With that in mind, today our friends over at Land Digital are breaking down some of the commonly used jargon in employee/employer scenarios to ensure you fully comprehend management best practices and, in turn, optimise and foster work relationships bound for success.

 

 

This is a fully engaged form of listening where the listener - often the Manager - focuses on ensuring everything being communicated is fully comprehended in order to offer a thorough and considered response. This is a valuable tool to ensure employees feel their voice is being heard - an important factor in employee satisfaction and a fundamental factor in a positive team mentality.

 

An attrition rate is the rate of reduction in a workforce - whether that be the result of resignation, retirement, contract terminations or other. This is an important concept for managers to be aware of and monitor regularly, as a high attrition rate may indicate a problem with management practices.

 

Misunderstandings can arise as a result of broken communication, which is a disconnect in the communications between parties. Of course, this can be particularly problematic if it occurs during briefs, as this can have a knock-on effect across the project and result in an inaccurate or unsatisfactory solution.

 

Conflict between team members is sometimes an unavoidable part of working life, and as a result, it’s imperative that a manager is able to competently deal with such difficult situations. To do this effectively, managers should look to implement conflict strategies - defined as a swift resolution method that thoroughly contemplates the problems of each individual in order to reach a mutually agreed solution.

 

 

More simply referred to as ‘team spirit’, esprit de corps is the mutual feeling of pride between team members. Managers should look to foster this mentality day-to-day in order to achieve a collective morale that, in turn, creates a positive working environment - to the obvious subsequent advantage of employee and business alike.

 

This is a useful analogy to understand the emotional and practical intelligence required to effectively manage both the needs of an individual and the needs of a business. If you picture an iceberg that is partially submerged underwater and partially exposed above water, then the latter represents obvious and practical requirements - such as tasks, times, budgets and results. The former, on the other hand, represents the more subtle aspects of completing a job - such as the personality and motivations of those undertaking it. This analogy helps managers comprehend the variety of fundamental factors associated with any given task.

 

 

Micromanagement is understood as a management style in which employees are closely monitored, with managers practising excessive control right down to the minor details. Effectively, this strips an employee of their decision making ability which can be incredibly restricting to role progression, employee autonomy and subsequently, team morale. As such, managers should look to avoid this style of management wherever possible.

 

Open communication promotes a distinct transparency between both team members and manager and team. Encouraging two-way conversation is an effective way of ensuring employee’s voices are heard and can be an efficient way of utilising ideas and expertise across your team. To implement this, place emphasis on feedback and collaboration wherever possible.

 

Responsible delegation

 

In order to complete tasks at the best possible standard, managers should look to implement responsible delegation - matching the task with the team member with the most appropriate skillset. This ensures managers are thinking commercially by guaranteeing client expectations are met (or exceeded) every time.

 

 

Situational leadership is a management model first established by Dr Paul Hersey. At its core, it evaluates the unique needs of each employee and implements a different leadership approach for each individual accordingly. This can be a highly effective form of people management, as it deals directly with each individual in order to achieve collective goals.

Work-life balance, defined as the ratio between work and daily life, should be a vital consideration for any manager. Ensure this is a factor in any commercial decision you make to maintain high-levels of employee engagement, team morale and subsequent job satisfaction.

 

A solid understanding and competent implementation of people management skills is vital to the success of any manager and ultimately the success of any business. With that in mind, be sure to spruce up on your jargon to ensure you’re managerial strategy is in-line with the latest in industry best practice.

 

 

Jon Leighton is the Director of Land Digital, a full-service digital agency providing made-to-measure marketing, design and development solutions to help businesses in the UK solve their commercial problems.