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| Yes | 65% | 663 votes | Total: 1021 votes | |
| No | 35% | 358 votes |
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Add to FavoritesDefinitely yes, unless you are a commander waging a war. It is true that a manager's job is to make sure business is run smoothly. That doesn't mean rivalry needs to be instigated within the teams. Business can be run and in fact run the most effectively when positive energies of the employees are tapped.
There was this manager of mine who would ring me up whenever I wasn't at my desk. As I was not in a customer facing role and the only requirement at my work was to stick to the deadlines, I used to take liberties and take coffee breaks. I even used to mingle with employees in the other teams. His constant pestering me asking me why I was not at my desk only made me lose motivation and I started feeling more and more constrained at my workplace. Can the best of an employee's performance be expected under such bosses?
Consider another scenario where the sole motive of the boss is to review the subordinate's work and pick faults. Then, he would offer his expert advice as to how the document can be improved. Employees want to be treated better than that. When you are criticizing them for something they are not standing up to, you should always offer praise when they perform well.
But that does not mean employees have to be pampered by the bosses. The relationship between the employee and the boss should be very subtle. The manager should pull the employee out of his comfort zone, but at the same time make sure the employee trusts his/her boss and gives hundred percent at work. The most common complaint I hear from dissatisfied and disgruntled workers is, "Why should I work under someone who I know is a moron?"
Managers definitely should try to be above this standard and should touch and move the hearts of the employees. Of all the leadership styles I have seen so far, leadership by example is the best strategy that works and motivates the employees.
Mutual respect at work is what is required in today's corporate world. Most of the people who claim that the manager need not be liked by the employees are the task oriented type of persons. It is good to be task oriented, but not when you cross your limits. Human beings are much more important than the tasks themselves. Some people maybe the best networking pillars within the group, but may not weigh as equal as the remaining task-oriented individualistic people. If every person in your team is individualistic and bothers nothing but his/her own growth in career, the business cannot expand to its fullest potential.
Normally, the growth of an employee is limited by the growth of his/her manager unless under special circumstances. I am not saying it should be constrained, but I am just stating the realities here. Now, under such circumstances, if you do not like the manager you are working under, what kind of motivation will you have at work place. A manager should always try to prove his worth to the employees reporting to him/her and make sure everyone in the team respects him. If not, it is time for him/her to do some introspection and improve his/her personality or skills.
360 degree evaluation is a must at work place. As the employees appraisal is done by the managers, so should the managers be reviewed by the people reporting to them. Only then can an organization sustain its business and at the same time satisfy the key of its stakeholders - the employees.
Learn more about this author, Srinivas Kotamarthi.
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No
Wondering or worrying about whether or not all of your employees like you is a trap that ensnares many new managers. While everyone wants people to like them, as a manager you cannot really be concerned with that. You should and need to be more conerned with whether your employees respect you and know that you are being honest with them. Nothing can destroy a manager employee relationship quicker than for an employee to think they are your friend and then to get hit with a poor performance evaluation.
Having had approximately 20 years of managerial experience in the Navy, the Census Bureau, and for a Fortune 500 company, I've learned the hard way that you can never expect all of your employees to like you. At some point in time, someone will let you know, often very loudly and vocally, that you have been unfair to them, lied to them, or taken advantage of them. You have to ask yourself, do you like everyone you come into contact with in your life? The answer, if you're truthful, is no. That being the case, why would you be so egotistical to think that everyone is going to like you?
You're far better off, as a manager, to try and earn your employees respect, and trust. This is done by treating each employee as a distinct individual, by being fair with each of them, I didn't say treat them all the same, by being honest with them, and by earning their respect by giving them your respect.
No two people are alike, easy to say, but sometimes hard to remember when you have job tasks that need to be done. As a manager, you need to know each employee's skill set and abilities. You're probably going to find that some of your employees learn new skills faster than others. You can sometimes get around this problem by assigning faster learners to assist those who are having difficulty. This does two things; it shows your fast learners that you are willing to give them some individual responsibility, and it shows that are having problems that you're willing to give them additional assistance to get up to speed. Watch out, though, you have to assign the right person to help someone else. What's the attitude of the person you're getting ready to assign to help someone? Are they carrying an I'm better than you attitude into their assignment? Is the person you're trying to give help to, someone who is simply trying to take advantage of a situation? Both of these are pitfalls you need to avoid, if possible.
As a manager if you want to get respect from your employees, you must first be willing to give them respect. Always remember that respect is something you have to earn and it can be a very fragile thing. How can you do this? Listen to your employees particularly if they are coming to you with a problem or an idea on how to do something better. Whatever you do, don't blow them off with the idea that their idea has no value or importance or that because of your position you're the only qualified to make suggestions or decisions. Make sure your employees know you value their input, and that at the very least you are going to listen to them. You're probably not going to be able to use all of their ideas; but you may find some that are very helpful. And by listening to them, you are encouraging them to be creative and more involved in their jobs. If an idea is impractical or cannot be implemented let them know why, and always, always, always thank them for their suggestions and ideas. And if you find that you can and should implement one of their ideas be sure and give them the credit!
Be fair to your employees. Give your high achievers additional projects to work on. Something you wouldn't assign to just anybody. Help each of your employees, whenever possible, to try and advance their careers. If you have an employee that is trying hard to achieve the necessary skills to complete their job and having difficulty, maybe you need to get them some additional training. Or maybe there's some type of crisis going on in their life. Approach them privately, and let them know that you've noticed there's a problem and you want to see if you can help them.
Be honest with your employees. There's nothing worse than to be doing what you think is a good job and then suddenly getting hit with a poor or substandard performance evaluation. As a manager you have a responsibility to your employees to let them know what the performance expectations are. This means sitting with each employee, on a regular basis, pointing out their strengths and weaknesses, and helping them plan a course of action. By doing this you are making sure they know they are accountable for their job performance. And by documenting what they have been told, the suggested plan of action to improve or sustain their performance, you have taken any surprise out of their evaluation.
Respect, honesty, concern for your employees, treating each of them fairly, all of these are much more important than whether they like you or not.
Learn more about this author, Arthur Gibson.
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