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55  Shuman  Blvd,  STE  #1050  Naperville,  IL    60563  708.738.5040  

   In  today’s  corporate  hallways,  there  seems  to  be  endless  discussion  around  the  alarming  downtrends  in  employee  loyalty.  But  the  ironic  truth  is  that  in  many  cases,    the  same  managers  grasping  to  keep  their  employees  committed  may  unknowingly    be  the  very  catalysts  driving  them  out.    

According  to  a  recent  Gallup  survey,  approximately  half  of  all  employees  have  left  a    job  “to  get  away  from  a  manager.”  But  why?    Where  are  managers  going  so  consistently  wrong  that  50%  of  the  work  force  has,  at  one  time,  felt  it  necessary  to    walk  out  the  door?    

One  common  thread  Gallup  highlights  is  that  “only  18  percent  of  managers  at    U.S.  jobs  [have]  ‘high  talent’  for  leadership  skills,  including  the  ability  to  encourage  accountability  in  the  workplace,  motivate  workers  and  build  relationships  with  them.”  And  when  managers  are  lacking  these  critical  leadership  skills,  their  employee  relationships  often  become  more  directive  and  less  developmental.  

The  term  “micromanager”  has  been  around  for  years,  describing  the  type  of  directive  managers  who  suffocate  their  employees  to  ensure  projects  are  completed  their  way,  rather  than  allowing  room  for  expression,  development,  and  a  sense  of  personal  completion.      

Merriam-­‐Webster  defines  micromanagement  as  the  attempt  “to  control  or  manage  all  the  small  parts  of  something  in  a  way  that  is  usually  not  wanted  or  that  causes  problems.”  For  the  purpose  of  this  white  paper,  we'll  stay  focused  on  the  problem  of  employee  retention.  

But  what  happens  if  we  take  the  word  “micromanagement”,  and  replace  management  with  leadership?  The  new  term  that  emerges—microleadership—would  then  be  defined  as  the  power  or  ability  to  lead  others  in  a  way  that  positively  affects  even  the  small  parts  of  what  they  do.    

Microleadership  would  still  require  the  active  involvement  of  a  superior,  but  suddenly,  the  primary  action  changes  from  controlling  to  leading,  and  the  focus  shifts  from  projects  to  people.  With  employees  at  the  heart  of  this  newly-­‐defined  management  

Microleadership:  3  Tips  to  Build  Stronger    Employee  Relationships  

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55  Shuman  Blvd,  STE  #1050  Naperville,  IL    60563  708.738.5040  

style,  it  seems  only  logical  that  the  managers  who  employ  it  would  be  better  poised    to  develop  stronger,  more  mutually-­‐respectful  relationships—perhaps  the  first  step  toward  earning  back  some  of  that  elusive  employee  loyalty.    

To  better  understand  whether  a  more  developmental-­‐focused  management  style    may  be  right  for  you  and  your  organization,  below  are  three  tips  to  successful  microleadership:    

Check  In,  Not  Up.  It’s  amazing  how  often  managers  are  surprised  when  their  employees  leave,  and  if  anything,  it  goes  to  show  there  is  still  a  lack  of  meaningful  communication  in  many  employer-­‐employee  relationships.  In  fact,  when  social  media-­‐based  recruitment  agency  Staffbay.com  surveyed  over  13,000  job  seekers,  a  whopping  52.6  percent  said  they  wanted  to  leave  their  current  role  because  “they  didn’t  trust  their  boss.”    

With  limited  time  and  the  pressure  of  impending  deadlines,  it’s  easy  to  focus  your  communication  efforts  more  on  the  status  of  your  projects  than  the  needs  of  your  people.  However,  to  demonstrate  to  your  employees  that  their  development  is  a  priority,  it’s  critical  that  you  set  aside  time  to  check  in  on  how  they  are  feeling,  whether  they  are  comfortable  with  and  fulfilled  by  their  current  roles,  and  how  you  can  help  to  better  position  them  for  long-­‐term  success.  

Focus  on  Why,  Not  How.  While  micromanagers  regularly  provide  employees  with  detailed  directions  on  how  to  do  their  work,  microleaders  prefer  to  reinforce  why  they  need  to  do  it.  To  illustrate  the  positive  effect  of  this  seemingly  subtle  difference,  I’d  like  to  share  a  story.    

