Employee Engagement

Can you remember a time when you received feedback you didn’t like, and immediately went into defense mode? Or a time when you lashed out because you were disappointed by an employee’s behavior, damaging your relationship? In a recent survey on emotions in the workplace, we asked a group of managers:

Have you ever felt unhappy with how you managed your emotions or reacted to a situation at work?

You might have guessed it — 100% of respondents said YES.

We’re all human, and emotional responses are only natural. But the goal is for the passion people feel at work to contribute to your team’s success, not hinder it. Learning to manage emotions — both your employees’ and your own — will help you better support your team, and each person in it.

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The role of emotions in the workplace

Modern workplace cultures encourage people to be themselves, because that’s the best way to get their strongest ideas to the table and unlock their potential. It also makes more space for emotions in the workplace. And that’s great, but it also means that learning to regulate emotions and handle others' emotions are now key management skills. As Liz Fosslien and Mollie West Duffy explain in their book No Hard Feelings: The Secret Power of Embracing Emotions at Work:

Beyond the leader-employee relationship, emotional dynamics affect our motivation, health, communication, decision making, and more. Yet most of us ignore these emotions. Why is it that when we think of professionalism, we immediately jump to the idea that we should suppress everything we feel?

In the year since the pandemic and grand exodus from our offices to remote work, emotions have run high. People are overwhelmed, feeling alienated, on edge, and facing burnout. And it's hard to gauge your team members’ emotions through a screen. Making space for emotions at work must be done responsibly, because emotions affect attitudes, team morale, employee engagement, and ultimately job performance.

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Types of positive emotion and negative emotion

We asked a group of managers about workplace emotion, and their answers were mostly negative:

• Anger
• Defensiveness
• Frustration
• Impatience
• Stress
• Anxiety
• Self-doubt
• Insecurity

Many people's thoughts go to the negative when asked about emotions at work. But we also experience a lot of positive emotions at work, like:

• Excitement
• Satisfaction
• Accomplishment
• Happiness
• Confidence
• Inspiration
• Curiosity
• Empowerment

All these emotions affect how people do their work, collaborate, and contribute to the goals of their team and organization. When you learn to tap into both the positive and the negative, you’re developing emotional intelligence. And that means you can start to see how human emotion can be used for better decision-making and results.

How to tap into employee emotions in the workplace

So how can you harness positive emotions and manage negative emotions on your team? Here we go over some tips and tactics for creating an emotional culture that benefits your team.

Outline team values and principles

A clear set of guiding team principles helps everyone align on the shared values of the group and builds psychological safety. Schedule a meeting or create a space where team members can share ideas asynchronously. Have everyone share their input on post-its (try a virtual whiteboard), then cluster common points.

Team principle brainstorm questions

• What are we doing well as a team?
• What are we not doing well?
• What are our ideas for improving the way we work together?
• What are our shared values?
• What team principles can we set to represent the output of this brainstorm?

In action: You can refer to these principles when an emotional outburst causes conflict or blocks productivity. Or, they can encourage people to embrace and reinforce positive emotion. For example, “we lose as a team” could be brought up if a team member blames someone else for a mistake. “We win as a team” could support the decision to schedule a long lunch to celebrate an accomplishment.

Have regular one-on-one meetings

The more one-on-one communication you have with each member of your team, the more you’ll be able to read their emotional expression. Plus, one-on-one meetings keep you up to date with what’s motivating employees or blocking their success, and their level of job satisfaction. These conversations help you uncover their emotions and offer a safe space for people to open up about their mental health or personal life.

One-on-one questions to ask for an emotional check-in:

• What motivates you to come to work?
• What makes you uncomfortable at work and, as a result, prevents you from concentrating on a given task?
• Can you give me concrete examples of stressful situations you experience at work?
• What are you loving from our current remote work context?

Plan one-on-one agendas quickly and simply with the questions above and dozens of other suggested talking points in Officevibe’s one on one software. Agenda planning is shared with employees, so they can bring up their own thoughts or workplace feelings.

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Collect and share 360 degree employee feedback

Peer-to-peer feedback, or 360 degree feedback, helps your team members understand what their colleagues appreciate most about their work. It also highlights areas where their peers see opportunities for them to grow. This alleviates people’s assumptions about how they’re perceived and empowers them to leverage their strengths and challenge themselves. Collect 360 degree feedback anonymously or not, and share the output in one-on-one meetings with each team member.

360 degree feedback questions:

• What should X keep doing?
• What should X stop doing?
• What should X start doing?
• How has X positively contributed to the team’s culture?
• What can X improve in their contribution to the team dynamics?
• Any other thoughts to share?

Examples of when to manage your emotions at work

People management can be tough. According to our survey on managers' emotional experience at work, negative feelings stem from:

• The pressure you put on yourself as a manager
• Difficult situations with employees
• Difficult situations with your boss
• Difficult situations with other managers

Here are some tactics for managing your emotions in these situations.

The pressure you put on yourself as a manager

It's natural to feel some pressure as a manager, but this pressure often comes from within. Try empowering yourself instead of putting pressure on yourself. When you do that, you break down feelings of insecurity or imposter syndrome and make room for professional success.

Tips to empower yourself in your role:

• Seek out mentors in your field.
• Start co-development sessions with other managers, where you all share experiences and learnings.
• Ask your manager and employees for feedback on your performance. You might be pleasantly surprised, and any criticism will only fuel you to improve.

Collect feedback from your team on an ongoing basis with an anonymous feedback tool like Officevibe. The software helps you get an honest look at how your team members feel about your leadership, and surface pain points so you can take action where they really need it.

Try it for free

Difficult situations with employees

Every manager faces difficult situations with employees, like addressing disruptive employee behavior or even letting someone go. It’s natural for you and your team member to have an emotional reaction when that happens, but it’ll be easier to handle a difficult conversation with tools for emotional regulation.

The SBI framework

Radical Candor’s SBI Framework helps you discuss situations objectively. It’s particularly helpful when emotions run high during difficult conversations. Break down the information you need to share using the framework:

• Situation: Give as much context as possible.
  “Last Thursday was the deadline for the report to be submitted.”
• Behavior: Describe the behaviors you observed without assumptions.
  “Your report was submitted on Friday, and it was incomplete.”
• Impact: Explain the specific impact of their behavior on you and the team.
  “This caused frustration amongst our clients and resulted in the team not meeting its goals.”

Difficult situations with your boss

One of the toughest parts of management is acting as the go-between for your boss and your team. Priorities and approaches don’t always align, meaning you’ll need to advocate for your team and manage up.

How to manage up

• Know what speaks to your boss, whether it’s showing numbers, giving examples, asking questions, making compromises, or providing options.
• Go into the conversation with an open mind and respect your manager’s experience and expertise. Remember that you’re on the same team.
• Think about how you would want your employees to approach you. Use that as a starting point to approach your boss.
• Express your needs and the needs of your team clearly and objectively. Point to how they can help, and explain what will happen if these needs aren’t met.

Difficult situations with other managers

Every manager has their own objectives, motivations, and challenges, and that can cause tension. Keep your cool with the tips outlined below.

How to keep your cool when tensions are high

• Remember that others may not have the same context as you. Be willing to explain ideas further or go into more detail on objectives. Be patient.
• Ask for a breather! Go for a short walk, splash water on your face, or grab a snack. Look at the big picture and come back to the conversation with a fresh perspective.
• If you say something you regret, pause and say “sorry, that didn’t come out right, let me rephrase that.”

Repair and reflect after the fact

If you didn’t succeed at controlling your reaction in a heated moment, take time to reflect on it and admit where you went wrong. It’s not too late to turn what happened into a learning moment, especially if this is a recurring behavior pattern for you.

Reflection questions:

• What really triggered you, and why? Unpack it.
• How might you better see something like this coming in the future?
• What is another way that you could have acted? Write it down so you have a goal for your next conversation.

On a team filled with passionate employees who give their all and show up as they are, emotions are to be expected. Tapping into those emotions and finding ways to make them productive is how the best managers drive team success.

Special thanks to our coaches Simon Chauvette, Dena Adriance, Laure Vessier, and Eric Charest for their thoughtful insights.

Relationships are hard, aren’t they?

Getting to know someone for the first time, working with someone who has a different perspective, working through conflict, and simply learning to trust someone are challenges we’ve all gone or will go through at some point in our life.

It’s not surprising that many people have dedicated their lives to studying the nature of human relationships; human beings are complex systems, and it’s fascinating to learn about them (we think so!).

Earlier this year, we got to see iconic psychotherapist and bestselling author Esther Perel deconstruct the complex system of relationships while following her one perennial truth, that the quality of your relationships is what determines the quality of your life. Not only has she studied relationships between loved ones, she’s also unfolded the complexity behind professional relationships between colleagues.

Esther’s powerful words got us deeply interested in a new concept we hadn’t heard of before: Relational Intelligence.

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What is Relational Intelligence?

There are many ways to define Relational Intelligence, but our preferred one is (no surprise!) inspired by Esther Perel’s work:

Relational Intelligence is our ability as humans to connect with others and establish trust.

You may have heard of Emotional Intelligence before, and wonder how it connects with Relational Intelligence. The way we see it, strong Emotional Intelligence enables Relational Intelligence to develop and expand. When you’re able to identify and understand your emotions and those of others, you’re better equipped for relationship building.

In the new world of work, where behavioural skills take precedence over technical skills, Relational Intelligence is a top competitive advantage for business success. Once considered a “soft skill” (what HR guru Josh Bersin refers to more aptly as “power skills”) in the workplace, our abilities to connect with and influence others, build trust, manage conflict, and communicate effectively are more important than ever. Let’s dig into that a bit further.

Why is Relational Intelligence important in our workplaces?

The workplace is evolving at a dizzying pace and it’s hard for organizations and people to keep up. As Gallup continues to demonstrate in their research, the question isn’t if these changes are coming—it’s how to deal with them.

Numerous studies show that while we’re more connected than ever in the digital world, we struggle to find that same connection in the real world. Just as much as relationships enrich our personal lives, it is often the quality of our relationships at work that determines the quality of our work, and our success. Stronger relationships make for more meaningful discussions, more innovative solutions, and ultimately better business outcomes.

Signs of strong workplace relationships:

• People are vulnerable with each other and share their honest thoughts
• People willingly share information and learnings with one another
• People and teams experiment with new ideas and think outside of the box

Impact on the business:

• The fear of having difficult or sensitive conversations is removed and alignment increases
• Silos are broken and teams work together towards common goals faster and more efficiently
• The fear of failure is removed and innovation and creativity unfold

As Esther Perel says: “No amount of money or purpose or even free food can compensate for a poisonous relationship at work.” She also urged organizations to re-evaluate where they invest their time and resources and focus more on the quality of relationships in the workplace.

But what about the work?

Let’s step back and name the elephant in the room here: is there not a danger that if we focus so much on workplace relationships, the work just won’t get done?

Managers have big mandates to reach, and between the needs of your team and the needs of your boss, you might be wondering when you’ll have time to prioritize building Relational Intelligence. The good news is that relationship-building doesn’t have to come at the price of diminished team performance. On the contrary…

Task-oriented leadership is often contrasted against relationship-oriented leadership, but we strongly believe that they don’t have to work in opposition. In the long-term, focusing on relationships and enabling them can lead to higher performance and better outcomes. As they say,

Alone you go faster, together you go further.

Being relationship-focused doesn’t mean trying to ensure that everyone is friends, or that no discomfort or disagreement ever comes up. In fact, done properly, relationship building should not discourage conflict itself but rather encourage the safety to challenge ideas and work through conflict, so that when conflicts do arise, they can be resolved and lead to better outcomes.

