Supporting Employees for Success
Cathie Leimbach • October 27, 2023
Communicating your expectations to employees and ensuring they understand what you want them to achieve are not enough for them to succeed in your organization. Managers and supervisors in highly effective organizations often spend half of their work week supporting their employees.
- Be Consistent: Consistency in your messaging and expectations is crucial. Ensure that your team always receives the same message from you and understands what is expected of them.
- Encourage Feedback: Create an open and transparent communication environment where team members can ask questions, seek clarification, and provide input. This fosters a sense of ownership and engagement.
- Monitor Progress: Regularly review and assess progress toward the desired results. Adjust your approach as needed and celebrate milestones to maintain motivation.
- Provide Support: Offer the necessary resources, training, and support to help your team achieve the results. Address any obstacles or challenges that may arise.
- Lead by Example: Demonstrate the behavior and work ethic you expect from your team. Your actions should align with your words and goals.
- Acknowledge and Reward: Recognize and reward team members for their efforts and achievements. Positive reinforcement can boost morale and motivation.
- Be Patient and Persistent: Understand that achieving significant results may take time. Stay committed to the vision, and don't be discouraged by setbacks.
- Adapt and Learn: Be open to feedback and be willing to adapt your goals and strategies if necessary. Learning from mistakes and evolving is a sign of effective leadership.
Supporting one’s direct reports for success means serving their needs as they endeavor to meet workplace expectations. This includes reinforcing expectations, being available for two-way conversations, giving employees feedback about what they are doing well and support to be more effective in weak areas, and genuinely caring about your team members as valuable human beings.
What is one aspect of supporting your employees that you are doing well? What is one aspect that is a growth area for you to enhance employee and organizational success?
An empty workstation gets your attention. What caused it should keep your attention. When attendance becomes a problem, the first response is often to review the policy, document the absence, or find someone to cover the shift. Those things may be necessary. But they don't tell you why the problem is happening. A conversation might. Instead of starting with “Why do you keep calling off?” try “I've noticed you've missed several days recently. What’s going on?” Then listen. You may hear about something outside of work. But you may also discover frustration with a supervisor, conflict with a coworker, unclear expectations, scheduling difficulties, or an employee who no longer feels valued. Understanding the reason doesn't mean ignoring attendance expectations. It means you know what you're actually dealing with. Also, look for patterns. Is absenteeism higher on one shift? In one department? Under one supervisor? Did it increase after a schedule or leadership change? Those patterns may tell you where another conversation needs to happen. Most importantly, don't wait until attendance becomes a disciplinary issue to start talking. Check in with employees. Ask what's making their work harder. Ask what they need from their supervisor. And when someone raises a concern or makes a suggestion, be sure to tell them what action you are taking or why their idea won’t be implemented. The goal isn't to eliminate accountability. It's to address problems before accountability is the only conversation left. Conversation is Where Leadership Happens™ You Don't Need to Go It Alone. Bring your workplace people challenges to the FREE Workplace Conversations Clinic on September 21. Gain insights from Cathie Leimbach and other attendees. Register here for the FREE Workplace Conversations Clinic
Absenteeism is expensive. Every unexpected absence costs more than a day's wages. Someone else may need to work overtime. Priorities get reshuffled, service slows, projects fall behind, and customers notice. Before long, absenteeism starts taking money right out of your pocket. That's why many organizations turn to attendance policies, incentives, disciplinary action, or tighter oversight. But what if those approaches are addressing the symptom rather than what's really going on? Most people don't wake up one morning and suddenly decide they don't care about their work. Disengagement usually happens gradually. People stop sharing ideas. They stop feeling heard. They begin doing only what's required. Eventually, some stop showing up. By the time absenteeism is brought to your attention, the real issue may have been growing for weeks—or even months. If absenteeism has become a recurring challenge, don't just ask, "How do we reduce call-offs?" Instead, ask "What happened before people stopped wanting to show up?" That question may lead you somewhere an attendance report never will—and may ultimately save far more than overtime costs. Attendance problems. Accountability. Difficult conversations. Team conflict. Every leader faces workplace people challenges, and few have been taught exactly what to do when they arise. Talking through your challenges with others can be helpful. Ask questions of your network. Get some ideas online. Sometimes another perspective is exactly what you need to see the situation differently. You Don't Need to Go It Alone. Bring your workplace people challenges to the FREE Workplace Conversations Clinic on August 17. Gain insights from Cathie Leimbach and other attendees as you explore practical ways to handle the situations you're facing. Register here for the FREE Workplace Conversations Clinic
