No matter how effective you are as a manger, if your employees are not happy then your productivity is not at its highest. Employee satisfaction with their job, manager, and environment are all essential for optimal employee performance. A manager is only as good as his or her team. Therefore, it is crucial for the manager to gain the respect of their employees.
In Ted Pollock’s article, “Effective Managers Do These Things,” he provides 10 ways for management to improve employee morale:
Demonstrate to your people that you are genuinely interested in them and would be glad to have their ideas on how working conditions might be improved.
- Treat your people as individuals; never deal with them as impersonal variables in a working unit.
- Accept the fact that others may not see things as you do.
- Respect differences of opinion.
- Insofar as possible, explain [management] actions.
- Provide information and guidance on matters affecting employees’ security.
- Make reasonable efforts to keep jobs interesting by occasionally adding new responsibilities, new challenges, or new authority.
- Express appreciation publicly for jobs well done.
- Keep your people up-to-date on all business matters affecting them and quell rumors with correct information.
Be fair.
Additional ideas to ensure employee satisfaction are to institute a quarterly evaluation period in which the employee is free to give feedback on their position and their satisfaction with the processes of the company. Allowing employees to voice their opinion allows for them to feel empowered and a valued asset to the company.