Having people with strong Relational Intelligence on your teams not only contributes to a culture of engagement but to better and more innovative ideas being generated, enhanced team dynamics and collaboration and a stronger sense of shared meaning and purpose. That’s why it’s fundamental that managers encourage and foster these relational bonds both within and outside their team.

Don’t worry, we’re here to help with just that.

How do you build Relational Intelligence?

So how do you build Relational Intelligence, whether your own or on your team? There is no secret recipe, but the best place to start is with genuine curiosity and deep listening.

At our Relational Intelligence workshop at C2 Montreal 2019, in just 90 minutes we were able to generate true connection between people who knew nothing about each other prior to the conference. Attendees experienced how exercising their curiosity and deep listening helped them to better perform the same task at the end of the workshop as they had at the beginning.

Exercises to practice curiosity and deep listening with a group

Try these exercises with your team to help build those genuine connections.

Being heard, not seen

Invite people to form groups of 3 or 4 people. Ask them to close their eyes and give them 5 minutes to talk and try to find 3 things that they have in common and that makes their group unique or distinctive compared to other groups. This might be uncomfortable at first, but the lack of visual contact forces people to truly focus on what others are saying.

Opening up the conversation

Have everyone sit in a group and pick some questions they can ask each other. You can start with low intensity questions such as the following:

• Can you tell us about one person who has influenced you in your life?
• Do you think the world will be a better or worse place 100 years from now?
• What is something new you’ve learned to do in the past year?
• Can you share with us a treasured memory?

There are hundreds of questions like these that people can ask each other. You can also invite people to contribute their own questions. It’s in the small discoveries that people make about each other that connections start to build.

Getting real, and really listening

Invite people to practice deep listening in pairs. Ask one person (‘the sharer”) to share a situation that is real for them right now for which they have no resolution. Invite the sharer to speak while their partner (“the listener”) listens.

After 3 minutes, instruct the listeners to now listen differently, either by remaining silent or asking powerful questions. Insist on the fact that the listener should resist the urge to jump in with ideas or try to comfort the other person.

Here are some examples of powerful questions Relational Intelligence that can be suggested:

• How do you feel in the situation?
• Why is this affecting you?
• What deeply matters to you?
• What’s your biggest need?
• What are you afraid of?
• What are you learning about yourself in this experience?
• What could help you get a sense of forward momentum?
• If you imagine the best case scenario, what would happen?

Have the pairs switch roles, then invite everyone to debrief on the quality of the listening and the effects it had on the sharer.

Management Tip: To build your own Relational Intelligence, practice implementing the premises from these activities in your day-to-day. For example, ask some of the powerful questions in coaching conversations or one-on-ones with employees.

How can you measure the quality of your relationships with the people you work with?

Like all human sciences, the quality of relationships are easy to gauge but very difficult to precisely measure. You can qualify your relationships, saying things like “we get along well” or “we’re a perfect match!” but you won’t ever hear someone say “I love my wife an 8 out of 10!” You can’t quite put a number on it.

This said, it’s easier if you break it down into something tangible. When managers can pinpoint the areas of their employees’ experience and team dynamics that need attention, they’re more equipped to take action that will have a real impact.

Science has helped us pinpoint the key components that contribute to employee engagement. Among these components are relationships with our peers and with our manager, and by asking specific questions we can better understand precisely which elements of the relationship work well and which need some work.

Here are some questions that are asked to qualify workplace relationships among peers in Officevibe's Pulse Survey software:

• Do you respect the people you work with?
• Do you feel that your peers are contributing ​to achieving team goals?
• Do you feel that you are part of a team?
• Do your peers welcome opinions different from their own?
• Can you count on your peers when you need help?
• Do you trust your peers?

Learn more about how Officevibe can help you keep a pulse on your team.

In the end, human relationships are complex. They take hard work and a lot of time to build. But when they’re genuine, deep and meaningful, they take our lives to a whole other level. In a world where technology is omnipresent, it’s essential for all of us to take a moment to slow down and connect to those around us, because it’s with them that we share our lives, have meaningful experiences, build amazing products or provide exceptional service.

When we invest in our workplace relationships, we go from people working together to a connected team that builds together and shares meaning.​

Open and honest communication between managers and employees can have a huge impact on employee motivation, satisfaction, and even productivity.

One-on-one meetings are a great space to discuss goals, career development, and challenges. Unfortunately, they can also become uncomfortable to manage, especially when discussing negative topics like conflict or performance issues.

We sat down with managers on the ground to get you the best tips for creating open communication channels and getting the most out of your one-on-one meetings.

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What managers gain from one-on-one conversations

One-on-ones aren't just about keeping your team on track and achieving goals; they offer unique opportunities that can benefit employees and managers alike.

Having a regular one-on-one meeting can foster trust and improve the manager-employee relationship. It creates a safe space where employees can raise concerns and managers can take action to keep their teams satisfied and productive.

According to a recent Gallup poll, regular weekly feedback creates more engaged and motivated team members than irregular or annual feedback, which can hurt morale.

Boost employee performance

According to MMC Global's Kathryn Kellam, the primary benefit of weekly meetings is boosting performance — hers and her team's. By creating a conversation flow and integrating employee feedback, she can cover important topics about current concerns while also creating actionable plans for the future.

Tackle difficult conversations

Many managers dread having to navigate difficult conversations or awkward topics during their one-on-ones. But Tony Ticknor from Irish Titan views those moments as a chance for team members to give honest, genuine feedback.

I want people to come tell me when something's hard, or they don't want to do something, or they're having a conflict with someone on the team. I don't love spending an entire one-on-one getting project updates from people. I'd rather they focus on goals and on the awkward, tough stuff.

Tips for better one-on-one conversations

Understanding the benefits of one-on-one meetings is one thing; actually, having a successful meeting is a whole other ballgame. Many managers struggle to improve communication between themselves and their team members during a one-on-one meeting, but a bit of preparation can ensure that your meetings begin and end on a positive note.

Plan ahead

Setting a meeting agenda and coming up with talking points before the one-on-one ensures that everyone involved has set expectations about what the meeting will cover. It also ensures that the meeting remains focused on the discussion points, keeping it short. If you're concerned about awkwardness, you can even prepare conversation starters and write down open-ended questions that will foster more open conversation.

Ticknor finds that one advantage of Officevibe's collaborative agenda is to empower employees to set their own meeting notes and talking points. Doing so ensures that each meeting is useful and productive.

Since using Officevibe for one-on-ones, I've seen more engagement from people in planning what we're going to talk about.

Tony Ticknor

Keep track of notes and commitments

Keeping accurate meeting notes is an important skill. Comprehensive notes let managers and employees keep track of key topics and check in on progress during subsequent meetings.

Making meeting notes available to everyone involved also ensures your whole team is on the same page. Miscommunication often creeps up during one-on-ones, and having clean notes prevents misunderstandings while also providing evidence in the case of conflicts.

Falon Peters, a manager of ten at LaFleur, uses Officevibe's meeting notes functionality to keep notes accessible and centralized. While having a notebook may be simple enough, Peters found that:

The collaborative agenda where employees can add talking points before the meetings helps make sure that we're covering everything. Then, being able to set action items ties it all together.

By updating agenda items collaboratively, managers and their direct reports can develop a working relationship that focuses on teamwork and meeting career and project objectives.

Focus on employee purpose

Motivated and engaged employees are more likely to be productive and produce high-quality work. Having a sense of purpose is an essential aspect of engagement, as it emphasizes that what the employee does matters to the company.

Falon Peters has found that tying her employee's sense of purpose to company values and goals makes tackling difficult or sensitive conversations easier. During a recent one-on-one meeting with a direct report whose communication style resulted in conflict, Peters said:

"I prefaced it by saying that one of the things we value at LaFleur is relationships, which sometimes means that we have to value the relationship more than being right. It's important to have your facts ready and to offer your help for any next steps. From there you can come up with a plan — but aligning it to your company values is a good place to start."

Hone in on employee engagement

Many managers view one-on-one meetings as spaces to get status updates on current projects and set goals for the next meetings.

However, regular meetings can also foster employee engagement by showing the employee you value their input while identifying problems and potential solutions. Viewing these meetings as a two-way street builds trust and openness, and employees who trust you are more likely to raise concerns before they turn into costly problems.

Kathryn Kellam uses her standing meeting times to ask her direct reports about aspects such as professional development, work/life balance concerns, and team collaboration. By getting a high-level overview, she can create collaborative agendas that value employee input. As she puts it:

"Being able to look at how we're performing as a full company and where my team is in comparison to that, I'm able to see certain themes. Sharing the survey results with the team and then building that into how we work together has significantly improved overall employee satisfaction. The one-on-one platform and having a formal process to review and document things has helped through that."

Fostering strong relationships requires excellent leadership skills but offers significant benefits that affect the entire workspace. Keeping most one-on-one meetings positive and focused on day-to-day work enables managers and employees to have productive conversations about difficulties and challenges when necessary.

Value your employees

If you want to get the most out of performance reviews or one-on-one meetings, you need to take them seriously. That includes scheduling one-on-one time with every team member, acting on their input, and getting to know them personally while also understanding their professional goals.

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The worst thing you can do is regularly cancel your one-on-ones. Not only does it show team members that you're not serious about their input, but it also prevents employees from taking the one-on-ones seriously. If you schedule a recurring meeting with a direct report, honor it and avoid wasting their time.

As Melissa Hui from Context Leap told us at Officevibe:

The biggest benefit is the establishment of rhythm towards rapport and trust-building. Great relationships don't happen overnight. When you keep one-on-ones, you signal that you're committed to growing each other.

Discuss challenges and share constructive feedback

Constructive feedback is an essential component of personal growth and career development. There is a learning curve to any job, and constructive feedback helps identify problems and find solutions.

Giving useful feedback to direct reports requires having serious, sometimes difficult conversations. As a manager, you need to be able to provide useful feedback but also to take it from your direct report.

Avoiding negative reactions to honest employee feedback fosters trust and gets the most out of each one-on-one meeting with your direct reports.

Talk about development

Career growth is an important factor in employee satisfaction. Employees that don't feel like they're making progress in their work environment are less likely to stay.

One-on-one meetings can be a dedicated time where you discuss your employee's career path, training, and future goals. If you've used previous one-on-ones effectively, employees will be more likely to be honest about their career goals, allowing them to develop pathways to get to those goals.

According to Jordan Scheltgen, a manager at Cave Social:

Once you know where someone wants to be in five years from now, you can help reverse engineer what needs to happen for them to get there.

Get the most out of one-on-one meetings with Officevibe

The key to successful one-on-one conversations is planning and openness. Officevibe's array of performance review and meeting tools encourages collaboration and alignment with company goals and creates an open feedback environment between you and your team.

The benefits of one-on-ones extend far beyond the occasional status update, so why not harness the power for your team today?

Please note that the individuals mentioned in this article may have moved on to other professional endeavors since the date of original publication.

In a perfect work environment, you would have a great manager, a clearly defined role and expectations. But Gallup says that companies fail to hire or promote managers with the right talent for the job 82% of the time. So what can you do if you have a difficult manager who makes it hard for you and your team to get the job done?

That’s when it's time to learn the leadership skill of managing up. Managing up is the art of learning how to work better with the manager you have, no matter their skill level, work style or personality type.

As a manager, you serve as an intermediary, so you need to protect your team by having tough conversations. If you learn to manage up, you will find more success and happiness in your job, and the employees on your team will be better off, too.

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What does it mean to manage up?

Managing up is learning to balance the “manager in the middle” role you have between your team and your own boss. McKinsey found that actions relating to managing up were about 50% more important than managing subordinates for business success. 

It might be tough to balance performing in your role, and pleasing your manager: a signature sign of a job well done. Doing this requires you to develop the management skill of communicating your needs to your leader. 

