What do you do if your employee-manager relationship is strained and unproductive?

Being a Supervisor: #Ego Management: As a supervisor, it is crucial to set aside personal ego. Engage in open dialogue to address any issues that may be causing friction. Active Listening: Actively listen to the subordinate’s perspective. Understand the reasons behind their behavior. Data-Driven Approach: When discussing problems, rely on data and logic to support your points. Being a Subordinate: Emotion-Free Communication: As a subordinate, avoid emotional reactions during conversations. Stick to factual information and logical reasoning. Respectful Interaction: Even if circumstances are unfavorable, maintain respect. Effective communication and mutual respect are key to resolving strained relationships in the workplace.

No 750 char answer , but I suggest looking at root-cause, not symptoms. Here's how to get started... 1. Look within and ask yourself: What do I feel in my body? Name your emotions. How might I perceive status, certainty, autonomy, relatedness or fairness are threatened? What meaning am I making? How has my past made me particularly "activated" here? 2. How can I accept/forgive myself for my answers to #1? 3. How might the other person answer #1? (find compassion) 4. Commit to one way you'll get support for your needs, and one way you will be a little vulnerable to create a safer space for the other person. Do the above with a trusted advisor, or at least dedicate quiet time and write down your answers. Combine with mind/body work.

Mending the Rift: Restoring Productivity in Strained Employee-Manager Relationships." You can start open and honest conversations with your manager or employee to address concerns and find common ground, improving understanding and collaboration. Consider seeking support from HR or a professional mediator to facilitate constructive dialogue and resolve conflicts, restoring a productive working relationship. Fostering open communication and seeking external support when needed can mend strained employee-manager relationships, leading to a more productive and harmonious work environment.

In navigating a strained employee-manager relationship impacting productivity, seeking clarity necessitates open, empathetic dialogue. Begin by scheduling a private meeting to discuss concerns transparently, focusing on specific examples and tangible impacts. Actively listen to each other's perspectives without interruption, aiming to understand underlying motivations and expectations. Clarify roles, responsibilities, and communication methods to align on shared objectives. Collaboratively identify actionable steps to address issues and establish realistic timelines for improvement. Regular follow-up meetings to assess progress and make adjustments ensure ongoing clarity and facilitate a path toward resolution.

La baja productividad a nivel de mandos medios muchas veces tiene que ver con "burnout" por exceso de trabajo y falta de descanso. El otro motivo es falta de claridad en los objetivos. Los mandos medios son la posición que enfrenta mayores retos y riesgos de no alcanzar sus metas o KPIs. Ya sea porque no se les a delegada toda la autoridad y liderazgo por parte de la dirección o simplemente no tienen las habilidades para tomar la responsabilidad. Estos 2 factores impactan en la relación con el equipo, baja productividad, mal clima laboral, malos resultados.

Without clarity, any attempts at resolution might cause more harm, understanding the root cause would help figure out the root tension and can help you reshape or shift the dynamic of the relationship, giving you the required results

When the employee-manager relationship becomes strained and unproductive, it's essential to address the issues openly and constructively. Start by having a candid conversation with your manager or employee to discuss concerns, clarify expectations, and find mutually agreeable solutions. If necessary, involve HR or a mediator to facilitate the discussion and help resolve conflicts. Communication, transparency, and a willingness to listen are key to improving the relationship.

Trying to manage people could be the problem here. You can manage Strategy, your Purpose, Logistics, Finances, and everything except people. When dealing with people the Manager must become A Leader-Coach. It's a different skill entirely. A leader builds trust, and relationships with different personality types and knows how to Intrinsically motivate and engage both persons and teams, by applying the Progress Principle of continuous small wins, which builds a growth mindset and passion in everyone.

In this situation it is the leaders responsibility to: 1. Create safety. The relationship can't be repaired if the employee doesn't feel free to openly share their experience without fear of being judged or penalized. 2. Build trust. One powerful tool for building trust is deep listening (see #thelisteningseries). 3. Be vulnerable. Leader's aren't perfect. Be willing to hear and/or share your own shortcomings or challenges that you believe contribute to the tension. 4. Keep the conversations going. Relationships aren't mended in one meeting. Trust and deep connections are built in small but consistent acts of care and compassion.

As mentioned, lay out a clear understanding of what is causing the strain. Avoid going back & explaining how you think you got there, it doesn't matter. After laying out how you see the situation ask the other person involved to tell you where you are wrong. This blows the door wide open to discuss the issues. It signals you have no ego in the game you just want understanding. It can be a game changer. Go into the conversation with curiosity not authority or blame. When you are curious you express yourself differently & are much more approachable & communication flows easily. If you request an action ask if they "would be willing to ___" This phrase helps keep the dialogue going and is not demanding action it is requesting collaboration.

The manager needs to build trust – build rapport, give and gain trust, being open to their ideas and feedback, and importantly, listen to their team members. Manager needs to genuinely care, understanding personal goals, motivations, and challenges of the team members. Provide constructive feedback and support. Team members should feel that their manager has their back and is their advocate. Supporting team members’ professional growth, linking personal goals with organizational objectives. Manager must address specific unproductive behaviors. This should include clear expectations, regular feedback, and potential consequences for not meeting those expectations.

