The world of work has changed drastically and managers are bearing the brunt. They’re feeling the pressure of senior leadership demands, while also spending considerably more time and energy on what their employees need to feel engaged at work. In our latest webinar, It’s Always Personal: Equipping Managers to Personalize Their Approach, employee engagement expert Jason Lauritsen helps us better understand the manager-employee dynamic and shares a few, simple techniques we can all use to create better, more personalized relationships with our employees.
In our latest webinar, Jason observes that despite the technological developments over the past century leading to the creation of a knowledge and service-based economy, traditional management practices haven’t changed much at all.
When employees worked on an assembly line, a manager’s role was to create order and ensure a certain output. But now, with the rise of so many knowledge-based and service workers, this traditional command and control relationship is no longer relevant. To be successful, employees require a completely different relationship with their manager—one that nurtures their skills, provides support and acknowledges their humanity.
And, since every individual in the workplace is unique, managers must be able to personalize their approach to figure out what will keep each employee engaged. It’s a tall order. That’s why Jason is a firm believer in the power of a check-in—but not the regular 1:1 you’re used to clogging your calendar. This regular time is for a manager and an employee to engage in a meaningful conversation designed to:
- Understand what’s going on—both from a work and personal standpoint;
- Build a real connection; and
- Identify needs and obstacles to success so the manager can provide the right support.
When you watch the webinar, you’ll also learn about two specific kinds of check-ins Jason recommends. The first is the Appreciation Check-in, which focuses on employee appreciation and what a manager can do to provide more recognition. The Stay Interview check-in is aimed at retention and gives an employee the chance to share some of their frustrations and challenges with their role or the organization. You’ll also get access to 18 Great Check-in Questions and a template for a Personal User Manual, which helps each employee outline how best to interact with them.
If you are a manager, I highly encourage you to take the time to watch this webinar. You’ll walk away with actionable, tangible advice you can begin using with your team tomorrow. For additional insights on how to navigate the manager-employee relationship and improve employee well-being, contact us at connect@webmd.net.
