When I am coaching professionals in transition, one of the first things I ask them is if they like managing people, or prefer to be an individual contributor. People often have a strong preference.
No doubt, management strategies have evolved over the years. And in a small business, effectively managing employees can make or break the corporate culture. Carol tackles this topic in a recent post on the Nextiva blog. In “The Emotional Side of Managing Employees” she begins:
“For as long as I can remember, employees have quickly learned not to cry in the workplace or outwardly show any negative emotions (think Tom Hanks in “A League of Their Own”… There’s No Crying in Baseball!). Since no business owner wants the reduced productivity (and tear-stained paperwork) that accompanies emotional outbursts, this basic concept still makes sense… to some degree.
While the stiff-upper-lip approach to emotion management may have been marginally effective at one time, now that millennials have joined the ranks, you need to recognize that at least some portion of your worker population was raised with an eye toward sensitivity. When they were kids, everyone won a trophy and as adults, they expect company management to treat them with concern, respect, and positivity.
The good news is that the more sensitive management style that millennials demand is really better for baby boomers, too. Here are four ways to channel your inner psychologist, engage all employees, and keep them around longer.
#1. Share the silver lining
Just one employee concern or error can instantly drive attitudes down a dark road and trigger a series of negative events. Your job is to step in quickly to deliver the bright side…”
You can read the rest of the post here.