One of the 7 habits of highly effective people is “Seek first to understand, then to be understood”. In this case, approach this situation with empathy and willingness to first understand your manager's perspective. Hence, set up a meeting in which you seek their input and absorb everything, try not to bring up your points in this meeting. Then book another follow-up meeting to share your understanding, perspective, and what you think went wrong; take ownership of your role and share the path ahead to mend the relationship. Seek their input as well as commit to those fully. In the end, summarise your discussion with what you learned about yourself, the situation, and your manager through this experience.

No proper and constructive communication, no enhanced relationship. I even encourage my clients to go steps beyond dialogue all the way to re-designing the alliance between a Leader and Team member. It is all about embracing both perspectives and coming up with an optimized common one.

Direct, clear, and timely communication is essential. In order to have an open dialogue, there needs to be psychological safety for everyone involved. Building trust can begin with vulnerability and a willingness to accept responsibility. Self-awareness is huge.

In my experience, I have observed that employee - manager relationship pivots on mutual expectations, and it starts going south when a gap comes up. Expectations are as often about performance as on behaviour. The employee needs to sit down and take a stock on both. It also helps to get some sensing from someone who has the bosses ear in an emergency informal manner. The next step is a conversation by choosing a convenient time. The employee will need to be really open for a course correction, if need be. But the real test will be the actions taken, and the commitment to change must be implemented.

While you are adjusting behaviors, it is important to do so authentically. Just making those adjustments to please the manager, especially if they don't align with your values, will lead do resentment and contention. Listen to your manager's feedback and ask yourself: - What does this mean for me? - What actions do I need to take to demonstrate this behavior? - How will these adjustments make me feel? Once you are clear on these, discuss them with your manager so you are on the same page. This will also provide clarity to your manager on what to expect from you. Their interpretation of the new behaviors might be different than yours - communicating your plan will help create the needed alignment.

Embrace your manager's recommendations and experiment with new strategies. Acknowledge that transformation is gradual, and immediate results might not be visible. Your steadfast dedication to these changes will demonstrate to your manager a genuine commitment to improving the dynamic.

It's important to collaboratively determine and agree on expectations concerning work hours, modes of communication, and the extent of your duties. These boundaries help avert miscommunications, fostering an environment where both individuals feel acknowledged and appreciated. Additionally, establishing emotional boundaries is crucial to preserve professionalism and prevent personal sentiments from adversely affecting professional interactions.

A constructive communication between a leader and their team member will not lead to a proper alliance unless agreeing on boundaries is an intrinsic part of the candid conversation. What are the matters that are not within the work relationship and should not be breached? or when can they be breached? All needs to be clearly agreed upon.

Having a one time open candid conversation between a leader and their team member and expecting it to work flawlessly is a wishful thinking. It will need constant conversations and channeling in order to learn what worked and what didn't, adjust and try again.

Monitoring the process is really important to be able to know if the steps taken towards a better relationship is working or if it requires a different approach

If your employee-manager relationship is strained and unproductive; and you have tried to discuss this in an open and collaborative way with no real success; wonder seeking the support of a facilitator/team coach. this does three things: 1. Shows how important this is to you 2. Highlights that you acknowledge that you are part of the problem and solution 3. Creates a space of openness and trust and safe dialogue. An additional element to consider is allowing 1-1's to take place with a trusted coach and facilitator - who has 'both of your back's not just the managers i.e. the are on the side of what is fair, true and reasonable as well as in service of the individual and a positive outcome for the business. This is possible; vet well

Should your attempts to better the situation prove ineffective, turning to human resources or engaging a professional coach could be beneficial. These resources offer a fresh perspective and additional tactics for dealing with the intricacies of employee-manager dynamics. The involvement of a neutral third party often enhances the effectiveness of communication and problem resolution, providing a more conducive environment for addressing and solving workplace issues.

In my experience, the leader accepts total responsibility for pursuing the desired outcome of a restored and enhanced relationship. The foundation MUST be sincere and authentic CARE & CONCERN for the employee. A commitment to discover the root cause of the strain, AND the humility to accept responsibility if the employee is comfortable enough to share their issues with the leader’s actions and/ or behavior. Then, a willingness to adapt if there’s an issue that could be improved upon.

I agree with the input provided by @AlanaTart. A relationship, be it between a manager and an employee, requires efforts from both sides to maintain it. Building relationships is a human and spiritual experience that goes beyond official labels. Here are a few things that managers should keep in mind: a. Do not allow your ego or pride to interfere. b. Be open to forgive and seek forgiveness. c. Listen and try to understand others' perspectives. For employees: a. Strive to understand. b. Empathize with your manager, remembering that they are also human. c. Demonstrate commitment to change by proposing solutions, building consensus, and taking action. Remember, the time spent in the office is a part of your life, so make it worthwhile.

When all else fails, I find the leadership maturity framework based on adult developmental theories highly insightful. We can sometimes clash with others but not understand why simply because we have different worldviews. So, someone might be in achiever mode but someone else might be more focused on the community at large so they speak in different concepts. Understanding how we make meaning of events and situations around us can help us all tailor our concepts so that we can find commonality. We might even start letting go of attaching so much to our concepts in order to co-create new ones and so transformational communication begins.