Ryanair have generated headlines this week after a shortage of available pilots resulted in hundreds of thousands of passengers facing cancelled flights.
Whilst the protagonists are arguing about whether the problem the company is experiencing is a result of a change in the law impacting pilot holidays, or poor treatment of staff leading to huge numbers of pilots choosing to work for other airlines, the fact remains that the company is experiencing some pretty bad press right now.
They are not the only ones. In the UK, the BBC is still dealing with the fallout from the publication of salaries paid to its “on-screen talent” and the obvious discrepancies in the rewards they offer to men and women. Multi-national firm, Uber, has also lost its CEO after a report accused it of treating drivers as “sweated labour”.
You might find yourself reflecting upon your own experience of working in an organisation that had very different values to your own, whether that was reflected in its treatment of customers, or employees.
It’s important, as a manager, to reflect on these news stories and consider your own team. What news stories would your approach to leading and managing your team generate? More importantly, what would your team members have to say about working in your team?
Would they say that you get the balance right between setting clear standards and knowing when to be pragmatic? Would they say that you care about them as an individual and recognise their achievements? Would they say you understand their strengths and work with them to develop their skills? Would they say you help them achieve their career aspirations? Would they say that you are proactive in tackling under performance, whilst providing support when they need it?
Hopefully, you said yes to most, or all, of these questions. If so, there’s a very good chance that, regardless of what is happening elsewhere in your organisation, you will have a team of hardworking and effective employees, committed to delivering high standards at work; a team that makes you proud.
We created Managers’ Library to give you the tools to develop your team and to develop yourself. We want you to finish each working day feeling proud of what you and your team have achieved together.
Of particular relevance to today’s blog are the training activities and self-study modules around Employee Engagement. You’ll find a selection here:
This material will help you develop your leadership skills and work with your team to achieve win-win for you all.