What distinguishes executives that are performing is not quality of strategy alone. More often than not, it is their leadership quality that makes the difference. There is no business without human faces, running and implementing ideas, strategies. While strategies are designed at corporate level, some people are responsible to implement or execute it.
Corporate empathy, quality human relations key to business success. Fact is, executives that are succeeding have lowered down corporate wall to be able to relate with subordinates. Some companies are removing the tall barrier, like using the word “sir” in addressing each other. They say it is colonial mentality brought into corporate space and it is hindering communication.
Strangely enough, while many business executives, managers or business owners always strive to stay ahead of the curve, anticipating needs before they arise. Some are still laid back. But the need to continue keeping possible problems at bay, all the time is general. Managing employees-employers relationship is one of the burning issues you can’t shy away from. There goes a big question mark: how are you leading your team or staffers?
Have you heard that where two or more employees are gathered, there are some ‘attitudes’ around there that must be managed effectively to corporate advantage? Every day, employees discuss their managers. It is human nature; as a business manager, you must be awakening to this fact.
Side talks often come when employees are being directed by a bad boss that didn’t know he is bad, really. Some leader prefers to be unfriendly to their subordinates to protect their egos. Such leadership approach is always counterproductive! But employees are no saints too. Business owners, managers must balance the equation from each side.
Consultants at LSintelligence said, “Employees want to be involved. They don’t want to be passive and they want more. They want more of everything as long as it is going to add to them. To them, more work means more pay. They want to be recognised for contributions they make towards achieving business goals. They don’t want managers to write a letter to them in private, they prefer an announcement. It is attention-grabbing, that way”.
Managers don’t have that time all the time. Forgetting that corporate world is embracing democracy in general; and employees are noting changes at working places. Rules are taking but more and more staffers want to discuss issues with their employers as it is affecting them.
Hanging on deadlines and target, as necessary as these are, if not properly manage, would widened relationship between many managers and their subordinates to the disadvantage of the business. Response, timely one is important for companies that will run in the future. The future is now. By design, business owners and corporate managers respond to issues differently.
So, this explains the reason why many managers perform differently in similar condition with similar resources. Even, C-suites executives don’t produce similar results, either. Design and implementation of key management functions differ along strategic focus. Things, issues, strategies, approaches appeal to managers differently.
That’s where understanding of human resources and employees relations becomes critical success factor – the area where managers must get thing right. Managers that lower guards on employees hardly survive in the long run.
You really think you know your staffers? As business owners, top managers; you are lucky if what your members of staff (employees) say when you’re not around is the same thing they say to your face. It is not always so between Managers, business owners and their subordinates.
The fact is employees from all cadre gossip about their corporate leads, positive or negative. It is human nature. But care must be taken to ensure side talks, normally corporate issues are not affecting business performance. No company enjoys margin erosion. But many are comfortably coping with employees’ agitations, rebellion and thinking they are winning the war.
Some chief executive officers often would say, ‘if you are dissatisfied with our packages, the rules of engagement and other variables that define our mutual contract, you may resign’. Many of them always use intimidation to cow their employees into a corner. To them, they can eat their cakes and have it. To them, they are winning a war against employees. No, you are not!
If you are leading your business like this; you are not wining any war. You are killing the company with style. Here is the fact, each dissatisfied employee erode value; reduce your business margin in any way they can. It is better to let go than to keep an enemy in your bed.
“As an entrepreneur, the way you lead your team is crucial. In fact, to a greater extent, it determines the result you would achieve, afterwards. This is where many business owners often make mistake. To them, employment agreement is a closed contract. That’s right, but then employees must be managed to achieve optimum productivity. That is an open contract”, LSintelligence team stated.
Motivation is key. Delegation is important. Your leadership strategy leads the pace. Many business leaders lack corporate empathy. It is easy to see. Their businesses struggle to survive all the time. Rules are rules. They are not in the class of innovative mindset that have discovered that rules are anti creativity. So, there is no creative indulgence at this floor, many managers often opine.
If presented with the same situation, it is more likely to see business owners’ act or react differently to a similar situation. Base on the assumed similar scenario, results achieved could differ greatly. Don’t forget, similar situation, same resource level but different managers actions produce different results!
Treat them as human being first. Understand they have needs. You don’t have to beat yourself about meeting all their needs. Many employees have (always) unending needs, but meet the one you have agreed to be meeting just in time as you have agreed to do.
Delegate! Yes, people differ. Your team may be motivated to do more just by reason of the fact that you always delegate assignment. Don’t get it twisted. Delegation of authority never absolves managers from responsibility. No, it doesn’t but it actually allows managers to meet deadline or do more than initially plan. At the end, a properly executed delegated assignment provides synergy.
Delegation always inspires, especially those classes of employees that are naturally restless, incline to do more. It is not money all the time; there are people that performance defines their happiness. That doesn’t mean that monetary incentives are not key but they have come to understand that value given, is value taken!
Unmotivated employees or team don’t perform. The business then won’t perform as expected. So, it is lose-lose situation. Extreme specialisation could be boring. Some employees are naturally restless. They want to do more, exploit and expect support from their managers. For managers, it is dicey.
There are always rules of engagement. In that case, you don’t have to close the doors to such employees face. It will birth dissention and it won’t look go on business results. Manage the situation with care. Give hope, support. How do you do that? There is no rule. Being listening managers often help situations not to get out of hands. Don’t be autocratic. It is counterproductive to be.
