When I was first promoted to a supervisor, my reports suffered through my zest to do work quickly and perfectly. Through commitment and years of scattered workshops, I changed what came natural. I learned to communicate and collaborate with people different than me. I learned to keep my eye on the goal and not be distracted by good or bad news. I truly know we can choose to be more motivating, constructive, and personable. Without making that choice, you can see the following:
- Conflict goes unresolved or even festers
- Lack of collaboration and critical communication among employees; leading to missteps
- Absenteeism and tardiness is an issue
- Employees lack initiative out of boredom or fear of rejection
Effective management is always backing up work assignments with communication of a larger view of what the work is to accomplish. Success, in my mind, requires a balance of empathy, concise articulation, and wise use of time. At the end of this post is an opportunity to download a tool to assess how well you manage that balance. But here’s a questionnaire to assess your leadership habits. Each “No” should be regarded as an opportunity to improve.
- Most of your employees have a healthy level of ambition and seek to grow their responsibilities in the organization
- When circumstances change, I refrain from directing and invite my employees to collaborate on a way forward.
- I am approachable and make time on a daily basis to understand employee challenges and recognize accomplishments.
- I have clear goals and plans for changing my management style and being more productive.
If you answered yes to all the questions, you likely have an energetic and productive work environment. Regardless of how you answered, you can download a download a self-assessment of your management style. You’ll gain insight into how well you control employees and encourage them. Accelerated Achievements has helped both new and experienced managers change their management style score in months and not years; like it did my self-directed improvement. If any of my comments leave triggered questions, let’s talk it over.