How do you deal with people claiming favoritism, complaining about stagnant career development, and falling short of performance expectations? Believe it or not, the majority of those issues — and others — could be eliminated by having a “manager method.”
Here are the key elements of a successful manager methodology that you can start using with your direct reports today:
- Get to know what makes your employees tick.
As soon as he or she starts reporting to you, set up some time to discuss their interests, motivators, and goals. This gives you insight into what actually motivates this person while setting the tone that you care about them as much as you do about getting the work done.
- Set up a year-round performance alignment dialogue.
Let your staff know that the purpose of these check-ins is to ensure that you and they are aligned on the work and performance expectations. Be clear that they will drive calendaring quarterly discussions and you will ensure those meetings are prioritized.
- Conduct an annual career discussion that’s not connected to a performance review.
By having annual career conversations with everyone, you ensure each person gets to share what they really want to do and you get the insight you need to help them evolve their own performance.
- Solicit feedback on your leadership style.
By showing that you’re interested in your staff’s opinion of your leadership skills, you foster a “feedback culture.” And by putting a process around asking for that feedback, you create a true dialogue. Let’s face it, no matter how well-intentioned, feedback that feels one-sided can foster resentment and stress rather than collaboration and problem-solving. You can solicit feedback directly or use anonymous surveys.
- Practice discretion.
While you should absolutely seek help from fellow managers to work through performance challenges, keep the focus on improving your approach, and don’t let the conversation devolve into a bitch session. Your own manager doesn’t want to hear you complain about anyone. They want to know about any critical issues and what you’re doing to solve them.
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