It is no new idea that happy, engaged, and fulfilled employees are more loyal, productive, and efficient in their work. Every manager should hope that their employees are all of these things, but with many responsibilities and duties to be dealt with on a day-to-day basis, nurturing your employees is often a task that is pushed to the back burner, whereas this duty should be a top priority.

Just like you would nurture a garden in the spring, tending to each aspect of development and ongoing maintenance, you need to foster the growth of your employees from the very start, and make certain to listen to their needs and concerns and respond accordingly. When you truly listen to what they have to say, you can tailor your management style to ensure mutually beneficial results.

Some of the most common needs and concerns employees have of their managers, issues that can potentially hinder the development of these strong relationships, include:

  • Micromanagement – Being overly managed and not allowed the freedom to grow as an independent professional, and being constantly nitpicked often leads employees to feel as if the work they are doing just isn’t good enough.
  • Favoritism/Inequitable Treatment – Double standards, favoritism amongst employees, and not applying policies and expectations fairly can easily cause tension and resentment.
  • Lack of Communication – Employees need to be regularly communicated with about the expectations of their jobs and provided with feedback regarding their performance as an individual and as part of the team.
  • Underappreciation – Feeling unappreciated can wreck the morale and drive of anyone. Taking the time to praise your employees (both publicly and privately) and to communicate how much they are valued is a win-win.

Follow along this month as we address these four common areas of concerns employees have with their managers and discuss what you, as a manager, can do to ensure these are not issues within your team, impeding the development mutually beneficial and long lasting relationships with your employees.