Stamp Out Indifference with Common Courtesy

Indifference is one of the most common offenses that managers make toward their employees. Sure, there are bullies and narcissists, liars and crooks. But they are, luckily, the exception. What disgruntles employees the most is (probably unintentional) indifference.

What do employees want? A lot of things, sure, but at the root of them all is respect. And not acknowledging, noticing, or involving employees shows a lack of respect.

I’m not going to talk about compensation, benefits, bonuses, perks and rewards. I’m not talking about challenging work, new responsibilities and promotions. I’m not even really talking about positive feedback. All of these are important for a high functioning organization.

I’m talking about simply noticing. And letting it be known that you notice. Really, I’m talking about good manners.

Little acts of omission make a big difference, and add up to feeling like one is not valued at their workplace. Things like:

• Walking into a room and not being acknowledged.
• No “Thank you” for doing something, whether it is in your job description or not.
• Not being listened to, even when your ideas are meant to be helpful to the organization.
• Having a meeting with someone who is constantly checking their phone.
• No “Good Morning”, eye contact or nod of the head, even after you greeted the other person.

Management, distracted and overburdened, may overlook how important common courtesy is. And since you are the leaders, what you do and say is often picked up and re-generated throughout the company. If employees observe that it’s not important to acknowledge a good job, then they will perpetuate that. Soon an atmosphere of indifference permeates the department.

If there is a lot of turnover in an area, it may not be due to manager “abuse” but manager indifference. Not communicating, not acknowledging, not noticing, are all acts of omission that can create a culture of disrespect.

Quite often, the perpetuators of this indifferent behavior are not even aware of what they are doing. Managers who are not self-aware are the biggest culprits in the population of so-called “poor managers”. They just don’t realize what they are doing – or not doing – and the impact on everyone around them.

Stated in a 2006 Sirota Intelligence Survey: “While almost half of senior-level managers feel they are shown a great deal of respect, just one-quarter of supervisors and only one-fifth of non-management employees feel the same way. In fact, one out of every seven non-management employees actually feels they are treated poorly or very poorly.”

On a brighter note, in a more recent Sirota Intelligence Survey 82% of respondents (1.3 million employees of all levels were surveyed worldwide) agreed with the statement “My immediate manager treats me with respect and dignity.”

However that is a decrease of 6% from a 2009 survey. And, only 57% agreed that employees get a fair hearing for their complaints, a decrease of 7% from the year before. Fifty-six percent agreed that “Senior management’s actions are consistent with what they say”, a decrease of 5%.

For more data on the positive side, here are some areas that are trending upward:

Normative Item (abbreviated text)	2010 % Fav	Trend
I am satisfied with the availability of the information I need to do my job	76	+7
Rate the effort made by management to get ideas and opinions from employees like yourself	65	+5
Top management encourages reporting important information up‐the‐line, even if it’s bad news	75	+5
I have the authority I need to do a quality job	73	+5

The upward trend is a positive sign, but obviously there is a lot of room for improvement. I wait for the day that the scores are in the 90’s.

Courteous behavior is a simple start. Just remember the golden rule – don’t you like to be acknowledged and noticed? Find ways to acknowledge and notice others so they will feel respected and valued. And respect is the gift that is returned almost immediately.

If you haven’t got a good 360 degree feedback system in place, devise one now. Take to heart the information you receive, and engage a coach or just a trusted colleague to help you improve. It can make all the difference in the world between being a poor manager to being a revolutionary one.

He At Least Listened




Patch Adams

— MOVIECLIPS.com

Listen to Your Admins

Today is “Administrative Professionals Day” where all across North America, secretaries, admins, and receptionists are recognized for their support. The day of appreciation began in 1952 to not only honor secretaries but to attract women to the profession, at that time one of the few professions women were encouraged to pursue. My mother worked all her life as an administrative professional, finally retiring at age 72. 

How are you showing your appreciation for your administrative staff today? The most common ways are to give flowers, cards, gift certificates, gift baskets, candy or to take them to lunch. The International Association of Administrative Professionals suggests honoring your admins by offering them continuing education, seminars or self-study materials.

Any form of recognition is usually appreciated as long as it is heartfelt and not just an empty gesture that people feel they are obligated to do or they will look bad. But do you know what would really delight your administrative professional and make them feel truly appreciated?

If you do, you may be unique. Most bosses will just automatically get some flowers or one of the items listed “most common” above, and congratulate themselves for remembering. But if you truly want your admin to feel special, find out what would REALLY make them happy. Keep it simple and inexpensive, but make it thoughtful.

What are their hobbies? What do they really love to do? If you give them flowers, what’s their favorite flower? Could you surprise them with a book by their favorite author? Some time off with their family? Your personal attention in selecting the gift can be as valuable as the gift itself.

If you don’t know the recipient’s personal tastes and interests, ask them. In truth, the most appreciated gift is that of you listening, and then acting on what you have heard. Employees in general – actually people in general – don’t feel that they are really listened to. Ask questions, listen well to the answers, and act on what you hear. That can be an ongoing gift of appreciation for all your employees, whether they have their own “Day” or not.

My mother, the lifelong administrative professional, received many gifts of appreciation throughout her career. But the one she most remembers? A handwritten note that detailed the qualities and strengths her boss appreciated about her. It was very personal, and showed that her boss was a thoughtful, insightful observer. And it wasn’t even Secretaries’ Day.

Lack of Management Communication is the #1 Reason For Quitting

In a recently published study from Regus, over 15,000 business managers were interviewed to find out which issues would drive them to quit their job. Interestingly, 40% of them admitted that they were considering quitting their jobs after the summer vacation. Although ‘considering' is different than actually taking the courageous step to do so, it is revealing that nearly half the respondents would like to find a new position.

Less surprising are the top five reasons they state would drive them to quit their jobs:

1. Lack of communication and involvement by top management 40%
2. Lack of promotion despite good work results 37%
3. Overwork 34%
4. Lack of company vision 31%
5. Lack of belief in colleagues’ competence 28%

Although the respondents of this survey were primarily senior managers, study after study reveals that the top reason anyone leaves their job is their relationship with their manager.

Reiterating your vision, communicating your appreciation, sharing plans, and involving your employees are key to keeping good people. Here are a few tips on what works when communicating:

• Keep communication simple and heartfelt, not complex and bureaucratic.
• Repeat important messages such as vision, goals and valued behavior often.
• Do your homework before communicating in order to understand what people are feeling, to get the whole picture, and to be able to answer questions well.
• Begin your communication by speaking to where people are: usually they are thinking of themselves and how things impact them. Then bring them with you to think of the team, the company, the vision.
• Acknowledge feelings. This will allow people to feel understood. Once they feel you understand them, they will listen to you.
• Ask questions and listen.

Particularly when changes are going on – and when aren’t they? – frequent communication is essential to gain employee engagement. An “open door” policy is great, as long as you walk the talk and leave your office to communicate often with your employees.