Not  long  ago,  I  visited  a  manufacturing  plant  that  produced  thread.  This  thread  just  so  happened  to  be  used  to  make  Kevlar  vests  worn  by  military  and  police  forces  as  a  life-­‐saving  device  from  bullets,  shrapnel  and  other  dangerous  objects.  During  my  visit,  I  asked  one  of  the  hourly  line  employees  what  his  job  is.  His  response  was  that  he  saves  lives.  I  was  a  bit  perplexed  as  I  stood  watching  thread  spewing  from  his  machine  at  hundreds  of  feet  per  minute,  until  he  went  on  to  explain  that  if  he  does  not  perform  his  job  at  a  level  of  utmost  quality,  even  one  resulting  imperfection  could  put  the  individual  who  might  one  day  wear  this  product  in  harms  way.  

Impressively,  the  leadership  at  this  company  had  been  able  to  clearly  communicate  their  overarching  mission  in  such  a  way  that  it  permeated  all  levels  of  the  organization.  Of  course,  it’s  understood  that  not  all  job  functions  have  the  potential  to  save  lives.  However,  if  you  can  reinforce  the  purpose  behind  what  your  employees  do,  you  will  instill  a  sense  of  pride  and  inspire  them  to  perform  with  excellence,  not  just  because  you  care,  but  because  they  do  as  well.  

Don’t  just  Say  it.  Show  it.    Micromanagers  who  provide  endless  direction  from  the  sidelines  often  leave  employees  questioning  whether  their  bosses  even  have  the  ability  to  perform  key  job  functions  themselves.  Conversely,  successful  microleaders  communicate  with  their  

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55  Shuman  Blvd,  STE  #1050  Naperville,  IL    60563  708.738.5040  

employees  just  as  much  through  their  actions  as  their  words.  They  demonstrate  their  passion  and  abilities  in  the  workplace,  establishing  team  standards  and  inspiring  those  around  them  to  perform  to  the  same  high  level.  

Although  you  many  have  the  knowledge  base  required  to  hand-­‐hold  employees  through  their  projects,  it’s  a  powerful  choice  to  instead  empower  team  members  to  make  their  own  decisions,  offering  them  the  freedom  to  exercise  creativity  and  rely  on  their  own  best  judgment.  The  result?  Employees  working  for  micromanagers  walk  away  with  the  sole  understanding  of  how  to  do  their  jobs,  but  employees  of  microleaders  also  walk  away  with  an  understanding  of  how  to  become  leaders  themselves.    

So  what  does  this  all  mean?  

Ongoing  communication  is  a  must  to  build  healthy,  long-­‐lasting  employee  relationships,  but  to  achieve  the  desired  response,  you  must  start  with  the  right  intention.  Vlatka  Hlupic,  management  consultant  and  author  of  The  Management  Shift  said  it  this  way:  “It’s  about  developing  trust  within  your  team  and  tolerating  mistakes  as  people  will  not  be  innovative  if  they’re  not  allowed  to  experiment.  It’s  also  about  focusing  on  the  higher  purpose  of  organization  and  aligning  that  with  the  individual  purpose  of  employees.”  

At  the  end  of  the  day,  each  manager-­‐employee  relationship  is  unique,  and  there’s  certainly  no  one-­‐size-­‐fits-­‐all  style  of  management.  However,  if  you’re  feeling  the  pain  from  high  turnover,  or  are  still  struggling  to  bring  clarity  to  your  company’s  mission  and  vision,  microleadership  can  be  a  great  strategy  for  showing  employees  you’re  committed  while  you  work  toward  a  thorough  understanding  of  where  your  organization  is  headed,  and  what  role  each  individual  will  play  in  getting  you  there.  

 

Are  there  short  or  long-­‐term  benefits  your  organization  could  gain  by  adopting  a  microleadership  style  of  management?  If  you  need  help  getting  started,  give  us  a  call  today  at  #708-­‐738-­‐5040,  or  visit  our  websites  at  RRGExec.com  and  SearchWorksllc.com