How to Be a Better Manager – Supporting Your Employees the Right Way
Great Managers Don’t Just Manage – They Lead.
Being a manager is not just about overseeing tasks and hitting targets. It’s about leading your colleagues to a more positive work environment and ensuring your employees feel supported. It’s important to foster a feeling of unity and cooperation in the workplace, with each member feeling wholly responsible. If you, as a manager, want to be the kind of leader that employees respect, trust and treasure, carry on reading…
Communicate with Clarity and Consistency
Unclear expectations create frustration and inefficiency. A great manager ensures communication is transparent. Be open about goals, changes, and challenges. Employees should never feel like they’re in the dark. Check in frequently. Don’t wait for performance reviews to provide feedback. Check in regularly. Encourage employees to speak up and share their thoughts without fear of judgment.
A simple trick to try – Start each week with a quick check-in: “What’s on your plate? How can I support you this week?”
Be Present and Available
Nothing is more
discouraging than a manager who is always too busy! Being present doesn’t mean micromanaging. It simply means being available when your team needs guidance or support
Actionable Steps:
- Maintain an open-door policy (or the virtual equivalent when working from home) where employees feel comfortable reaching out.
- Schedule regular one-on-one meetings to discuss progress, concerns, and career goals.
- When an employee reaches out, respond in a timely manner. It shows that you respect their time.
Recognise and Appreciate Hard Work
People thrive when they feel valued. A simple “thank you” goes a long way, but great managers go beyond that…
- Public Recognition – Acknowledge great work in team meetings or emails.
- Personalised Praise – Instead of generic compliments, be specific: “Your presentation was detailed and engaging—I appreciate the effort you put into it!”
- Career Growth Opportunities – Reward strong performance with opportunities for advancement.
– Send a quick appreciation message to a team member who did something great this week.
Support Your Employees’ Career Growth
A great manager doesn’t just focus on company success, they also invest in their employees’ growth and help them throughout their career.
Ways to invest in the people in your team:
- Ask employees about their career goals and help them develop a plan
- Be a mentor – provide training programmes or resources to expand their skills
- Advocate for their promotions and raises if you feel they are worthy and have earned them
A simple trick to try – Ask each employee where they see themselves in a year. Offer your support and guidance to help them to get there.
Lead With Empathy and Understanding
Your employees are human beings with lives outside of work. Whether they’re dealing with personal struggles or workplace stress, a supportive manager makes all the difference.
How to lead with empathy:
- Be flexible – Offer remote work options or adjusted deadlines when possible.
- Listen without judgment – Sometimes, employees just need to vent. Be a safe space.
- Encourage work-life balance – Overworked teams burn out, leading to low productivity and high turnover.
Don’t Just Criticise, Offer Support!
When you give feedback to your colleagues, ensure that it is balanced, specific and actionable. Do not just drop an email with a list of faults.
You can give better feedback by:
- Being specific – Instead of saying “You need to do better”, try saying “I noticed your report lacked some key data points. Next time, try including X and Y to strengthen it.”
- Give balanced, positive and constructive feedback – Highlight what went well before addressing areas for improvement.
- Follow up – Check in after giving feedback. Follow the “Praise, Improve, Praise” formula (detailed below
The Praise, Improve, Praise Formula
This formula is a method for delivering constructive feedback where you start with positive praise, then offer specific areas for improvement and finally conclude with another layer of positive praise. This essentially “sandwiches” the feedback between two compliments to make it more palatable.
Initial Praise:
Begin by highlighting something specific the person has done well – acknowledging their strengths and/or positive achievements and developments.
Constructive Improvement:
Clearly identify the area where improvement is needed. Provide specific examples focus on the behaviour rather than personal traits, keep it clear, brief and professional.
Concluding Praise:
End by reiterating a positive aspect of their work or performance, reaffirming your belief in their ability to improve.