In her book, Managing Up, Rosanne Badowski describes the fundamentals for managing up successfully:

1. Manage expectations: A difficult manager can surface unrealistic expectations. To help this, set expectations. Define your team's objectives and projects and be clear about how much time employees need to complete their job properly.
2. Coordinate communications: Don’t let a “failure to communicate” be the downfall of your team’s success. Keep your manager in the loop about what your team is doing, and update your team on management expectations. Clear communications rely on cohesive goals and responsibilities for team alignment.
3. Criticize constructively: Many people are uncomfortable offering feedback to their managers, but it's how you'll build a strong working relationship. If you aren't clear about what you need, you likely won't achieve your desired outcome. 
4. Mediate disagreements: There may come a time when there is a disagreement between your manager and your team. Whether they don't agree with a new direction or understand where decisions are coming from, it's up to you as their team leader to ensure everyone gets on the same page.

When you have a pre-existing space to give your manager feedback, it’s easier to get the conversation started.

Officevibe is designed to assist employees and managers alike. When it comes to upward feedback, we help you ask employees specific questions. Choose to respond anonymously, at your discretion. Our anonymous feedback feature helps initiate difficult conversations. 

Sign up to Officevibe for free!

Make your managing up efforts work

Gallup reveals that 50% of employees leave their companies because of their boss. Instead of leaving and looking for another position, know that you can work through difficult conversations with your direct manager.  Here's how to manage up and improve your relationship with your manager.

Be prepared

Sort out what you want to say to your manager. Write it down or rehearse it with someone you trust. Make sure your points are clear and concise. Watch for an accusatory tone, and keep the conversation about the facts.

💡 Tip: Officevibe offers shared 1-on-1 meeting agendas where you can add talking points ahead of time. It allows both parties to contribute, so you can both come prepared.

Be specific

Talk about specific behaviours, tasks, and action items. Use measurable input from your team to point out areas that are unclear.

Focus on solutions

Instead of listing out everything that is not working, focus on possible solutions. Use phrases like: “How do you think my team can move forward to meet our goals?” or “Is there another approach that will help?”

Remember, timing is everything

Part of your job is being able to “read” your manager. This is a vital skill in determining your success. Select a discussion time where they are not in a rush to meet their own deadlines.

Look ahead

Being solution oriented means learning on the past to focus on the present and the future. Explain what worked or didn't work in the past and how you'd like to make things better.

Avoid the following when managing up:

Don’t overstep

Be mindful to let your leader speak without interruptions.  Prevent a confrontation by clearly hearing each other out.

Don’t be a “yes” person

Take time to process your manager’s requests, and be sure to check in with your team before agreeing to new initiatives. The more you learn to vet requests and even say no, the more your manager will understand boundaries

Don’t aim to please

Remember that your goal is to protect your team and help them perform. Don't be afraid to have the tough conversations that will enable that. At the end of the day, your boss wants your team to succeed too.

💡Tip: When conversations get heated, remind your boss that you have the same end goal and that ultimately you are working towards the same result.

Don’t keep your manager in the dark

Keep in mind that there will be issues, concerns and learnings in any role. Your leader is there to guide to help find solutions.

3 common scenarios for managing up

Let’s put your learnings into action! Here are common scenarios where you might need to manage, and tips for how to get it right. 

Scenario 1:  Disagreeing with changes

Your manager implements changes that your team doesn’t think will improve the subject at hand. However, you're the middle manager, and you need to mediate between your manager’s request and your team’s response.

How to manage up in this scenario: 

• Ask for specifics: Request more details on the anticipated positive impacts your manager anticipates. If it's “just an idea” let them know that you need their ideas to be backed up with a credible hypothesis.
• Bring in the experts: Encourage team members review your manager’s detailed request. Let them share their insights as to why or why not the changes should be made.
• Prioritize based on facts, not hunches: Weigh both sides of the coin with clear hypotheses from both ends, and decide whether to prioritize it or not. 

Scenario 2: Lack of clarity

You’ve discovered that your team does lacks clarity when it comes to key stakeholders and business goals. This has come through from Officevibe’s anonymous Pulse Surveys. You want to bring this data to your manager.

Officevibe metrics show clear data so that you can manage up!

How to manage up in this scenario: 

• Don’t point fingers or accuse: Remain productive. Try addressing this with “I have uncovered areas of concern. I would like us to work together to develop solutions.”
• Share your team’s feedback: Be the voice between your team and your manager.
• Work together: Offer to help establish clear, written goals that eliminate confusion and assure the success of your team.
• Ensure alignment: It's one thing to talk about about objectives, it's another to act on them. Ask your manager to present objectives, and the “why” behind the numbers. Then motivate your team to ask questions.

Scenario 3: Juggling between two teams

Your two teams are at odds over how best to approach an important project. This is a great opportunity to manage up, let your leader know that you care about the outcome and the psychological safety of both teams.

How to manage up in this scenario: 

• Communicate in a neutral perspective: Find a time and place away from the everyday rush of the office where the two of you can calmly communicate as equals.
• Frame the problem succinctly: List out the responsibilities your team has been given. Then, list your concerns about any potential overlap. Show how both teams might be working at odds with one another.
• Offer solutions: Suggest ways the teams might be able to improve their communication with each other.
• Ensure agreement: Make sure you both agree on a plan to move forward, and communicate the plan to your separate teams. Keep in contact with each other to discuss progress and ensure a better understanding of the project as it proceeds.

Managing up benefits you and your team

Managing up is about emotional intelligence in dealing with people, and recognizing that your boss is a person. It is just one of the tools you can put in your managerial tool kit that will make you a great manager. As you involve your manager in helping you become better at your job, you’ll also learn to tackle your daily management challenges, build trust, strengthen work relationships and guide your team to success.

Being a manager is more than just overseeing tasks and projects — it's about shaping the careers and lives of your team members. Think back to the mentor who made a difference in your career. Now, you have the opportunity to be that person for your employees. Your role is pivotal in helping your team reach their full potential and achieve their goals. When they succeed, you succeed. 

Management structures are specific to every organization. That said, all managers, regardless of level, must master management fundamentals for a business to succeed — having the right management skills, understanding the different types of management styles, and adapting them to lead difficult conversations constructively. 

The 5 types of management styles

Management styles are the various approaches leaders use to guide, motivate, and manage their teams. They are like different leadership flavors, each with a different impact on the workplace environment, team dynamics, and overall performance. 

As covered by Forbes, there are many different management styles out there (and even more variations — possibly hundreds!). Here, we cover the five most prominent ones. 

1. Participative management 

This management style involves employees in the decision-making process. It’s a way of flipping the typical top-down structure on its head — pooling from different perspectives. By tapping into employee insights, managers engage their teams, create realistic workloads, encourage collaboration, and foster inclusivity. 

When to use participative management 

Participative management works in a manager's favor if employees have a strong understanding of business objectives, priorities, and goals. If there’s team misalignment, though, employee input might be too wide-ranging and unfocused to be helpful. 

The benefits of participative management 

• Higher collaboration and engagement 

• Collective problem-solving 

• Accountable employees 

2. Network management 

Network management is a fairly hands-off management style. It seeks to build communication between team members and then trust them to work together to resolve problems. The role of a network manager is to maintain healthy dynamics between employees, such as scheduling regular cross-team touchpoints or setting up the right channels, and leave the rest up to the team. 

When to use network management 

This style is ideal for managers and leaders who oversee multiple teams and can’t afford to get stuck in the details. Appointing internal leadership across other members can also assist network managers. 

The benefits of network management 

• Strong team communication 

• Cross-team relationships 

• Self-directed employees 

3. Mentor management 

Mentor or coach management is a style that leads employees toward autonomy — starting from a hands-on approach to becoming more hands-off as employees’ skills and abilities grow. Mentor managers act as coaches. They work one-on-one with each employee to understand their strengths and weaknesses, create development plans, and follow up on progress. 

The benefits of mentor management 

• Employees moving up the ladder 

• Leadership respect and trust 

• Continuous improvement culture 

4. Pacesetting management 

A pacesetting management style sets the pace of work — goals, deadlines, checkpoints — but leaves the execution up to employees. Although this framework can set a competitive tone, some teams thrive in this setting. 

When to use pacesetting management 

If high-performing teams aren’t quite living up to their potential, setting higher standards might be just the kick they need to get back on track. A pacesetting style might not be sustainable long-term, but is great for a sprint of project-specific goals, especially if the team is self-motivated with individual systems and methods to drive results. 

The benefits of pacesetting management 

• Healthy competition 

• Focused motivation 

• Flexibility in work methods and tools 

5. Authoritative management 

Authoritative management is a bit more old-school — somewhat autocratic and often associated with micromanagement. It follows the traditional top-down management model. In this style, managers dictate the what, when, how, and by whom without any employee input. 

When to use authoritative management 

Authoritative management works well with junior employees who need direction. It can also be necessary to get through a crisis, where managers effectively reign in the things that have become out of control and take the pressure off the team. The trick is a strong foundation of trust and the right balance. 

The benefits of authoritative management 

• Removes the burden on the team 

• Lower margin of errors 

• Active manager support 

While we encourage each manager to find their unique spin, the right management style can make a world of difference in helping a team achieve its goals! 

Difficult conversations at work — and how to manage them

Difficult conversations in the workplace can manifest in many forms. These conversations are often characterized by heightened emotions, discomfort, and the potential for conflict.  

But there's no need to worry. Difficult conversations are necessary when a problem arises, and a solution is needed. In fact, they’re incredible opportunities for improvement. This may sound bizarre, but if managers and employees both understand that tough talks are the gateway to a better work-life, then everyone can look forward to them — not fear them! 

Common scenarios for when difficult conversations are needed 

When are managers faced with the need to have a difficult conversation? Most commonly, these interactions occur around: 

1. Performance issues: For example, addressing an employee who consistently misses deadlines or fails to meet quality standards. 

2. Interpersonal conflicts: This could involve mediating a conflict between team members who are not getting along or who disagree over a project. 

3. Behavioral concerns: Intervention is needed around unprofessional behavior, such as tardiness, inappropriate comments, or lack of teamwork. 

4. Career development: Conversations about an employee’s future in the company, especially if there are limited opportunities for advancement. 

There are many scenarios in which difficult conversations need to happen. Sometimes, employees will come to their managers to flag an issue first, but often, it’s the manager who initiates them. 

Manager’s blueprint for addressing poor performance: Download our free template to help you prepare and lead these tricky conversations with ease! 

Importance of addressing issues promptly and effectively

Avoiding difficult conversations might seem like the easier path in the short term, but it often leads to larger problems down the line.  

Unaddressed issues can fester, leading to: 

• Problems snowballing 

• Team resentment 

• Decreased morale 

• Higher turnover rates 

• Impacted company bottom line 

Effective communication benefits the organization. It ensures that everyone is on the same page, helps clarify expectations, and can lead to more innovative solutions. It avoids bad surprises later on like employees feeling blindsided at an annual performance review. 

Managers can foster a culture of transparency and trust by tackling problems head-on. It may not feel easy, but employees appreciate honesty, and they’re likely to respect a leader who addresses issues directly rather than letting them linger. 

Adapting management styles for difficult conversations

Handling tough conversations at work can be challenging, but your management style can make a big difference in how effectively you navigate these situations.  

The participative management approach 

When faced with a difficult conversation, invite the employee to find a solution with you. By asking for their input and ideas on how to resolve the issue, a tough chat feels less like a one-way stern talk and more like a collaboration action plan. 

Say things like: 

• "How do you think we can address this issue together?" 

• "What are your thoughts on how we can improve this situation?" 

• "What steps do you think we should take next?" 

• "Let's decide together on the best way to move forward." 

