Seventy-nine percent of people who leave their job cite “lack of appreciation” as their reason for quitting.
Terms like “workplace” hardly do justice to all the working environment entails. So much more than work happens here. Over a lifetime, most people will spend more than 13 years of their life in the office, and how things are going with work can seriously impact personal lives.
The importance of the manager-employee relationship
Recognition is the number one thing that employees say their manager could give to them to inspire great work.
Research shows that leaders who are perceived as kind, even before establishing their competence, are more effective than those who lead with toughness and skill.
Why? Because employees feel more comfortable trusting these kinds of leaders. Having a positive manager to employee relationship can:
- Increase trust.
- Promote creativity.
- Improve retention rates.
- Increase productivity.
- Mitigate stress.
- Even have a number of physical health benefits, including lowering heart rate and blood pressure.
The issues
Managers are often responsible for setting the tone at work. It’s up to them to navigate all kinds of difficult and rewarding situations, including:
- Motivating and inspiring employees—without burning themselves out.
- Helping employees understand their strengths.
- Giving feedback, both positive and negative.
- Communicating clearly in order to reach the appropriate result.
- Creating an inclusive, creative, and comfortable environment.
- Dealing with exasperated or frustrated employees.
- Managing workplace conflict.
The solutions
An employee assistance program (EAP) has tools that help managers understand how to navigate any kind of situation, helping them to become more effective leaders. Some solutions an EAP can offer managers include:
- Expanding behavioral knowledge to decrease stress in the work environment and prevent burnout.
- Maintaining organizational and employee performance standards.
- Resolving conflict and welcoming diverse opinions.
- Consoling and stabilizing staff in response to grief and loss.
The takeaway
Effective leaders must learn how best to conquer the challenges of keeping employees engaged in their work, feeling good about the organization, and working productively.
After all, a manager who engages employees and makes them feel valued is key to securing a committed, engaged, and creative workforce.