July 4, 2012

Boss's lousy people skills leave workers in tears

• Post a comment |
• E-mail |
• Print
• • Share:
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  

By Marie G. McIntyre / McClatchy-Tribune News Service
Q: I supervise three technicians in a busy medical clinic. These employees recently complained to management that I belittle them, show them no respect and occasionally cause them to leave work in tears. I was told that they greatly admire my clinical skills, but find me to be intimidating.

My boss has said that I must resolve this communication issue so the technicians will feel comfortable bringing me their problems. I need to know how to interact with these employees in a way that does not seem threatening. By the way, none of them has ever given me this feedback directly.

A: At the risk of stating the obvious, employees who feel threatened by their boss are unlikely to provide any face-to-face criticism. Going to your manager felt like a much safer way to express their concerns.

I assume that you have no desire to terrorize the technicians, so you must lack a fundamental understanding of what it means to be a leader. In your current role, relationship skills are just as important for success as technical skills. Leadership is all about motivating people to do their best, but demeaning comments will only motivate them to leave.

To begin building bridges with your employees, meet with each one individually, explain your desire to become a better supervisor, and ask how you can be more helpful and supportive. These discussions should provide a road map for self-improvement, but if the changes seem too difficult, ask your boss to arrange for some appropriate coaching or training.

• Post a comment |
• E-mail |
• Print
• • Share:
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  

Read more
Career Advice, conflict, featured, management

0 Comments

Leave a comment

* required field

Your name: *

E-mail address: (Will not be displayed)

Your comment: *

Captcha:

Type the characters you see in the picture above.