“People do not leave companies, but they leave because of their bosses” goes a popular adage. How many of you nod your head for this statement in agreement??
Here are some of the cues that HR should picked up:
Creating a vision for the department – Each and every organization has its own mission and vision. Understanding the culture of the company, aligning the goals of the department and strategizing the functional workflow are one of the key skills for the success of any department. As a head of the department, I think this is one of essential mantras to be adopted and followed. Setting clear goals and objectives - In my observation, the head of the department or the leader should be a matured enough to weigh the pros & cons of a situation before, taking a final call in any of the critical issues. If need be, the views of the team can also be taken. |
The objectives set for a period should be realistic and achievable, and should be defined understanding the challenges and the practical problems to be faced. Not only that the resources constraints be it man power or other resources should be thoroughly studied, before setting the goals of the department.
Role clarity for the team members – It is not sufficient, if the department goals are clearly set and defined. Each of the team members’ strengths and weaknesses have to be studied carefully and the roles and responsibilities should be clearly defined. This practice can minimize unnecessary work place conflicts and can contribute a lot to team’s synergy.
Communication Model – If you are a practicing manager or you have subordinates reporting to you, assess your pattern of communication with them. Do you allow your subordinates to ask questions? Do you have clarity on your thoughts before you communicate? Do you provide them with an ambience where they can express their opinions and suggestions freely? Always remember communication is a two way process and an effective communicator is one who obtains feedback from the receiving end to ensure the desired action could be achieved. In addition to it, listening is a key skill. As a superior, it is your duty to listen to the problems or the issues of the team members.
Communication Model – If you are a practicing manager or you have subordinates reporting to you, assess your pattern of communication with them. Do you allow your subordinates to ask questions? Do you have clarity on your thoughts before you communicate? Do you provide them with an ambience where they can express their opinions and suggestions freely? Always remember communication is a two way process and an effective communicator is one who obtains feedback from the receiving end to ensure the desired action could be achieved. In addition to it, listening is a key skill. As a superior, it is your duty to listen to the problems or the issues of the team members.
Conflict Manager – Conflict is an unavoidable syndrome in workplace. It is the duty of the manager or the head of the department to redirect the conflict into a constructive one, creating a win-win situation instead of spoiling the team morale. Based on my experience from my boss, he creates ample opportunities for the involved parties to have open communication and he is very neutral not taking sides. This practice helps the affected ones to learn from their mistakes and build trust and relationship among the team members. When the situation goes to the extreme, he comes into the picture, helping in working out a compromise formula.
