Need a New Year’s resolution? Become a better manager

The art of management is one very difficult task to master, but findings from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) show that employee engagement is critical to the performance of a company.

How can you engage your staff better?

Taking time to engage with and support employees can lead to improvements in productivity and output, as well as lower stress levels and fewer sickness periods.

The CIPD’s report ‘Managing for sustainable employee engagement: Developing a behavioural framework’ outlines 5 key competencies:

• Be open, fair and consistent. Consult with your staff rather than telling them what to do, keep calm in pressured situations and give constructive, positive feedback. Take responsibility for your mistakes – don’t deflect the blame onto them.
• Handle conflict and problems effectively. Make sure you act on conflicts between your staff before they become major arguments. Take steps to prevent bullying.
• Provide knowledge, clarity and guidance. Make time for your staff – speak to them about their current role and involve them in problem solving and decision making. When allocating tasks, clarify exactly what you expect of them and give them enough time to plan their work.
• Build and sustain your relationship. Regularly check your staff are OK and take an interest in their life outside work.
• Support their development. Support and discuss career development with your staff.

Negative management traits

The report found the following management traits were the most negative and more likely to demotivate your staff:

• Not taking responsibility for work
• Passing on stress
• Favouritism
• Inappropriate humour

‘Inappropriate’ 

Ben Willmott, head of public policy at CIPD, says that Brent-esque managers are by no means the best, but not the worst either.

“Most people will at some time in their working lives have been managed by a ‘David Brent’ whose use of inappropriate humour and favouritism highlights a lack of self-awareness and inability to manage people,” he noted.

“However, our research shows that arguably, it is the mediocre managers, who too often ‘fly under the radar’ in organisations, that are even more damaging to staff engagement over time and often inadvertently cause stress.

“Our research shows that managers who don’t find time to talk individually to their employees, who pass on stress, who panic about deadlines and fail to consult and provide advice, erode motivation and undermine employee health and wellbeing.”

New year, new opportunity

The new year is an opportunity for all managers to review the way they speak to their staff and judge whether people are happy in their jobs. This could mean having appraisals with members of staff in the first month or two, speaking to them about their future hopes and possible career future.

Rachel Lewis and Emma Donaldson-Feilder, directors of Affinity Health at Work, who conducted the research, concluded that this is an issue that cannot be swept under the carpet.

“Employee engagement is important, but it is also fragile, so managers need to pay attention to wellbeing if they are to sustain motivation over time,” they added.

With more businesses looking to recruit over the next few months, according to the Recruitment and Employment Confederation, the first few weeks of the working year will be crucial in setting a high standard.