By Kathleen O’Connor
Reprinted: 2003-10-27

There are so many aspects to management! Your staff responsibilities run the gamut from goal-setting to hiring through performance appraisals. Here are 12 tips that will help.

Listen To Your Employees
Do you listen to your employees? Really listen? Letting employees talk is not the same as listening. You have to work at it, the same way you work at anything else you want to succeed at. Here are some things to remember:

** Put your work away.
As soon as an employee comes to you and wants to talk, put whatever you’re working on away. Remove all temptation to do anything other than give your full attention to the employee.

** Bite your tongue.
One of the first signs that someone isn’t listening is when he/she cuts off the speaker in mid-sentence or mid-thought. Make sure your employee is finished before you begin speaking.

** Smile and lean forward.
You will be amazed at the effect a simple smile can have. By smiling and leaning forward, you send the message that you are fully engaged in what the person is saying.

** Always ask questions, even if you don’t have any.
Questions tell the employee that you have been listening and are truly committed to resolving whatever issue is being discussed.

** Start your own comments by paraphrasing the employee.
Again, this tells the employee that you have been listening; it also helps you get the issues clear in your own head before you speak.

Getting Through Workload Crunches
Your staff is overworked and if you don’t do something about it now, you’re going to start losing some of your best people. Here’s what you can do immediately to turn the situation around:

** Be the one to bring it up.
Make sure your staff knows that you recognize how hard they’re working. Some managers actually believe that if they don’t talk about it, employees won’t notice it. Wrong. They’ll notice the extra workload – and resent you and the company for not addressing it.

** Explain the reasons behind the increased workload.
Often, employees will put up with being overworked, as long as they understand why it’s happening – a tight budget that is prohibiting you from hiring extra people, for example.

** Give them extra resources.
Ask employees what you can do to help them survive the rush. Do they have the equipment they need? Would hiring interns or temps help? If employees think you’re truly interested in helping them get through a work onslaught, they won’t entertain thoughts of leaving the company the first chance they get.

** Drop low-priority projects.
Do anything you can to relieve the pressure. Are there projects you can stop – or at least put on hold until the staff has more time to handle them? Cut as much as you can, so employees can focus on high-priority jobs only.

Make Time To Network With Your Staff
As a manager, it’s easy to get so caught up in your administrative duties and personal projects that you overlook a primary rule of management: Keep in touch you’re your employees. It takes time and effort, but it’s the only way to build and maintain an effective, balanced staff. Here are some tips:

** Walk around.
Take to the halls. Talk to people along the way. Visit employees in their offices or at their workstations. Respond to their phone messages or e-mails in person. There is no substitute for face-to-face contact in building a trusting and familial atmosphere in the workplace.

** Join company sports teams.
By immersing yourself in the camaraderie endemic to company sports teams, you’ll be associated with the can-do spirit on the field. Plus, many employees are more apt to discuss problems, concerns and ideas with you when away from the formality of the office.

** Join committees.
Whether it’s an employee committee forming to redecorate the lunchroom or to plan a holiday party, join it. Employees will realize you’re not only interested, but are opening up a new conduit for feedback.

Try these suggestions over the next month. You’ll find that what seems like extra work actually makes your job a lot easier.

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