There is something very ominous about the word ‘boss’. It evokes the concept of bullying and hassling staff. When we say ‘he bosses you around’ you think of an executive who has poor man-management skills and relies on brute management force to move his team onwards. A recent article I read by John Monarch on ‘Entrepreneur ‘ and a similar article by Brent Barnhart very clearly set out some interesting thoughts on the best way to manage a team thoughtfully. I will mention some of their excellent ideas.
Avoid ‘hustling’ 24/7 and be more chilled. Constantly working long hours without a break, he says, isn’t a recipe for success. It’s a recipe for burnout. Motivational and Youtube videos constantly advise young entrepreneurs and executives to work 14 hours a day and “hustle” every minute of every hour. That’s probably the worst possible advice to give someone in a leadership position.
Treat the team as you would like to be treated. this makes sense and has a biblical ring to it. Basically the suggestion is by nice to your team ands they will respond in a positive way. the reasoning being that a tough job always presents its own issues for workers. Why would you compound those issues by spreading negativity and treating people poorly?
Choose your management wisely. This makes good sense. Just being in a job a certain amount of time doesn’t mean you should automatically be promoted. You might have already have reached your personal level of competence. The truth is, some people are really great at specific roles, but their ceiling is lower because they aren’t great leaders.
Keep your expectations realistic. To be a good leader and manager, you also need to understand the work your team is doing. If you don’t think you have a solid grasp on what your employees do, then start learning. Part of being an effective leader is always looking for new subjects or concepts to learn about.
Open channels for cross-company communication. Whether it’s among one team or between groups, you have to provide people with channels for strong communication if you want your business to operate efficiently.Exercising empathy for coworkers means not only being a good listener but also asking the right questions to get to the root of your colleagues’ problems.When you ask thoughtful questions of your coworkers, you’re basically saying, “Okay, I hear you. What can I do to help? How are we going to take care of this?”Questions asked of your employees should be specific rather a blanket, one-size-fits-all response. Workers deserve to have their concerns heard and understood.That said, sometimes the wants of our workers aren’t always clear. In the case that someone sends you a vague or otherwise confusing query, here’s a quick script you can use to help get to the core of their problem ASAP
Give your coworkers the benefit of the doubt before passing judgment on their behaviour in the office.Let’s say a new hire is having trouble adhering to a particular policy. You could assume that they’re being negligent or otherwise aloof, but chances are they’re simply adjusting to a new way of thinking. Both adopting and breaking away from workplace rituals takes time and you should respect that.This goes without saying, but don’t automatically assume the worst of people. Maybe that coworker who’s become increasingly needy is having a tough time at home.Workplace stress comes in all shapes and sizes. Practicing patience with your coworkers is key to demonstrating empathy in the workplace.
This is the essence of the empathy argument and I think it open some interesting points for consideration. If you are scaling a startup it is very important to engender some sort of corporate spirit and that is best done by treating staff wisely and communicating effectively. This style of management is particularly important when you are dealing ‘at distance’ from your team and maybe working out from a virtual office environment. I any case the maxim ‘do unto others…’ makes sense in business as it does in life.