concept that every... Read More
Last week I was confused and frustrated about a few... Read More
Excess capacity in an automobile plant at Ford, Chrysler, Toyota,... Read More
Solving a big problem is a project: you're far more... Read More
This article relates to the Work/Life Balance competency, which investigates... Read More
Managers make three mistakes when they try to run businesses.... Read More
Are your management practices on the right track? Retaining your... Read More
In my organisational career, I had budgets from the age... Read More
Did you know that maintenance accounts for 50% to 80%... Read More
I'm sure you've experienced those typical "headache" meetings! You know... Read More
Do you remember being told to use the "sandwich" technique... Read More
For good reason, practically every endeavor in life is rated.... Read More
One of the most common complaints that business owners have... Read More
One of the most difficult tasks you will face as... Read More
Goals are critically important for the success of a meeting.... Read More
"Become the Squeaky Wheel", a new book just published, explains... Read More
It really is about motivation. After all, what impels someone... Read More
Plan/prepare - lack of purpose causes aimless meetings. Know why... Read More
Safeguard Your Company Against Harrassment ClaimsTwenty-five percent of employees suffer... Read More
Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More
The Comfort Zone I... Read More
This facilitator's guide to running a stakeholder analysis workshop is... Read More
Why do some new managers succeed while others fail? It... Read More
Color is a big factor effecting all indoor... Read More
Shaky FoundationsWhilst over 60% of businesses will be looking to... Read More
Because of my work as a consultant, trainer and coach... Read More
There is no sure fire route to commercial success, but... Read More
For centuries companies have used on-the-job training (OJT). OJT works... Read More
Good hires do not happen by accident or luck. In... Read More
Based on a wild guess by a close associate of... Read More
160 years ago, the newly invented electric telegraph carried the... Read More
"? [get] the right people on the bus, the right... Read More
Change is exhilarating. Change is terrifying. Change is badly needed... Read More
Business Management |