Everyone who has ever worked a job has had positive and negative thoughts about it. One subject that crosses people’s minds is, “What would you like your manager to do differently?” Here’s some information about how employees think, how to give employers feedback, and what to do to help make the workplace more pleasant and comfortable for everyone involved.
Statistics About Employee Contentment
According to Small Business Genius, only 46 percent of employees trust their employers. Twenty-five percent of workers feel that they could do their boss’s job better than they can, and according to HR Daily, 17 percent feel their bosses take credit for their work. Furthermore, 91 percent of workers in a survey conducted by Harris Polls said their bosses do not have good communication skills.
The statistics indicate that not enough workers are offering feedback to their bosses or superiors. Change can’t occur if the company isn’t aware of a problem.
It’s true that some organizations ignore complaints and don’t do anything to fix issues. However, an equal number of workplaces don’t fix problems because they’re unaware that any exist.
Do Employee Opinions Matter?
Employee opinions do matter. In fact, some workplaces send surveys to their workers to gather information about their experiences. Workers often have the opportunity to answer questions like these and voice their opinions in the surveys:
- Are you happy with your job?
- Are you satisfied with your schedule?
- Is everyone following safety precautions?
- Are you pleased with the management style?
- What can your manager do to support you better?
- What would you like your manager to do differently?
- What is one thing you would recommend your manager do differently to be more effective?
The employers give their workers the floor to voice their concerns in the surveys, and some even have special boards, apps, or chat features that allow workers to speak out when needed. They gather this information because they care about their workers’ experiences and understand that poor experiences can cause problems for the employees and the establishment.
When Is It Appropriate To Talk to Your Manager About Concerns?
If you don’t receive a survey, you can still talk to your manager and let him or her know how you feel. You must ensure that you choose an appropriate time to do so. These are some ideas for when to voice your concerns:
During an Open-Door Meeting
An open-door meeting is a sit-down with your manager and at least one other leadership person. You can approach any subject that concerns you during an open-door session. It would be a great time to mention what you would like your manager to do less of or discuss any treatment you feel is unprofessional.
You’ll have another supervisor in the room who can take notes if necessary. Open-doors were designed to bridge the communication gap between store managers and the subordinates who work under them but don’t see them much.
At a Weekly or Monthly Meeting
You can discuss a subject with your manager during a group meeting if it isn’t too personal or serious. Your manager will likely give each worker a chance to initiate discussions about current operations, sales tactics, processes, etc. You can bring up your topic of concern when everyone huddles and participates in matters that concern the whole workplace.
During Your Performance Evaluation
Workplaces usually give their employees performance evaluations every quarter; some only do it once or twice a year. Nevertheless, you’ll have a chance to speak to your manager one-on-one about your strengths and weaknesses.
You won’t be out of line to talk to him or her about certifications, promotions, or concerns at that time. Ask for permission to speak about something, and then approach the topic once you get confirmation from your manager.
During an Exit Interview
Sometimes, communication is so poor at the workplace that a person decides to leave before trying to solve an existing problem. If that’s your situation, you can still talk to someone during the exit interview. It might not save your job or help you, but it can make the workplace more pleasant for someone who takes a job there after you.
Not all managers are aware of the shortcomings or tendencies that workers feel are unpleasant. If you don’t speak your mind, no one might ever bring them to the manager’s attention, and the problem might remain for years. You can be kind to someone else by speaking out and bringing awareness to the organization to spare others from having the same disappointing experience.
Where To Find and Post Employee Feedback
The internet has made it 10 times easier for workers to give feedback and write about their workplace experiences. They can even contribute suggestions to management or the company. These are some ways you can leave your feedback:
Employer Review Sites
Several reputable employee review sites exist. They allow users to post their experiences and offer information about the pros and cons of places they work for or have previously worked for.
Social Media Pages
Your employer may also have a social media page it operates and monitors. Employees can join and discuss various topics on the page.
Workers usually ask each other questions and seek advice on such sites. However, managers appear there from time to time, and they can also answer questions and concerns.
Networking Sites
Job networking sites are similar to social media pages, but they connect people who work for the same company. You can communicate with your managers on a site like that as well.
Personal Websites and Pages
If you have a personal website or weblog, you have a right to discuss any issue that bothers or concerns you. Freedom of speech should allow you to write what’s in your heart, as long as you don’t breach any agreements or make false accusations.
Unfortunately, censoring exists, and so does shading out certain creators and speakers. So you could write your heart out and then become disappointed if your content never sees the light of day. You probably have a larger chance of reaching someone if you use a different method or write your feedback anonymously—like a ghost.
If you’re unclear about what to tell your manager to improve on, you can choose from these topics:
- Scheduling
- Attitude
- Communication
- Disciplinary procedures
- Professionalism
- Motivational tactics
Things Exceptional Managers Do
Exceptional managers always try to grow themselves and their teams to give the company the best productivity, morale, and results. These are examples of when you have an exceptional leader:
The manager creates a positive atmosphere.
One sign of an excellent leader is that he or she cultivates a positive environment for everyone. That means there’s little or no tolerance for things like sabotage, tattling, unhealthy competition, disrespect, and the like. Good leaders will intervene and correct the situation rather than turn a blind eye.
The leader listens.
True leaders don’t just direct and instruct; they also listen to their workers’ needs and desires and find solutions to their work-related problems. One of the top complaints on popular feedback forums is that the leaders ignore workers who need assistance.
The individual helps the team.
A strong manager will jump in when his or her subordinates need help. This person will never sit back and watch when the team falls behind.
The boss motivates you.
Good leaders will find constructive ways to motivate the staff. Scare tactics and manipulation won’t be a part of the process.
Read More: How To Motivate Peers At Work: 10 Effective Ways
The leader treats everyone with respect.
Respect is something that should permeate a workplace. Amazing leaders will never need to threaten, yell, or humiliate another human being. Being cordial and kind is what great managers do differently.
Real Feedback From Employees
The following are some paraphrased answers to the questions, “What would you like your manager to do differently?” and “What would you like your manager to do less of?” It also includes some suggestions for overall management. You can leave information like this on a site or try to handle the problem within the confines of your workplace.
“I would like my manager to be more involved.”
“Tell us when you’re unhappy with our performance.”
“Coach us more.”
“Pay good money and benefits if you want people to stick around.”
“Actually manage the department.”
Indeed
“Listen better.”
“Care more about your workers.”
“Lower your expectations.”
“Train the managers how to speak to people.’
Quora
“Set examples instead of barking orders.”
“Talk to the workers instead of watching.”
“Keep your promises and help others.”
Now you know what other people think their managers should do differently. Stop and ask yourself, “What would you like your manager to do differently?” and then answer the question. When you’re done answering the question, you need to think of an effective way to get the point across to your manager.
Use one of the methods you read above to communicate. Remember that no problems can be resolved if you do not reach out and let someone know that those problems exist. You’ll at least have a partial chance of seeing something change.
Read More:
- 10 Best Ways To Deal With Employees Who Complain About Workload
- Reasons Your Coworker Gets Away With Everything (And Tips To Deal With It)
- Thinking “My Boss Has Changed Towards Me”? Here Are 5 Ways To Handle The Situation
- 3 Free Templates For Employee Town Hall Meeting Announcement
- 7 Tips To Handle Employees Who Think They Are the Boss
- What To Do When An Employee Gives An Ultimatum?
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