6 Actions a Manager Should Take to Support Their Team Members
Management is not about assigning tasks, it’s about leading and growing other people.
A manager has a unique and powerful ability to influence the happiness and fulfillment of the people on their team. People don’t take or leave jobs, they take or leave managers. When people reflect on the best jobs they’ve ever had, it almost always comes back to having an excellent manager.
It’s a special gift to be able to positively influence others. Managers can help their team members improve their skills, get promoted, and provide support when it’s needed. It can be hard to find meaning in company mission statements, but there is concrete meaning to be found in making others lives better.
Below are 6 actions a manager should take to support their team members.
1. Monitor their working hours and stress.
Managing their own workload is a great skill for employees to learn. However, it can be hard for employees to push back on their managers. Some employees are junior enough to not realize that it’s acceptable to set boundaries. Some managers don’t put enough emphasis on their employees well being.
Keep an eye on your employees working hours. Are they sending emails at 11pm? Are they popping into the office on a Saturday to catch up? Keep an eye on your teams workload in general. Are things running behind? Clients pushing hard?
If you suspect someone is putting in more hours than is healthy, meet with them. It’s the least you can do. Ask how they’re doing. Are they putting in the hours because you’re pressuring them? Or is it because they’re in love with their latest project? Is something in their personal life stressing them?
Studies have repeatedly shown that employees make more mistakes when they put in excessive hours, their physical health is negatively impacted, and their mental health declines.
If you are building a team to be successful years from now, you need to act for the long term. Help your team work sustainable hours. Ensure that they get the personal rest they need to be able to give their best.
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