Time for a “Caring” Management
The relationship with our manager is one of the biggest factors influencing work life.
Complaints, such as, “my manager never thanks me,” “my manager does not listen to me,” “my boss ignores me,” or “my manager does not seem to have any interest in helping me,” are common.
Many feel that work-wise, the manager is not there for employees. He or she is always too busy with their own tasks to help, or simply has no insight nor interest in the other’s work.
When managers seem not to care about their employees – by being rude, disrespectful or simply ignoring them – it is a clear sign of a bad relationship and makes employees miserable and demotivated.
Unfortunately, it is still widely thought that managers should be focusing on short-term results, putting employees under excessive pressure, and setting high-level goals.
After years of economic crisis, globalization, increasing competitive pressures in the world market, and the explosion of the knowledge revolution, companies are transforming their organizational capabilities (see Organizational change capability a competitive advantage). Managers must have greater agility, patience and be more balanced to minimize the impact of uncertainty. They need to develop and learn new skills and competencies.
More and more, the importance of a “caring” attitude (bienveillance in French) is seen as important in the relationship the individual forges with a team.
The Oxford Dictionary defines caring as “displaying kindness and concern for others.”
So what are the qualities of a caring manager?
First of all, empathy. In a Harvard Business Review article, it states that empathy, “is a deep emotional intelligence that is closely connected to cultural competence. Empathy enables those who possess it to see the world through others’ eyes and understand their unique perspectives.” It involves skills such as being a good and active listener, and being non-judgmental.
Empathy also creates trust. When management shows that they are aware of their employees’ feelings and appreciate those feelings, even if in disagreement with them, it builds trust. When trust is strong between an employee and manager, workplace efficiency is improved.
Caring managers also should show respect towards a person, a group or an ideal (Le management bienveillant) to create a convivial atmosphere. They always say “good morning” on arriving at work. Even this short, quick, salutation carries the meaning that “you are important to me”. They also make sure that the employees have a reasonable amount of work, taking into consideration the limits of each individual, and a healthy life-work balance. Recognizing and being flexible towards employees’ needs will make them more engaged, efficient and rise to, and overcome, work challenges.
Caring management also means:
- Maintaining a positive attitude
- Giving emotional support to others
- Making people feel safe and secure
- Proposing, not imposing
- Listening rather than talking
- Giving thanks and acknowledgment
- Accepting that everyone can make mistakes
The traditional view of management is to achieve results at all cost: be hard on employees and they will perform and employees’ personal lives don’t matter as it has nothing to do with work.
However, as reported in an article by Dale Carnegie Training:
“The study revealed that a “caring” manager is one of the key elements that drives employee engagement. That is, employees want their managers to care about their personal lives, to take an interest in them as people, to care about how they feel, and support their health and well-being. A manager’s ability to build strong relationships with employees, build strong team interaction and lead in a “person-centered” way creates an engaging environment in which employees can perform at the highest possible level.”
With the caring attitude, the manager can be demanding, but not excessively so. Yet, he or she must give the right importance to the ongoing improvement of an individual’s performance. Stress is contagious but an exemplary behavior is even more so.
Text by Anna-Maria Guerrieri
Phot credit: Contrastwerkstatt via Fotolia.com (Standard Licence)