The network management approach 

When an employee is struggling, position yourself as the bridge between them and another form of support — like a colleague or expertise. Make the talk about creating a helpful environment for resolving the issue at hand. 

Say things like: 

•  "Who else on the team do you think could help you with this?" 

• "Let's bring in X, who I know has experience with this type of issue." 

• "Would it be helpful to bring this up at the next team meeting, so we can find a solution together?" 

• "As per company protocol, involving a mediator is necessary. I’ll set up the next steps for you and them." 

The mentor management approach 

Empathy and active listening are the keys to helping employees navigate their challenges here. Difficult conversations should focus on understanding the employees' realities and gaps and working together on a development plan to overcome the issue. 

Say things like:

• "I want to understand what challenges you're facing so we can work through them together." 

• "This is an area where I see a great opportunity for you to grow." 

• "What specific goals can we set to help you improve in this area?" 

The pacesetting management approach 

Consider the difficult conversations as an opportunity to motivate high-performing employees or teams to rise to the challenge by providing concrete feedback and emphasizing the urgency of accomplishing the next milestones. 

Say things like: 

• "We need to meet these standards by the end of the quarter. How can I help you achieve this?" 

• "The data shows a need for improvement here. How do you plan to address this?" 

• "I believe in your ability to meet these high standards. What resources do you need to succeed?" 

• "Let's push for excellence together. Are there any current goals you think we should revisit to make that happen?" 

The authoritative management approach 

Take control and a more directive approach — which involves clearly outlining what needs to be done, why it's important, and providing step-by-step guidance to correct the issue. 

Say things like: 

• "This is a critical issue that needs immediate action. Here's what I need you to do, step by step." 

• "This approach is necessary because of [specific reason]. I need you to trust the process." 

• "Understanding why we're taking these steps will help you see the bigger picture. Let’s walk through them." 

• “I’ll book a check-in on X date to see how things are going. By then, I expect X outcomes.” 

Remember: Each management style has its strengths, and knowing how to leverage them can help turn difficult conversations into opportunities for growth and improvement. 

Manager’s guide to handling difficult conversations

Handling difficult conversations can be challenging, no matter your management style! But with a bit of prep work (and the right communication techniques), you can turn these discussions into smooth sessions with productive outcomes.  

Whether you need to address performance issues or resolve conflicts, this quick-and-easy guide will help you navigate these tricky talks with confidence and empathy — before, during, and after they occur. 

Before: Getting ready for difficult conversations 

Preparation is the key to any successful conversation. By taking your time to prepare, you can ensure that the discussion stays focused and productive. That’s the magic of having a plan.  

So, how should you prepare?  

What to do before the conversation: 

1. Gather the facts: To keep a conversation fair and objective, discussions need to revolve around facts, not feelings. Don’t wing it —  collect relevant info, like performance data or team feedback, beforehand to build the case you’re about to present to the employee. Facts are useful key points to refer back to and help the conversation stay on track, so it’s a good idea to have some in your arsenal. 
2. Set objectives: Knowing what you want to achieve out of the conversation gives a clear end goal to prepare around. Are you aiming to resolve a specific conflict or provide feedback for improvement? The conversation might have many objectives — make a list ahead of the chat. 
3. Mentally plan for different scenarios: You can't predict everything, but it helps to think about how the employee might respond and prepare your answers accordingly. This is a strategy that avoids being caught off guard. Anticipating different scenarios is also a great empathy exercise as it forces managers to put themselves in the employee’s shoes.

Remember: If you’re well-prepared, you're more likely to handle the conversation calmly and constructively, which helps to minimize misunderstandings and conflict. 

Pro tips for mental and emotional preparation 

Mindset matters. Here are some tips to make sure you're mentally and emotionally setting the right tone before jumping in: 

• Remain calml: Your vibe sets the tone. If you’re relaxed, employees will follow your lead. So keep it cool and collected, even under pressure. 
   
  Say this: "Before we begin, I want to assure you that this is a supportive conversation aimed at helping you succeed." 

• Remember to empathize: Put yourself in the employee’s shoes and demonstrate that you understand them. It helps if they feel like you're not against them, even if there’s an issue. 
   
  Say this: "I understand this might be difficult to sit down about, and I really appreciate your willingness to discuss it with me." 

• Stay positive: Focus on the positive outcomes you want to achieve and always bring it back to that. Remind the employee it's all about looking forward, not dwelling on the past. 
   
  Say this: "Our focus here is on how we can improve and grow together as a team. Sounds good?

During: Reading the room and adjusting accordingly 

Once the conversation starts, it’s important to stay present and be adaptable. So pay attention and read the room, as it's not just about delivering the message but about how and why it’s delivered too. 

Effective communication during the conversation can help ensure that the discussion remains clear, constructive, and focused on solutions. Here’s what to keep in mind while in it: 

What to do during the conversation: 

1. Frame feedback constructively: Always use “I” statements to express your concerns instead of “You” statements, which can feel blaming. Providing context is also key, so connect the dots to how the behavior or issue impacts the team or company. It’s a great idea to juxtapose your feedback with the positive impact an applied solution could have — this keeps a positive steer on everything. 
2. Apply active listening: Give the employee your full attention when it’s their turn to speak. That means listening without interrupting and acknowledging their perspective even if you disagree. Keep good eye contact and put distractions like phone and email notifications away. You want the employee to take this chat seriously and lead by example.
3. Set clear expectations and agree on an action plan: During the conversation, make sure both you and the employee land on the same page. Are you aligned on the expectations moving forward? If yes, agree on the specific steps to take. Making this a collaborative effort drives more impact — empowering the employee as part of the solution.

Pro tips to recognize and address emotional cues 

During the conversation, pay attention to emotional cues, such as body language, tone of voice, and facial expressions. These can tell you a lot about how the employee is feeling, so you can respond and adjust accordingly. 

• Watch for non-verbal cues: Look for physical signs like crossed arms, avoiding eye contact, or fidgeting. The employee might be saying one thing, but feeling something completely different. 
   
  Prompt: "I notice you seem a bit tense. Is there something on your mind?" 

• Listen to the tone of voice: A defensive or hesitant tone might indicate that the employee is feeling threatened or insecure. This is a good tip-off that the employee needs to be reminded that you’re on the same team. 
   
  Prompt: "Your tone sounds a bit uncertain. Can you tell me more about what's going on?" 

• Ask open-ended questions: Encourage them to share their thoughts and feelings throughout the conversation, signaling that the conversation is a two-way dialogue, not a sermon. 
   
  Prompt: "How do you feel about the points we've discussed so far? I’m open to your feedback." 

After: Setting intentions for the next steps 

The conversation doesn’t end when the meeting does. What’s next? Creating an outline for the next steps and following up is crucial to ensure the discussion leads to actual improvements and positive outcomes.  

Tough talks are merely the spark that sets the future in motion. Continuity ensures the necessary changes happen and provides opportunities for the employee to feel supported and motivated along the way. 

What to do after the conversation: 

1. Summarize key points in writing: Once you’ve wrapped things up and agreed on the way forward, recap the main points discussed in writing and share this with the employee. This ensures there’s a tracking of the chat, which can be referred back to at any time, keeping both of you on the same page.
2. Outline the next steps in a timeline: Clearly define the actions both parties need to take following the conversation in more granular detail — and attach them to a calendar. Keeping all milestones SMART ensures accountability and clarity.
3. Plan follow-ups: Now, with new milestones on the timeline, go ahead and schedule future check-ins to monitor progress and provide ongoing support. Even if penciled in, this shows your commitment as a manager to the employee's growth and improvement. 

Pro tips for ending difficult conversations on a positive note 

Maintaining a positive and constructive approach is key, even after the conversation ends. Here are some final tips to ensure ongoing progress and positivity. 

• Acknowledge emotions: Validate the employee’s feelings by acknowledging their emotions, good or bad. Some conversations are not easy, even if they’re necessary. It’s important to recognize that. 
   
  Say this: "I understand this is tough to hear, I’ve been there." 

• Be patient: If employees become emotional, give them time to process their feelings. Don’t rush the conversation or their time to talk. It’s also okay to take a break if things get intense. 
   
  Say this: "Take your time. We don’t need to rush through this. There’s no judgment here." 

• Redirect to solutions: No matter how the conversion goes, remember to steer it back to constructive solutions. Don’t get stuck in the details and focus on what can be done moving forward. 
   
  Say this: "We are where we are. So let's think about how we can move forward from here and what steps we can take to improve, okay?"

By breaking down difficult conversations into three phases (before, during, and after) and meeting each essential step, you’ve got a blueprint for leading the conversation toward a positive outcome. 

If you want a bit of a deeper dive into managing difficult talks with employees, click here. 

Paving the way for your own management approach to navigate any challenge 

Difficult conversations are a part of every manager's role — and the way you handle them can significantly impact your team's morale and performance. By understanding and adapting your management style to fit the needs of the situation (and the individual employee) you’ll be in a position to handle practically any challenge! 

Finding your groove will take some time and practice, and will probably involve some learning from trial and error — but fear not. Committing to testing out different styles and being open to learning is the best place to start.  

At Workleap, we emphasize that the journey to becoming a great manager involves mastering key skills and consistently applying them. It's about practical, continuous improvement to enhance your leadership and team performance. 

The skills you need to manage are not the same skills you needed in your role as an expert contributor. Management is a job in and of itself, and to master this role (just like you did your last one), you'll need a new set of management skills in your toolbelt. Really, it's a fine balance between mastering your interpersonal skills and learning the technical skill required in your new role. You've landed in the right place to learn exactly what hard skills and soft skills you need to hone in on to lead successfully.

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7  effective management skills to lead successfully

Effective communication

To be a successful team leader, first, be a successful communicator. As a manager, this means being clear and being human. The more clearly you can get your point across, the greater the chances are your team will follow your vision and be able to succeed in their own roles.

Scenarios where effective manager communication is pertinent:

1. When delivering important and impactful news like a change in strategy, failure to reach objectives, or someone leaving the team.  Are you giving enough visibility behind why the decision was made and how it affects them?
2. When communicating your expectations of each employee. If someone delivered these same expectations to you, would you find them clear?
3. When explaining team and employee goals and objectives in a way that is motivating.
   Are your words motivating and encouraging when discussing goals?  

Time management and prioritization

Being involved in your team's high-level time-management without micromanaging is one of the most effective management skills you can develop. Your team's capacity to be productive is essential for their overall performance. Your high-level strategic thinking should help guide how they make choices and decide on the initiatives they chose to work on.

How to help your team manage their time and prioritize projects:

1. Question their ways of working, tools, and processes: Are they the most efficient and relevant to their needs?
2. Help them reflect on any outside requests they take on from other teams: What's at stake when they do and how can you help them learn to say no?
3. Lead the prioritization of their tasks based on the business objectives: Encourage them to reflect on their choice of project or tactic based on the goals they need to reach.

Relationships and team-dynamic building

More than anything, being a manager is about nurturing positive, trusting relationships. You'll get the best out of your team when they work well together, feel comfortable having difficult conversations, and enjoy the time they spend with their peers.

Here's how to ensure you keep relationships a top priority:

1. Understand how your team feels about their trust levels with you and their colleagues using anonymous feedback tools like Officevibe. You can actually get tangible data on how employees feel working with their peers and with you.
2. Before collaborating successfully, take time to learn about one another and how everyone likes to work, what motivates them, triggers them, what needs they have, etc.
3. Prioritize getting to know your employees during more informal 1-on-1s in addition to your performance-based sessions. Learn about their lives and interests beyond work, and share yours too. The more you can humanize yourself as a manager, the more successful you will be able to lead.

🛠 We built a tool to facilitate this team collaboration discussion in our manager toolbox.

