Devoted to Managers and those that seek to improve their management skills

Have you been promoted or hired into a situation where the previous management that managed by fear and intimidation? They you’ve got a few problems that you will have to face before you can do the job you were hired for and get the results expected of you.

a

The biggest problem you will face is that there will be a number of learned behaviors by your employees that will have to be unlearned for there to be a true focus on the purpose of the company.

a

Here are several of the characteristics that you will have to rebuild: 

1. The workers will not trust management 

2. Any mistakes that are made will be hidden out of fear of retribution 

3. No one will offer new ideas to improve things 

4. The employees will have some of the characteristics of the former boss; especially trying to intimidate and a lack of respect for one another

5. Communication will be almost non-existent

In a situation like this there is no way around the fact that you will have to have a meeting to let these things be aired. You will need to begin by telling them that things are going to change, and in these areas that had resulted in being so fearful and intimidating, there will be a complete turnaround.

There will be no way that a meeting like this will be profitable without the employees being given the opportunity for input and offer ideas of how they want things to change. They will have no motivation for change if they don’t have ownership of it. If this doesn’t happen, then the continuation of the attitude of cynicism and defeat will continue.

You will want to make sure that there is an emphasis upon treating everybody with respect and that there is an encouragement for open and honest communication with one another.

Encourage everybody to emphasis that you tackle problems that need to be solved not attack individuals. Don’t try to do too much too soon. Deal with a few core issues as listed above and let those things be worked on and remembered.  

Last of all, don’t be afraid to ask the employees for their commitment as everyone goes forward and builds a workplace that everyone can be glad to be a part of.