Take care of people, to take care of business

At SGEnz, we recently completed our 2022 Culture Report for New Zealand, which has been referenced in this article about managers.

The research clearly suggests that good leaders are the most important factor in whether employees decide to stay or leave their current role.

We’ve been researching company culture for more than 10 years and have found that managers account for about 71% of how employees feel about what they do and who they do it for. 

We found that their ability to care for their staff is crucial to that feeling.

Here are some of the things you need to consider if you want your staff to think that you care.  

Can your employees bring you anything at any time? 

 This is often called the open-door policy (ODP). The ODP may be one of the most disappointing management ideas over the years, because it’s often not easy for a manager to drop everything and listen to what an employee has to say. 

The manager needs to have the discipline to schedule conversations with their team either proactively or reactively. 

The easier part of this equation should be that an employee can bring anything to their manager; however, this is often not the case. 

We hear from many employees that they see their manager as unapproachable, especially when there’s bad news and they try to give them feedback.

When a manager reacts poorly when an employee needs to speak to them, it shows they don’t care, and the employee will quickly stop bringing things to their attention. 

You need to be approachable and open to your employee's feedback. 

Do you know the passions and priorities of your staff? 

Employees know a manager cares when they try to understand what's most important to them outside of work. 

Over the years, we’ve recommended as best practice that managers should ask every employee: “What or who are the three most important elements in your life?” 

Often, the answer revolves around family, hobbies or interests, pets, sports teams, health or personal growth. 

Knowing what’s most important to each employee allows you to engage in meaningful conversations, which go a long way towards making employees feel you care. 

Do you take the time to understand your employees' point of view?

In recent years, we’ve been consistently hearing from employees that they want their manager to be willing to look at things from their point of view and understand why they may think or feel in a certain way. 

Empathy is a necessary leadership trait.

It comes from a manager’s ability to listen carefully, ask clarifying questions, put themselves in the employees' shoes and validate their point of view or feelings. 

In the moment, the manager needs to stop what they’re doing when an employee is speaking, look at non-verbal cues, listen to their tone of voice and be willing to look at things beyond their own point of reference. 

But remember, this doesn’t mean you have to agree with everything an employee says; however, you need to be willing to take the time to listen and understand, which is a strong indicator that you care. 

Are you interested in your employees' careers? 

Take an active interest in your team members' careers. Taking the time to learn someone's career aspirations and then helping and supporting that person to get closer to their goals is a great way to show you care. 

The reality is that most employees will leave at some point, and have career aspirations beyond their current role or your company. 

Don’t let this be an excuse for not helping someone follow their dreams. Have a discussion about ways you can help them learn a new skill or move on.

Do you respect your employees? 

Listen. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, because it’s important.

Listening to your employees, recognising their talents and effort and giving them feedback to show them you care should be part of your daily management routine.