Strengths-based coaching and delegation

Becoming a great manager means becoming an orchestrator for your team. You're there to ensure things get done, not do them yourself. Your job is to help employees shine by understanding their development goals and letting them work on tasks that develop their strengths. But...

34% of Officevibe respondents do not agree that their organization makes proper use of their strengths.

Tip: To understand your employees' strengths, communicate with them often to learn when they feel best at work. Ask questions like “What project did you feel most proud of and why?”

Problem-solving and solution-orientedness

It's inevitable that you and your team will face challenges and difficulties. Time spent looking for who's at fault or dwelling on the issue is time that is not spent on promoting learning or finding solutions.

Management is in part about being confident in your decision-making skills, critical thinking, and problem-solving techniques, but more so about coaching your team to hone in on these same leadership skills.

Tip: Instead of giving the answer, ask questions that challenge assumptions to help employees find the root of the problem. For example, “Why did you use this method?” or “How did you come to that conclusion?

Delivering and receiving constructive feedback

Giving and accepting constructive feedback is one of the most important management skills you can build. When employees see they see that they can apply the feedback that helps them grow in their career, constructive criticism becomes widely appreciated.

Feedback tips for managers:

1. Don't wait: Give feedback in a timely manner so employees can start improving right away.

2. Be specific: Avoid generalisms when giving constructive feedback (check out our latest post on giving tough feedback while working remotely)

3. Ask for feedback too: This helps level the playing field and allows you to improve in your role as well. Officevibe lets managers collect constant feedback from employees.

Here is a list of employee feedback examples to help you deliver constructive feedback to your team.

Emotional Intelligence and soft skills

Managers of the modern workforce need to prioritize their ability to connect with people beyond numbers and goals. Developing your Emotional Intelligence will help you build trust with your employees and really understand what motivates them. Not only that, it will help you be more fair as a manager.

The process of developing your Emotional Intelligence and people skills in part means learning to manage your emotions in high-stakes situations and getting to know yourself better too. Having the ability to identify your own biases and be aware of your emotional triggers will help you become a better leader.

5 Takeaway tips to develop your key management skills

1. Always be mindful of how you express yourself in writing or in person, as well as your non-verbal communication.
2. Take the time to learn your employees’ strengths, then apply this to how you form a team or delegate tasks.
3. Guide your team to come to their own conclusions instead of solving problems for them to make learnings more poignant.
4. Give feedback in a timely manner, especially constructive feedback, so employees can start improving right away.
5. Work to develop your emotional intelligence and human skills because relationships are at the base of your role.

For decades, physical presence and positive work environments have been central to building relationships at work. The shift to remote work mixes things up. There's no more water cooler chatter or desk buddies to bond with. This can adversely affect our ability to truly connect with our colleagues.

Yet, can you imagine that brand new teams are forming and meeting for the first time over Zoom? We are living in the future of work. Our current team consists of 4 people who have never met in real life. In a way, we are strangers, so we have to be intentional about building trust with our employees and we can’t take for granted that it might be a bit harder than usual.

Did you know? 84% of employees who currently use the Officevibe platform feel that they are part of a team.

Managers: it’s important to be aware of the ways that working remotely can strain team and workplace relationships. We’d like to offer tips to help your team connect on a human level, even from afar.

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Positive workplace relationships are key to team success

Perhaps no factor is more important to team engagement and retention, than relationship building. 

As per Gallup’s 2017 State of the American Workplace Report, dissatisfaction with one’s manager is one of the 6 most common reasons why employees leave a job. Maintaining a positive rapport with your team will be crucial not only for their performance but their retention.  

90% of employees who use Officevibe trust their direct manager.

Likewise, people who report having friends at work are happier and more performing. It makes sense; we spend 40 hours a week (on average) with coworkers, so connecting with them can make or break our success. After all, success comes from functioning as a team, not as an individual.

How relationships contribute to  team success:

Collaboration depends on how comfortable people are with one another People are most engaged at work when they see colleagues as friends Positive relationships help teams have successful difficult conversations  Respectful workplace relationships contribute to inclusion at work When people trust their peers, it's easier to admit to mistakes and learn

How has remote work affected our relationships? 

How many of you have been eating lunch alone since going remote? It wasn't always this way. Think of the times we used to spend chatting with our colleagues and enjoying social interaction. These moments of sporadic connection not only kept employees engaged and bolster weak ties (such as those across departments), they led to discussion that can generate spur of the moment ideas. Here are some more ways remote work might affect meaningful relationship building at work.

Decreased connection and collaboration

Group cooperation can falter when the group is dispersed. Often it’s not because of team dynamic issues, rather the team is not set up to effectively collaborate in a virtual world.

💡Tip: To facilitate remote team collaboration, try asynchronous collaboration tools like Miro with your team. This has been a saviour for our team and truly allows us to feel that we are working together.

Less visibility

The act of giving visibility is different in a digital environment, but it’s still an important one. Without visibility and clarity, stress, doubt and friction will rise. And you risk losing trust. It’s key for managers and colleagues to offer continuous visibility to one another.

💡Tip: Try to give visibility face-to-face as often as possible ; it will inspire more discussions and ensure your message truly gets across. Encourage your team to over communicate with one another during projects.

Less empathy

Without a strong understanding of others’ realities behind the screen, empathy can inadvertently decrease. This is not to say people are not empathetic, rather, being able to grasp one another’s circumstances through brief video calls is not enough.

💡Tip:  Encourage employees to start their meetings with a personal check-in before getting down to business. As a manager, lead by example. Let your team know what areas of working from home have been tough for you. Encouraging “real talk” will help increase empathy all around.

Fractured team spirit

As team spirit fractures and connectivity decreases, “me not we “ thinking can arise. The issue with team spirit losing its lustre is that this is what makes work fun. Managers need to keep team spirit high if they want to keep team engagement in a good place.

💡Tip: Schedule time in your team’s calendar for “team activities”. We dedicate Thursday evenings from 4-6pm for us to bond as a team. Have employees take turns planning an activity for the group, or just let people trickle in during the allotted time to catch up as humans. Being intentional about it and getting it on the calendar is key.

Managers should take note when an employee's behaviour changes from their norm and check in on this during a 1-on-1 meeting. They may be feeling the distance and need extra support. Officevibe is a one on one meeting software that offers dozens of easy to use meeting agendas and templates.

How managers can build connection across their remote teams 

Schedule casual moments for your team

If the team feels strained, building connections should be a manager's number-one priority. It may feel a bit forced to throw a Zoom “party”, but you never know what can happen by getting everyone in the same room for some team building. Keep these gatherings casual by letting everyone share life updates, good or bad. You can also use team building activities to reinforce bonds that may have frayed.

Assign a buddy 

The buddy system actually works to increase engagement and morale on teams, reports fully remote companies like Automatic. 

At Officevibe, we call it peer coaching. Each employee has a peer they are matched up with to check in on, act as a sounding board, and work toward shared goals with. It's a win-win where everyone feels supported while progressing in their role. 

Set communication norms 

Communication norms may have been set during the move to remote work, but are they the right normal for the team? Managers should let the team have a say in selecting the communication channels that work for them. Then, set conventions. Simple etiquette rules like using the raise hand button rather than jumping in (and interrupting another speaker) or making sure quieter employees have a chance to be heard, go a long way toward keeping things positive.

💡 Pro tip: cross-functional teams often represent unique challenges.

If you are dealing with cross-functional collaboration and communication, we found these useful tips from Capterra:

• Boost transparency and collaboration through inter-departmental meetings to help find commonality and eliminate inter-departmental inefficiencies. Teams would otherwise be unaware of roles allotted and skillsets available in different teams.
• Foster coaching and mentorship to promote team growth not just individual growth through shared team objectives, defining coaching or mentoring activities as individual KPIs and public recognition instead of just financial rewards.

Consider splitting up your team

Do you have a big team? Do you find it hard to have proper conversations and build meaningful relationships with that many people on a screen? Consider splitting your team up into smaller squads either based on projects or team goals. Having less people will allow for more tight knit relationship building. Squads can switch as often as makes sense for your team. 

Solicit and act on feedback 

By offering your team the ability to share their honest sentiments and answers you can accurately evaluate key metrics on how you’re connecting with your employees and their unique realities. Tools like Officevibe make it easy for employees to submit anonymous feedback or for managers to get pointed insight through regular team surveys.  

Officevibe's Relationships with Manager metric and Relationships with Colleagues metric provide a high-level overview of how relationships on your team are doing. By reviewing the data, managers can see where trust and collaboration are high and when work relationships need care and attention.  

Questions for managers to track peer-peer relationships:

• Do you feel like you are part of a team?
• Do you feel like the people you work with respect you? 
• On a scale of 1 to 10 how much do you respect your peers?

Questions for managers to track employee-manager relationships

Does your direct manager care about your wellbeing?  Is your direct manager someone you can trust? What’s it like working with your direct manager? Does your direct manager treat you with respect?

You can get answers to these questions by asking your team today. Send your first anonymous survey and evaluate your workplace’s ability to stay connected and engaged to remote team members. 

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Remote work shifts the way people relate to one another. Ultimately, there are additional challenges to building workplace relationships at work across distance, but managers can succeed with the right tools and mindset. By equipping themselves with the facts, managers can build in extra support individually and for a team. By understanding disengagement, managers can build cohesion. It won't be exactly the way it was, but workplaces are always changing.  

Being an impactful manager, and a clear communicator goes hand in hand. A major proponent to effective communication extends beyond what managers say to how they say it. The inadvertent cues we give off with our body language affect how our messages are received by our audience, which can in turn affect relationships. This is referred to as nonverbal communication in the workplace.

Simply put: nonverbal communication is a crucial communication skill for managers and teams to consider.

It’s estimated that roughly 55% of what we say is based upon our body language alone.

Focusing on nonverbal communication in the workplace builds strong teams that learn to understand each other beyond verbal messaging. 

This means, while your team is listening to the words you’re saying, nonverbal cues contribute to how your message is received and vice versa. The tricky part is unpacking how you and your team communicate nonverbally and what type of dynamic ensues as a result. 

That’s why we’re diving into how managers can adopt nonverbal communication tips that they can distill to their team.

Why nonverbal communication in the workplace is important

Nonverbal communication in the workplace means being mindful of what we say just as much as how we say it. Our body gives off nonverbal signals which may tell a different story. So, what does that mean? What we communicate extends beyond the spoken word. 

Our body language tells us a lot about ourselves, and indicates levels of engagement, motivation, and support within our team. There are a myriad of cues that indicate whether a dynamic is positive or needs improvement. Note that these can change, depending on the environment we find ourselves in (remote or in-person).

Examples of nonverbal communication skills include:

• Gestures and mannerisms: They help us play out thoughts and they're important to keep in mind as they can be distracting or give off false impressions.
• Eye contact: Use eye contact to establish connections with people and emphasize that you’re listening.
• Tone of voice: Our tone is associated with different emotions such as anger, fear, excitement, joy, etc.
• Posture: The way we hold ourselves gives off cues a to whether we are engaged in the conversation.
• Facial expressions: The expressions on our faces in a conversation can say how we feel before we have the chance to speak.

Nonverbal communication functions on 3 key levels:

1. Reinforces verbal communication

Nonverbal cues and gestures can complement or accent our verbal messages.

For example, a gesture such as banging a fist on your desk while yelling underlines the emotion of anger. On a more positive note, you can use your hands while explaining a project or presenting a pitch to demonstrate your enthusiasm. Using your hands makes your words more memorable.

2. Substitutes verbal communication

Nonverbal cues can also stand in for a verbal message.

We don’t always need to speak to say something. The expression “a picture is worth a thousand words” more or less sums it up. Facial expressions are universal. We can read feelings on a face – so much so that we can even detect when a smile is “fake”. We can perceive authenticity, which is why it’s so important for you as a manager to be self-aware of the signals you emit. If your people see you as inauthentic, it will be difficult to get them to move in the direction you want them to.

