Sometimes an employee cannot tell you the name of his or her manager. OMG! This is a much bigger problem than we can attack in a short column.
I want to raise a more common issue: confusion caused by teamwork. Yes, teamwork can be the cause of employee confusion over the identity of the responsible manager who can (and will) help solve workplace problems.
Take this common example. Say that a company uses client-focused teams to get work done, with employees working on several different teams. The days are filled with meetings, emails, client phone calls and deadlines. There are managers, but they manage functions and clients more than people. There was an orientation on Day One for each new hire, but the person identified as "your manager" is rarely seen and has little knowledge of the employee's work.
Sixty days into the job, the new employee's honeymoon is over. Several problems with team relations, slack team members and conflicting demands surface. How does an employee get help? Who does the employee go to with problems? Who is there to help keep the employee engaged and committed to both the work and the company?
A recent conversation with a young professional shows why the lack of a real manager is harmful. The clients are great, the work is challenging and he gets compliments, but there is a serious gap which could cause his resignation. He truly does not know who to talk to about work-related problems and opportunities.
The HR department tries to fill the gap and handles pay/benefit discussions. But where is the mentor/manager focused on the professional health of this staffer?
Poor performers actually may enjoy non-functioning teams and the lack of effective management. This allows them to hide out, away from the radar of an accountable leader. Good performers suffer under a larger workload, miscommunication and other hurdles that harm efficiency. Customers also suffer.
A common solution is to assign a manager to the employee who will also work on some of the same teams. The manager can see performance and understand problems. Some form of regular accountability between the two is needed as well. If a future change is needed, a purposeful handoff and reassignment occurs.
There are many good ways to ensure team-based workplaces have effective employee management. A method should be consciously considered and made part of the culture. The price for failure may be increasing frustration from the best employees and the unnecessary loss of business due to poor service.
Some employers and managers repeat the same poor practices their own managers used when they were new to the job. "Sink or swim" management may prove which employees have endurance, but it is a sure way to lose talent needed to excel.
If there is no M on your team, talk to HR about establishing a productive mentor relationship with a supportive manager. You may not be able to fix bigger problems in the workplace, but you can find someone willing to help you grow and succeed.
Bruce Clarke, J.D. is president and CEO of CAI Inc., a human resource management firm with locations in Raleigh and Greensboro.
