Written by: Katina Smith, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
So, you have been hired as a supervisor or manager, or you are leading a team. Where do you start with your employees? Sometimes leaders do not go into their role or position with a vision and clear path for their employees. Additionally, there may be a preconceived notion about the employees based on past experiences or comments made by others in the company. It is perfectly fine to ask around to obtain a better understanding of your employees and the environment and culture of the company, but it’s also important to keep a positive mindset and get to know your employees personally.
Initial step
A good process to follow when you are taking on a new role and will oversee employees involves having an initial group meeting as soon as possible to introduce yourself. The key here is to be yourself and genuine. Employees want to know who you are and how your presence will affect them. This would be a good time to share your excitement about your new role, work experience, management style, expectations, and something personal about yourself, such as what you enjoy doing. Remember, this is an initial meeting so you will share some of this information at some point again.
Meeting with your employees individually
You should schedule a meeting with your employees individually. This may occur a few weeks after starting your new role because you may have other tasks or responsibilities. You can start out by asking each employee the following:
How long they have been working for the company
What they enjoy about the job
If there was something that they could change/improve what would that be
What they are currently working on
What are their immediate needs
End the meeting by thanking them for their time and providing feedback. Let them know you will set up regular meetings initially so that you can ensure that they succeed in their position.
Initially, you may want to meet bi-weekly, but meeting monthly may be adequate as time goes by and you get to know your employees.
It’s so important that you let your employees know you are available for them and that they can reach out to you with any questions or concerns.
Moving forward
Finally, you must remember that it takes time to build trust and relationships. You must be consistent with how you show up for your employees and genuinely care about their well-being. Also, remember that every employee is different. Often leaders take a one size fits all approach to working with their employees. One employee may need more supervision than another. Additionally, employees have different learning styles so ask if they are predominantly a visual, auditory, kinesthetic, or reading and writing learner. We use all four, but most people have a dominant learning style. There are also tools available you can use for all employees to help you communicate more effectively such as DISC, Myers Briggs, and Enneagram to name a few. But remember that these are tools to learn how to better communicate with your staff and shouldn’t be used to label them.
Call to action
I make people feel good about the workplace! You can send an e-mail here to learn more about how you can improve your workplace.
Also, you can read my book Sick Workplaces: What Employers Are Missing When It Comes To Workplace Wellness to learn more about the challenges that employees and employers face in the workplace and solutions.
Katina Smith, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Katina Smith is a Workplace Wellness Trainer, Board Certified Holistic Health Practitioner, Certified Functional Nutrition Counselor, and Certified Mental Wellness coach. She has over 20 years of experience evaluating the effectiveness and efficiency of programs and operations and over 10 years of experience in the health and wellness industry. Katina drives outcomes through active listening and utilizing scientifically proven methods that yield results when applied. She is the founder of Happiness In You, a health and wellness company that helps clients feel confident and live a healthy and happy life.