With self-awareness, you’ll also be able to understand and read others’ nonverbal messaging – the story behind the story – which is helpful in building and maintaining authentic relationships.

Tip: Smile in the morning when you walk by people in the office. You may not have time for a chit chat but letting people know you’re happy to be at work with them will create a contagion of positivity and help form a positive impression without ever saying a word.

3. Contradicts verbal communication

Most importantly, our nonverbal cues can contradict our verbal messages.

This is the one that managers need to pay particular attention to at work because contradictory communication breeds distrust and leads your employees to question your credibility.

No one likes mixed messages, especially from a leader.

It’s the great responsibility of a leader to express themselves clearly and impart their intended message with coherence. Saying one thing and doing another is a big leadership faux pas that we want to help you avoid.

Let’s look at a real-life example: You want to encourage your team to get on board with a change in the company. To do this, you need to express your own excitement about it. While your words hit the nail on the head, your arms are crossed, your voice is low and you’re resting back in your chair like it’s naptime. The outcome is that your team won’t be on board with the change, and they’ll perceive your mixed message as a sign of untrustworthiness.

Takeaway Tip: The first step to getting nonverbal right is learning to manage stress. When we’re stressed, our bodies become the outward image of our inward emotions, which affects your body language and the message you (inadvertently) give off. This article on managing stress might help.

The secret ingredient to nonverbal communication

Can you guess? It’s Self-Awareness; the first, foundational domain of Emotional Intelligence.

As a leader, your people skills or EQ have a much greater bearing on your success than your hard skills (IQ) because at the end of the day your job is about people – the heart of every organization.

The first step is understanding self. We’d all like to think that we have a solid grasp on our emotions, how we handle them and how they affect others, but in reality being self-aware is no easy task. It is, however, an important one, and very luckily, one that can be learned.

If you want to send the right nonverbal message, you need to first be aware of your emotions and understand how they impact you – inside and out. For example, we know that our internal stress affects our external body language. If we learn to be aware of how we’re feeling and what triggers our stress, we can better control it – and the way our body reacts.

Tip: Ask yourself questions like: What triggers you? What situations make you feel certain emotions? Does your body language change with these feelings? Keep track of these emotions in a daily journal and then search for patterns. Understanding is the first step to improving.

6 nonverbal communication tips for managers and teams:

There are several ways managers and teams can improve their nonverbal communication cues. We’ve listed the most prevalent ones below which are also applicable for remote work.

1. Be mindful of posture and gestures

When we indicate that we’re motivated, ready to learn and eager to listen, our body language expresses this for us. We tend to sit up straight, lean into a conversation (or towards your screen if you’re working remotely). Positive body language means your posture is open and ready to receive information. It’s a dance between listening and contributing to the conversation. Your posture and gestures encourage others to share their insight while giving you the ability to contribute as well.

Tip: Demonstrate active listening and engagement by keeping your shoulders back, and sitting up tall. If you’re not comfortable, call it out: Let your team know that you’re paying attention despite external circumstances.

2. Establish eye contact

Establishing eye contact may sound like a no brainer, yet it’s something all managers may struggle with. First, being a new manager may incite a level of imposter syndrome making it difficult to assert your presence or make a team member feel supported by an authority figure. A key way to make sure your team knows that you’re present during meetings is to establish and maintain eye contact. Secondly, as an established manager, be sure to maintain eye contact further demonstrating you’re focused and present.

Tip: Look directly into the camera if you’re working remotely and mute alerts during meetings. If you’re expecting an important or urgent call, let your team know that this is the reason your alerts are active.

3. Adopt an appropriate tone

Have you ever answered a question in a way that made it sound as though you were upset, but you weren’t? These awkward situations make us human, and they’re important to take note of. Tone of voice indicates the level of stress of any given situation as well as emotions about circumstances. When you learn to manage your tone with your team, you set the bar for the type of conversations you’ll have. Certain intonations are helpful for some situations while others may not be conducive to productivity.

Tip: Adapt your tone of voice to the situation you find yourself in. If a member of your team is having a personal crisis, your tone will set the bar for them to confide in you, further solidifying trust. Contrarily, if a team hasn’t met their objectives, balance your tone to be both confident and managerial.

4. Look out for exaggerated sighs

The current workplace landscape has changed significantly over the course of the last year. These massive global changes have increased stress levels which can often surface during workplace conversations. That’s why it’s important to note how sighing during an important announcement might deliver the wrong message to your team. 

Sighs may also be a sign of stress, fatigue, or disinterest. On the other hand, gasps can signal stress, anger or frustration.

Tip: Keep a keen eye out for these subtle reactions. Notice if you or your employees communicate with sighs or gasps during meetings. If this is a frequent part of daily interactions, schedule 1-on-1 time to talk about it. Your employees value having their voices heard, they may simply not know how to express it.

5. Maintain receptivity and openness

When it comes to receiving information, our body language says a lot about us. Whether we’re sitting with our arms and legs crossed, or leaning back in our chair, away from the person who’s speaking. On the surface these mannerisms might have to do with circumstantial aspects. For example, we tend to cross our arms if the temperature of a room is cold, or lean back to feel comfortable. Yet, these are also indicators as to whether or not people are paying mindful attention, are upset, or even uninterested in a topic.

Tip: Keep your body language open by uncrossing your arms, and leaning slightly forward. Make sure your team knows you're actively listening with open and receptive body language

6. Be mindful of facial expressions

How our face changes while we speak might be telling a story that differs from the one we are verbally communicating. Being mindful of our expressions, helps. This helps managers stay present and adapt facial expressions in alignment with the areas of discussion. As a result, it establishes cohesiveness,  and understanding to help others understand our key messages.

Tip: When employees share news that may be shocking or stressful, remember that your facial expressions will impact the way people feel. If a topic sounds unclear, before grimacing or reacting quickly, take the time to pause and ask thoughtful questions to learn more.

Each of these points are helpful when conducting important conversations with your team. They contribute to the way we build connections with each other, especially during a time where we may feel disconnected or siloed. Officevibe is a one on one meeting software that helps managers apply each point listed above. We help you get prepared and take action with humility and authenticity, setting you and your team up for success.

Where nonverbal communication can go wrong

Nonverbal communication is powerful, for better or for worse.

Here’s how it can backfire:

False Impressions

You can give off impressions without intending to. For example, if an employee is resting his face in the palm of his hand during a meeting he’ll be showing that he’s bored, when in reality he might be thinking the complete opposite. Maybe he’s tired, or maybe that position helps him focus. It goes to show how quickly we make assumptions, and that it’s important to dig deeper than what we see. Don’t always believe everything you think.

Credibility Crusher

 If your nonverbal language tells a different story than your spoken language – the “mixed-message” dilemma – people might question your credibility. For example, if you’re giving positive feedback to an employee but you relay the good news with a low, monotone voice – they likely won’t believe your words, and may lose confidence in you.

When you take the time to match your nonverbal messaging to your words when giving positive feedback you’ll see wonderful results. To deliver good news and have it perceived as genuine, sit forward when you speak and smile! If employees accept that your praise as sincere, they’ll feel more encouraged to keep up the good work.

Don’t worry – we’ll shed light on each type of nonverbal communication so you can set yourself up for success with every personal encounter.

How to build effective teams based on nonverbal communication

Employees learn from their managers, which is why it’s important to lead by example when it comes to nonverbal communication style and techniques. 

When you notice how members of your team are not displaying engaged or positive body language, schedule some 1-on-1 time to talk about it.

Learning about your team's nonverbal cues will shed light on other factors that may not be prevalent during meetings. These can be cultural, environmental and personal concerns contributing to misconstrued perceptions. Knowing this helps managers prevent unnecessary conflicts within the team. It’s especially important for remote teams since our environments and circumstances differ greatly. 

At the end of the day, everyone is different and the way they communicate tells their story differently. Being mindful of our own nonverbal communication habits helps us be more aware of others. When managers understand their employees, they can identify their needs and build a better relationships with their team.

In every leader’s career there comes a time when they have to give negative feedback to a direct report. Someone might be underperforming, having interpersonal issues with another team member, or feeling disengaged from their work. These are the moments where you need to step up and offer honest feedback to try to help the situation. But it’s not always clear how to best give tough feedback in a way that lands with the recipient. In fact,

1 in 5 employees say the feedback they get at work doesn’t help them grow and develop.

Officevibe’s Pulse Survey data

The way you give feedback can have a big impact on an employee’s success, engagement, and level of trust toward you — for better or for worse. This is why giving feedback effectively is an important skill for leaders to develop.

Keep reading for tips on how to improve your feedback skills, create a feedback culture on your team, and make constructive criticism a positive experience for your team members.

Why knowing how to give negative feedback is so important?

It can be as tough giving negative feedback as it is to hear it. But the reason why it’s challenging to give is the same reason why it’s so important that you do: because you care about the person you’re sharing feedback with. Offering constructive feedback to employees shows that you’re invested in their progression and achievement.

Think about it this way: If you were doing something that interfered with your team’s success (or your own), wouldn’t you want someone to tell you, and help you correct it?

The point of giving negative feedback isn’t to shine a light on a mistake or failure. Constructive criticism should show someone another perspective or highlight something they weren’t aware of. The intention should be to help, not to reprimand.

Focusing people on their shortcomings doesn’t enable learning; it impairs it.

The Feedback Fallacy, HBR

Learning is the bottom line of all types of feedback. Whether it’s positive feedback or negative feedback, it should always be constructive. Ongoing development and opportunities for growth are among the most important factors for job satisfaction. So having a manager who’s good at delivering negative feedback can make a big difference in an employee’s experience, not to mention their performance.

How to give negative feedback effectively: 5 tips

Even with strong communication skills and a healthy level of trust, delivering negative feedback is never easy. It’s normal to feel nervous and wonder what will happen and how your employee will receive your feedback. What if they get angry? Cry? Don’t like me? What if they quit?

Remember that you have a lot more control over how you deliver negative feedback than how it’s received. If you’re prepared, it makes your feedback process a lot less stressful and leads to a more productive conversation.

Use these tips on how to give better feedback to walk into your next feedback session calm and collected.

1. Prepare your talking points

It’s always important to plan out what you want to say and how you’ll say it. This helps you stick to the main points you want to address and make sure your negative feedback is delivered properly. If you can, try bouncing your notes off a trusted colleague or friend for an outside perspective on how your feedback comes across.

Questions to help you prepare:

• Have I covered the who, what, where, when, and why of the situation?
• Am I naming a specific behavior and/or giving specific, concrete examples?
• What are the 2-3 most important points I want to express in my negative feedback?
• Do I have next steps in mind for myself or the other person?
• What are my intentions in sharing this feedback?

That last question is one of the most important. Understanding your intentions helps you measure the success of your feedback session and pinpoint a goal for the conversation.

A positive intention is a good intention: Giving negative feedback isn’t about proving a point or punishing someone. Whether it’s to improve performance, address disengagement, or manage peer relationships, your intentions should always be positive.

2. Keep it professional, avoid getting personal

Negative feedback should never be directed at an employee’s personality — it should be about their actions or behavior, both of which are amenable. Corrective feedback at work needs to be related to the person’s role, responsibilities, or otherwise relevant to the job. And, negative feedback should improve team and employee performance.

Pro tip: While you shouldn’t make it personal about them, negative feedback should be personal coming from you. Use openers like “I think / I feel / I wonder if…” instead of offering negative feedback from a general perspective, like “You are / You do…”

Specific examples of professional negative feedback:

• Instead of: You’re too slow and you’re not keeping up with your peers.
  
