Managing Others Effectively

This informal CPD article on Managing Others Effectively was provided by Ayming UK, who aim to improve Business Operational and Financial Performance.

How to give feedback and deal with staff absence

If you’re new as a manager, or aspire to the role, the prospect of being responsible for the performance of others may seem daunting. As well it might. Knowing a business backwards is not enough. Managing others effectively requires inter-personal skills.

Competency aside, a team that respects their manager and feels motivated is more likely to perform well. But both respect and motivation risk being undermined by two tricky managerial tasks that are often badly handled: giving people feedback and dealing with workers returning from sickness absence.

Giving feedback

It is essential to give people feedback about how they are performing at work. Praise is the most powerful motivator. Broaching under-performance may be difficult for both sides, but the effectiveness of the team suffers if it’s not addressed, and team morale too. You’re going to give and receive feedback, so it’s a managerial skill that will influence your career progress. As with most interactions as a manager, it pays to think about the outcome you want to achieve, and tailor the feedback accordingly.

Timing matters too. Raise the issue abruptly or interrupt a team member mid-task and when they’re under pressure, and the recipient will be less likely to be receptive. So, schedule a more convenient time.

Similarly, launching straight into criticism will raise hackles or make your colleague defensive. Generalised criticism about work ‘that’s not good enough’ or cautioning that someone ‘needs to improve’ without discussing causes and solutions will only trigger resentment.

It’s the manager’s job to ensure your staff perform to their full potential, enjoy the work they do and, ideally, enjoy the time they spend at work. So, how you phrase and structure feedback is crucial. Two tried and trusted methods are the EEC and ‘sandwich’.

Don’t be put off by the pejorative (and alliterative) prefix some attach to the sandwich. Properly done, it makes what might be a bitter truth more palatable.

• The top slice is good – talk about something the person did well.
• The filling is the problem that needs to be addressed.
• The bottom slice is also good, because it reaffirms that the employee has valued qualities, and ends the conversation on a more positive note.

However, like a real sandwich, it’s the quality of the filling that really matters. Which is where the EEC approach comes in:

Example – Provide a factual description of what happened, what was said and done.

Effect – Describe how it made you feel, as opposed to words related to performance.

Change – Discuss what could be done differently next time to avoid a repetition.

With all such feedback, agreeing on an action plan and scheduling a progress review are also essential parts of the process.

Dealing with absence

Dealing with staff absence is another integral and sensitive aspect of the manager’s job. Again, be clear about purpose – which is to support someone’s return to work as a productive member of the team. Staff who feel supported, and have a manager who is genuinely interested in them, will perform better and sooner. It’s important to reassure the person that they play a valued role, and you want to help them succeed.

Help the returning employee to review their workload and set priorities. It provides an opportunity to discuss any concerns they have. It may be necessary to remove some less important tasks for a time, or advise on delegating work.

Just as when you delegate your own tasks, you need to ensure that the other team member has the necessary capacity and clearly understands what’s expected of them. You should school your team to appreciate that it’s a shared responsibility to cover for colleagues’ absence.

Again, schedule a catch-up session to ensure the returning employee’s concerns are being resolved, as they re-assume their full workload. Mastering these tricky managerial duties is crucial to the effective performance of individuals and the harmony of the team.

We hope this article was helpful. For more information from Ayming UK, please visit their CPD Member Directory page. Alternatively please visit the CPD Industry Hubs for more CPD articles, courses and events relevant to your Continuing Professional Development requirements.