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

A wonderful thing to think about but very little practiced, is the genuine caring of managers for their people. In the continuous balance between representing what those over you want done and the views of your employees, there can come a time when you must stick up for your workers. They need to know that you'll fight for them when it is needed.

One of the ways that I have shown them that I am on their side also is through a little thing I would do with those over me. Now you know in real-life management, there will come times when there is something being pushed that you know is not the right way to go and detrimental to the workers.

It is in those strategic times that I will choose to challenge the bosses where I know there will be some employees in hearing distance. There is nothing that can say more to your employees than hearing you stick up for what they have said and the input they've offered.

I have gained more goodwill and respect in these circumstances than any other time or any other means.

Now there is one thing to keep in mind in all of this: it must be real and not contrived. This isn't a place to play games. Don't get me wrong, I do look for opportunities to do this at strategic times, but the situations I challenge are real and important. This shouldn't be taken as a logical "step 1" of a training process that we get our workers to respect us; it must be real!

The times to look for to do this is when you see the team building up that inner frustration because of things that are being imposed that are doing more harm than good. There are many times when there is a huge disconnect between upper management and employees. One of your jobs is to make sure that this gap is bridged and the view of both sides is understood be each one.

What employees really need to know is that management understands the challenges that are before them, and appreciate their hard work to solve them. Reminding those over you about this in a public manner can be the best way to assure them that this is so.