  Try saying: I noticed you were struggling to meet your deadline last week, let’s talk about what was blocking you.
• Instead of: You said "like" and "um" every other word during your presentation and it was really unprofessional.
  
  Try saying: The content of your presentation was excellent, and I have a few pointers for a more impactful delivery if you’re open to my feedback.

Like these examples? Discover even more employee feedback examples to help you formulate your thoughts like a pro.

3. Ask questions and listen carefully

Every productive conversation is a two-way street. Sometimes a good way to approach tough feedback is to start by asking for the other person’s perspective. You can ask coaching questions to help guide them through the issue at hand and arrive at their own conclusions. Hear them out on their theories of what could be done better — you might even be surprised by their insights.

Try the past-present-future method:

1. How do you think things are going right now with [name the topic of discussion]?
2. Have you ever had issues like this in the past? How did you deal with them?
3. Do you have ideas for how we can improve the current situation or avoid it in the future?

4. Be direct and genuine

Have you ever tried to deliver feedback using the sandwich method? In other words, squishing the negative feedback between two positives in the hopes of softening the blow? This is a surefire way to confuse your receiver and dilute your message. Keep positive feedback separate from constructive feedback to avoid sending mixed messages.

Likewise, if you try to mask your criticism as positive feedback, or suddenly take on a new persona in your feedback session, your direct report might start to feel distrustful or defensive. Employees want a manager who’s honest, transparent, and communicative. So be natural, be direct, and keep your employee’s best interest in mind when you share negative feedback.

3 quick tips for more authentic exchanges:

• Check in on your mindset: Are you feeling frustrated, upset, or judgmental? Maybe even just tired, stressed, or distracted?
• Exercise your empathy: If you were the one receiving feedback, how would you want someone to share their thoughts with you?
• Stay true to the relationship: Avoid taking on a more professional or personal tone than usual. Approach the conversation how you would in any other one-on-one with this person.

5. Discuss solutions and set next steps

Giving constructive feedback isn’t just about evaluating, it’s about evolution. Ongoing feedback is a crucial part of improving and managing employee performance and helping your team members grow. So beyond sharing your perspective on the present, be sure to discuss how the feedback applies in the future, and what actions your employee might take to apply it in their day-to-day.

Try the problem-implication-solution approach:

1. Problem: Raise the issue at hand and present the facts.
2. Implications: Discuss how it affects the team, project, or company.
3. Solutions: Workshop ways to resolve the situation together and decide on a few that make sense.

Whatever the starting point of the conversation, an important part of giving corrective feedback is establishing clear next steps. Help your employee pinpoint a few action items you can follow up on in your next discussion.

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What are the effects of poorly delivered negative feedback?

Poorly delivered negative feedback can be worse than no feedback at all. How people receive feedback can make a big difference in how (or whether) they apply it. If constructive feedback is perceived as criticism, punishment, or an attack, employees may shut down. This can impact everything from an employee’s performance to their morale, engagement, and trust in their manager or peers.

According to Officevibe’s Pulse Survey data, employees who say the feedback they get at work doesn’t help them grow and develop also tend to feel:

• Dissatisfied working with their direct manager.
• That they’re not appropriately involved in decisions that affect their work.
• Unlikely to call their company a great place to work.
• That communications among peers lack transparency.
• Like they’re not a part of a team.

Giving negative feedback in a one-on-one meeting

A one-on-one meeting is often the best setting for giving negative feedback to an employee. Critical feedback can be tough to hear, and the most respectful way to bring up any kind of constructive criticism is in a private conversation.

How to give constructive feedback in a one-on-one

1. Schedule the meeting in advance. Avoid catching your direct report by surprise by sending them a meeting invite.
2. Set a meeting agenda and talking points. In your invitation, include a brief agenda of the points you’d like to discuss — our meeting agenda template for difficult conversations can come in handy. Ask your employee to add anything they’d like to go over, too.
3. Give the employee space to talk. Keep an open mind and ask plenty of one-on-one meeting questions, to prompt your employee to reflect and share.
4. Take notes and set action items. Write down notes on what you’ve discussed, and go over any action items you set at the end of the feedback session.
5. Don’t forget to follow up. Check in with your employee at your next one-on-one, or even beforehand, to see how they’re processing and implementing your feedback.

Make ongoing feedback a part of your employee management

When regular feedback exchanges are a part of your manager-employee relationships, it makes it a lot easier to offer negative feedback when you have to. Not only does getting more practice make giving feedback less intimidating, it also helps employees be more open to hearing you out. Keep a regular feedback frequency to avoid catching anyone off guard, and definitely don’t stockpile negative feedback and dump it on someone all at once.

Beyond simply giving feedback more frequently, you also need to be asking for it. If employees know that they can share their thoughts and opinions with you, they’ll be more receptive when you share feedback with them. This is why developing feedback loops and getting feedback from employees is so important.

How to build a feedback loop on your team

1. Be open to receiving feedback: Ask for your direct reports’ opinions and share the things you’re working on personally. Demonstrate that everyone has room to grow and set the tone for ongoing professional development. See our examples of manager feedback.
2. Solicit employee feedback: An anonymous employee feedback tool like Officevibe gives people the space to share their honest thoughts, ideas, questions, or concerns. It sparks conversations that wouldn’t happen otherwise.
3. Put feedback into practice: Apply the insights you gather from employees into the day-to-day functioning of the team. When people see that you accept feedback openly, they’ll be more likely to do the same.
4. Get your team members involved: Involve employees in the ongoing development of work processes and ask for their ideas on how you can improve as a team. Make it clear that everyone’s voice counts.

Providing feedback is at the heart of great leadership

It might be challenging, but offering feedback is a part of people management — and that includes the occasional constructive criticism. When you’re committed to employee development, the person receiving your feedback will see that you’re coming from a good place.

Use the tips outlined in this article to give tough feedback in a more constructive way.

Employee conflict is an inevitable and natural part of working with collaborative teams. Yet, in a remote context, we tend to shy away from conflict, given how teams are physically separated and may turn to a “just get on with it” mindset. It’s important for managers to remember: you’re not only managing your team’s workflow, you’re also making sure team dynamics have solid foundational elements like trust, support, and open communication.

According to Officevibe’s user data:

21% of employees don’t feel that communication among their peers is honest and transparent.

Let’s examine how managers can spot warning signs of workplace conflict with their remote teams and how to diffuse these instances for a positive work environment.

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What are common causes of employee conflict?

What causes conflict on teams? It can be a number of things. Many of them you can control as a manager, so long as you intentionally take the time to check in on each one.

1. Unclear roles and expectations on the team: Does each employee understand what is expected of them and their peers? Giving visibility on how each employee is expected to develop and contribute to the team will foster a sense of clarity and harmony, rather than stepping on each other’s toes, repeating work, and working in silos. 
2. Lack of trust and solid relationships: Where trust is lacking conflict is inevitable. Do employees know each other well enough to build trust? Carving out the time for the team to work on personal relationships, inclusion and team dynamics is essential in avoiding conflict. Don’t take for granted that this takes work and does not always happen naturally.
3. Unclear collaboration guidelines and work processes: Every team needs clear processes and a streamlined understanding of “how we work”. Whether this is regarding communication tools, working hours, project workflows, this alignment is key to keeping people moving in the same direction conflict-free. These guidelines are especially important in a remote context.

How can you notice signs of employee conflict?

Here’s how managers can pinpoint the tell-tale signs of workplace conflict. This may be more difficult to pinpoint in a remote context, paying special attention on virtual calls is helpful.

1. During meetings, notice how your team reacts to one another and involves each other. Are they truly collaborating?
2. Notice if employees feel as though they can’t speak up or express their opinions and perspective. Where there’s conflict there’s a need for a safe space to be upfront about grievances.
3. Observe employees who frequently disagree and get defensive. It’s one thing for employees to be enthusiastic, it’s another when this behaviour results in arguments, interruptions, disagreements and miscommunication. 
4. Is your team delivering and being productive? When conflict arises it becomes more difficult to get work done together.

6 management strategies to handle employee conflict

Don’t wait or sweep it under the rug:

Addressing conflict as it occurs encourages a solution-oriented mindset further diffusing the situation and prevents it from escalating.

Speak about behavior not personality to avoid escalating the conflict.

Discuss the facts and avoid drawing attention towards behavioural patterns. If these need to be discussed, book separate 1-on-1’s with each employee.

Neutralize discussions

Meditation goes a long way. Use effective communication to maintain a solution-oriented mindset. Use language that prevents blame, and allow each employee to speak about their situation.  

Give time to each team member to express themselves

Adequately timing discussions give employees the space to express how they feel and equalizes the playing field. This prevents conflict-avoidance and interruptions.

Sum up what was discussed

Recap and solidify actionable next steps agreed upon by each employee. Once everyone agrees to possible solutions, ask each employee to finish this sentence: I commit to ____ and will show this in my behaviour by _____ this change will begin _____. 

Follow up

It’s your responsibility as a leader to make sure that employees are adjusting their behaviour. Book a follow-up meeting to discuss how the conflict has evolved and remain inquisitive during regularly scheduled 1-on-1s.

Types of employee conflict you might encounter on your team

Because your team comes with different personality types, you’ll see different types of conflict. Some people avoid conflict and confrontation, while other employees might revel in a good heated discussion, or even seek it out.

Conflicts may be multidimensional. Consider if the conflict in question is manifesting as:

1. Employee to employee: grievances arising within the team.
2. Manager to employees: your relationships with each team member.
3. Team to team: employees cross collaborating with other teams may disagree or miscommunicate based on differing team principles and value systems.

The Harvard Business Review categorizes conflict in the workplace under two banners: Hot conflict and cold conflict.

Knowing the difference helps when it comes to conflict management:

How to approach a cold conflict

• The focus in a cold conflict is on starting a constructive dialogue with both employees. The goal is to get them talking as you lead the conversation. Note that cold conflicts involve a lot of repressed emotions. Be prepared for the situation to warm and emotions surface.

How to approach a hot conflict

• Bringing two people together who are embroiled in a heated conflict can be dicey. Allow team members to cool off, then, set clear and concise ground rules for each participant before entering a discussion.

How to prevent employee conflict going forward

Managing conflict as it comes up will always be part of your role, and to keep conflict at bay as much as possible, you can do some solid preventive work. Especially in a remote work environment when connections are harder to build between screens.

Managers and teams need to prioritize their emotional intelligence and ground work to reduce the chances of potential conflict. Here’s how:

1. Build a set of team principles:

Set up a group brainstorming session to define acceptable behaviours and determine the team’s values to live by. Team principles or guiding norms become a sort of contract between employees based on mutual respect and promotes empathy and open communication. The more you influence your team to identify with a culture of respect, the easier it will be for them to productively iron out their wrinkles.

Here’s an example of our team principles, and the story of the steps we took to build them: 

2. Collect data to understand your team's dynamics:

Officevibe helps managers collect tangible insights on something otherwise really hard to measure: relationships between peers.

Our employee survey questions give managers all the data they need to learn when things are going well between peers, and when they need to intervene. Using this data, managers can host team meetings for productive conversations. As a result, deep-diving in to anonymous feedback related to a particular metric to fix concerns on their team.

Examples of relationship-based survey questions for managers:

Are communications between my peers honest and transparent? Do you and your peers collaborate well together? On a scale of 0-10 how much do you trust your peers? My peers welcome opinions different from their own. On a scale from 0-10 how satisfied are you with the frequency at which you communicate with your peers?

Start measuring peer to peer relationships, and other metrics that help managers make their teams great.

Officevibe helps you keep track of clear trend insights within your team

Sign up for free!

As a leader, ironing out conflict within your team is part of your responsibility. Connecting with your team frequently about how they’re feeling and how you can better support them is the first step. If employee conflicts are particularly difficult, don’t be afraid to host a remote feedback workshop, and leverage Officevibe’s pulse survey tool and 1-on-1 meeting tool to get everyone’s cards on the table.

