As a proud business leader, Jasdeep Singh of West Hartford, CT constantly reviews different business and business management trends. One of the trendier points of discussion of late is the importance of managers following up with their employees. The pandemic led many businesses to close their brick-and-mortar locations and conduct most of their business remotely. Jasdeep Singh of West Hartford, CT notes that this put increased pressure on managers to follow up with their team to ensure they were following through on their duties.
For CEOs, Jasdeep Singh of West Hartford, CT believes that they should inform their management team that they need to set up follow-up huddles with their employees. Ideally, these meetings will be conducted in 1-1 sessions. This not only helps ensure that managers are well aware of the productivity of their team members, but it also provides an environment where employees are likely much more comfortable opening up with any problems or concerns, they have about a project they are currently working on.
Jasdeep Singh of West Hartford, CT believes that while most managers understand that following up with their employees is essential, it’s not always something that actually occurs. Managers fear coming across as they don’t trust their employees. This is a mindset that Jasdeep Singh of West Hartford, CT needs to be shifted. Managers should work to build relationships with their employees that show them that their primary motivation is to help employees do their jobs to the best of their ability. Managers can explain upfront that when they reach out about a specific task or follow-up for a status update, it’s not to show an employee up or deliver a message that the employee is not trusted. Following-up should be considered a signal that a project is important and that the contributions of an individual employee are essential to the company’s overall success.
Jasdeep Singh of West Hartford, CT notes that whether a manager is in charge of a team of remote workers or sitting across the hall from an employee, the approach to follow-up should be the same. Any manager needs to know what their employee is doing and whether or not they need further guidance or instruction to get it done properly. Employees with a healthy working relationship with their manager will look forward to follow-up time with their supervisor on a project. It’s a time to critique and adjust and a time where praise can be provided for each aspect of the job being completed properly.
Jasdeep Singh of West Hartford, CT often starts the follow-up process by asking if an employee needs any additional resources. Employees who feel left on an island often wonder if their contributions are even noticed. Not only can this cause an employee to grow resentful, but it can also lead to an employee mailing in on a project. It’s human nature to give less than 100 percent when a project doesn’t have a real purpose or sense of importance. Jasdeep Singh of West Hartford, CT recommends that all managers take the time to reinforce the bigger picture. Every task, even the ones that seem minuscule, will play a significant role in the overall trajectory of a company. All contributions increase the likelihood of success or failure for a business.
Follow-up from management is typically the only way to stop a problem before it gets too far out of control. Employees will often need 1-1 time with management to discuss unforeseen issues with a project. Whether it be that a project is likely to go over budget or that a deadline will be nearly impossible to reach without additional resources, the follow-up meeting allows the employee to share all negative and positive feedback. Gathering information is the best way to ensure that all workers steer the proverbial ship in the right direction. The goal should always be to identify issues before they even get the chance to develop into real problems.
While Jasdeep Singh of CT, believes it is the responsibility of the manager to follow up with their employees, it is also true that employees should feel empowered to schedule a follow-up meeting themselves when issues or problems arise. Managers should educate their employees on what an emergency looks like and how to contact them. While every manager should only keep employees whom they can trust to do a phenomenal job, they also are ultimately responsible for their employees’ work. Jasdeep Singh of West Hartford, CT recommends that business leaders consider following up with their employees or management team as a core responsibility of their job.