Universally speaking, money is an uncomfortable subject - be it with friends, family or in the workplace. In fact, the “pay” conversation that managers are required to have with their employees might be one of the most unanticipated talks of the year.

Managers have the very sensitive responsibility of playing middleman between HR and employees to discuss everything from raises to bonuses (or lack thereof). They have to follow strict guidelines regarding pay, but they also want to keep their teams happy and engaged. So where's the sweet spot?

Officevibe took a trip down to Austin to attend Compference, a two-day conference put on by the industry experts at PayScale.

What we learned will help you get rid of the pay talk woes, once and for all. Hint: The words to keep at top of mind are CONTEXT & COMMUNICATION

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Before we continue…

When having difficult conversations with employees, it's not only about what you say, but how you say it.

The importance of communicating context around pay

So - why is context so important? Take a look at these numbers shared by PayScale:

The operative word in these stats is "believe". They are assumptions, because they don't know the context - and this is the problem.

So why is context so important?

First off - Giving context helps put things into perspective and it explains the "Why" behind the number amount that they are being given.

Secondly - no one likes being kept in the dark about things, especially when it comes to the rationale behind the way that someone values you. Imagine being assigned a number but having no understanding of its meaning.

It can be crazy-making for employees, and a waste of space in their daily thoughts.

Thirdly - Imagine how managers must feel needing to relay a number packed with significance, with no real understanding of how to explain it. It's like asking someone who has never watched a hockey game to commentate on a match.

Pay is a sensitive subject

Pay is a highly sensitive subject as it is, so relaying the wrong information, or even expressing the right information in the wrong way can contribute to your employees losing trust.

When you discuss someone's worth and value in whatever terms it's not so cut and dry - there are feelings involved - so managers need to be able to give a proper, thorough explanation.

Harvard Business Review strongly agrees with the need for context:

Employers today should arm managers with accurate market data reflecting talent markets to base the conversation in fact. Finally, they need to remember that how their employees feel about compensation matters just as much as what they’re actually being paid. When it comes to having a more engaged workforce, you can’t assume that an employee’s perception about pay matches reality.

Harvard Business Review

What are the risks of not communicating pay?

Simply put, employees will come up with their own conclusions about the pay they’re given.

And when our minds are left to wonder, the conclusions we come up with can travel so far off base into the territory of resentment.

Payscale's CEO, Michael Metzger, shared an interesting statistic:

A whopping 35% of people who are paid above market have no idea that this is the case! In fact, they think that they are paid below market.

Payscale's CEO, Michael Metzger

This means that the problem isn't necessarily about money itself, it's about the way we communicate it.

There is a huge disconnect between reality and perceived reality when it comes to pay, and the consequences of this lack of transparency are that employees leave your company in search of what they think is better.

Top 3 things managers need to understand before communicating pay

It’s time to get the conversation flowing to bridge the gap between what HR understands about pay, and what employees don’t.

Managers, this is where you come in, and this is what you need to know.

If you aren’t already getting the training, ask for the proper explanation behind the numbers you're asked to share! It will make all the difference in your relationship with your team.

1. The Company’s Compensation Philosophy

Essentially, the compensation philosophy of your organization is tied to its core values and goals.

Managers need to be able to answer all questions employees might have about pay in line with this strategy so that there is cohesion across the board.

Typical Pay Questions From Employees:

• Why this specific percentage increase?
• Why did I get a bonus of this amount?
• How much will my pay increase next year?

The more context employees get surrounding these questions, the more they will act as an ambassador for your company, rather than a detractor because where there is understanding, there is appreciation.

Pro tip: You want to inspire your employees to continue to work hard. When you explain their raise or bonus, be sure to also explain their value to their organization and recognize them in non-monetary terms.

2. Market Pricing Approach

Managers need to be trained to understand how the company is positioned in the market. Being able to explain this to existing employees acts a retention tool. Remember, context trumps everything.

Here are some important elements of pay to keep up to date on:

• How exactly a company sets their ranges
• How they remain competitive
• Who they compare themselves to
• Whether they are leading or lagging in the industry

Pro tip: The market is in constant motion. Keep up to date on what’s happening in the industry so you’ll be equipped to answer any compensation questions that your employees have throughout the year.

3. Company’s approach to salary adjustments

HR needs to offer guidance for not only how to discuss pay with new candidates coming in, but internally as well. You may have attracted great talent, but now you need to keep them and one way to do this is to keep yourself and your team informed on how you compensate.

• How to discuss salary increase with existing employees
• Promotions
• Demotions
• Bonuses
• Role changes or title changes
• Job reclassification

Pro tip: Decouple conversations about pay and performance. Performance should be tied to development and personal growth, while pay to market standards. When you put them together, learning becomes extrinsically motivated, which removes authenticity from the process.

The Truth About Pay and Employee Engagement

This is really important to clarify.

We’ve come to understand through recent research that people (for the vast part millennials) don’t only care about salary when looking for a job. Money isn’t everything. They want to learn, grow, connect with their colleagues and be part of something big. They want purpose and meaning in their day-to-day.

But, this doesn’t mean that pay isn’t important, or that employees are willing to settle for less than what they deserve. It means that only once they are paid fairly and feel valued at the root, they tend to care more about growth than they do about money.

Compensation at the end of the day is the story of how much an organization values their employees, and unfair compensation, whether perceived or real, could drive employees to leave said company.

HBR puts it best:

Pay is a crucial component of engagement because it’s not just a number; it’s an emotional measure reflecting how valued an employee feels by their employer.

The connection between pay and company culture

Just like every member of an organization - from its employees to its CEO - is responsible for embodying the company’s culture and values, every member of an organization should understand the company’s pay brand, because it is likewise part of the culture.

Employees with high morale tend to be happier, more engaged, and try their best to achieve objectives. But, how can managers spot signs when it comes to low employee morale? Noticing a decrease in collaboration, negative interactions, and low performance, can feel like just the beginning.

It's important for managers to know how and when to intervene.

That's why we're looking into the causes of low employee morale, to learn strategies to flip a negative employee experience into a positive outcome.

Common causes of low employee morale

Learning the root causes of low employee morale helps is a key first step. We put together a list of common causes of low employee morale:

Minimal professional development 

A 2017 survey done by Gallup indicated that “inadequate or a lack of professional and career development” can be a main driver for employee disengagement.

This data helps us understand that employees value learning more skills to grow their career. Noticeably, managers who don't prioritize the development of their team will experience low motivation and productivity.

When managers prioritize the growth of employees, they feel valued, supported, and motivated.

Tip: Hold space for regular career conversations with your employees and learn about their career goals. Ask them questions like:

• What motivates you at work?
• What is something you find challenging that you’d like to work on?
• What are some skills or expertise you’d like to develop?

Confusion and unclear expectations

A lack of team transparency can cause confusion. Often, employees may not understand what’s expected from them which can lead to feelings of unnecessary stress, low employee satisfaction, and burnout.

Having clear goals set intentionally from managers gives employees concrete objectives to work towards.

At Officevibe, we developed our own collaborative goal-setting framework for managers and employees. We did this because we want each team member to have a meaningful stake in their own development. Check it out here!

Tip: Host regular 1-on-1s with employees. Set clear goals and follow up on their progress. Ask questions like:

• What will success look like if this goal is achieved?
• What are some milestones we can agree on as you work towards this goal?
• How will you communicate with me if we aren't meeting objectives?

Difficulty adapting to change

Experiencing change at work can feel stressful. Whether it's a shift to remote work, or in team structure. Either way, this is can cause negative effects when accompanied by a lack of communication.

When managers maintain transparency, it facilitates clear communication. Ultimately, teams need to know how changes will impact them. Let them know that you understand their concern and do your best to answer their questions.

Tip: Check in frequently with each of your employees. Try a simple tool like Officevibe's employee engagement solution to keep track of how people are really feeling using weekly pulse surveys.

Response to the Covid-19 pandemic

Right now, your employees are doing their best during unprecedented times. Many people feel the imbalance between their work life and home life. When this isn't addressed, it can cause employees to feel burnt out and disengaged.

Practicing compassion and empathy with your team will encourage a culture of flexibility and empathy.

Tip: Encourage employees to take personal days to rest and recharge. Lead by example by signing off at a reasonable time, taking time off, and prioritizing rest.

Effects of low employee morale

There are two common effects of low employee morale. Each one helps managers learn about how to create a positive culture for their team.

Decreased productivity and engagement

Employee morale tends to be low when people feel less motivated to help the company succeed. Without a team of engaged employees, it's difficult for managers to build momentum towards objectives. 

Research shows that employees experiencing low morale at work may also demonstrate a higher level of absenteeism. That means that one employee experience with low morale can affect others on the team.

Employee turnover 

Experiencing high turnover can inspire feelings of instability. When this occurs, it's important for managers to inspire a solid foundation for their team. This will prevent other employees from following suit.

The trickle down effects of decreased productivity and employee turnover can be detrimental on your overall team morale and organization.

6 Strategies to improve employee morale

Luckily, there's a lot managers can do to alleviate the causes of low employee morale. Here are six strategies to help you improve employee morale:

1. Practice transparency

Rather than sweeping areas of concern under the rug, tackle them head on. Teams respect managers for taking action and working together to find a solution. Be open about recurring areas of concern and lead with vulnerability to inspire the same.

Tip: Send out a poll or survey at the beginning of the meeting to explore potential issues affecting your team. Then, discuss the results together.

2. Practice recognition

A lack of employee recognition may be one of the culprits to poor morale. It’s in a managers best interest to acknowledge individual efforts, celebrate small wins and draw attention towards strong leadership skills.

Tip: If you notice employees collaborate well, or show exemplary leadership abilities, congratulate them in a public channel. Call out how their work has impacted the greater team goals. Check out Officevibe's employee recognition guide for more ideas!

3. Prioritize wellness 

Setting aggressive goals and pushing your team might feel motivating, but pushing too hard causes employees to feel inadequate, and disengaged.

We recommend a more balanced approach. Start by integrating mindfulness and employee wellbeing practices. Prioritizing wellness is a great reminder to your employees that you care about them, which will result in them feeling supported.

Tip: Create space during team meetings for a minute of mindfulness. You can also encourage employees to turn their work related notifications off when they end their day.

4. Take part in employee growth

Keep employees motivated, by actively prioritizing their development. This can be done during regular 1-on-1 meetings. Employees will feel supported when they have the opportunity to develop new skills and are challenged in their role.

Actively encourage employees to be accountable for their engagement. When managers do this, they'll notice a boost in employee morale and engagement.

Tip: Get to know the goals of your team. Whether they're after a promotion, or wanting to expand on their existing skills, take time to understand how they want to develop.

5. Collect feedback

A great way to increase morale is to collect feedback from the team and show them that you’re listening. Even if you can’t implement every piece of feedback right away, you’ll be able to tackle achievable short term issues that benefit teams over the long term.

Tip: Set up an anonymous employee engagement platform like Officevibe or have informal team meetings. The more insight you collect as a manager, the more targeted your efforts will be.

6. Nurture human connection 

Managers, it's time to get creative and have a little fun! Organize team building activities to promote the importance of workplace friendships. This helps improve the dynamics of your team, a crucial element to boosting employee morale.

Tip: Remote teams can schedule optional virtual coffee chats or a virtual team hangout. Make this a weekly habit and you'll notice relationships start to flourish. At the end of the day, the people we work with make our experiences more enjoyable and collaborative. Consequently a job becomes something to look forward to.

Remember that the more you connect with your people, the more you can guide them towards success. Positive employee morale can greatly impact their relationship with managers and with their peers.