Today’s demanding and fast-paced working environment is taking a toll on employee well-being, and more and more organisations are starting to pick up its effect on their workforce. A recent report from Deloitte states that most employees report that their well-being either stayed the same or worsened last year, while the C-suite inaccurately believed the opposite.
As the link between workplace productivity and employee well-being becomes more apparent, forward-thinking organisations are now realising the pivotal role of managers in creating a positive work culture in the office. By empowering these leaders with the support and tools they need, businesses can better prioritise their employees’ well-being and foster an engaged workforce.
Why Empowering Your Managers Is More Important Than Ever
Managers have the unique opportunity to influence the well-being of their teams through effective communication, empowerment, and support. As such, many benefits await when organisations empower their managers with leadership training workshops in Singapore where they can better understand how to promote the well-being of employees. Below are some reasons why this approach is indispensable in today’s work landscape.
Proactive well-being support
Prevention is better than the cure, and this adage also applies to employees experiencing burnout, excessive stress, and other well-being challenges. Managers equipped and empowered to tackle these signs before they become a bigger problem can thus offer timely support, guidance, and resources to proactively resolve or mitigate these issues. All this has a direct impact on business results, as backed by a CIPD report that states employees under line managers with poor people management skills are more likely to experience poor job satisfaction and negative mental health, which in turn affects retention and performance.
Builds trust and engagement
Managers that genuinely care for their team have a much easier time fostering psychological safety and a sense of trust among them. This connection naturally leads to better work performance and increases loyalty and employee engagement. However, achieving this first requires organisations to empower their managers with relevant data, recommendations, and insights.
Enhances work-life balance
Managers have a pivotal role in allocating workloads and setting expectations. By providing them with more leeway to prioritise work-life balance, organisations can foster a working environment where employees can achieve their work goals while still maintaining their overall well-being.
The Key Tools and Support to Empower Managers
Managers can only be empowered if their organisation provides them with the tools and support they need to succeed. These include:
Well-being evaluation and metrics
The first and most important step is implementing mechanisms capable of measuring and evaluating whatever well-being initiatives you plan to introduce. Make sure to frequently review the data and include them in performance evaluations so that managers are held accountable for their approach to fostering a supportive environment.
Regular feedback and check-ins
Managers should stick to a consistent schedule for one-on-one check-ins with their team members to catch up with their current goals, challenges, and welfare. By creating an open feedback and communication culture, employees can be more forthright with their concerns since they are not afraid of reprisal or judgment.
Resources and policies
This simply means managers must have readily accessible resources, policies, and guidelines related to employee well-being, which typically include flexible work arrangements, employee assistance programs, and guidelines on workload distribution.
Training and development
Managers can better implement the necessary improvements to achieve higher levels of employee engagement and well-being if they have a platform that gives them full insights into their team’s suggestions and needs. Such a tool should be capable of identifying key areas of concern in every team and providing a suggested action plan that managers can readily implement.
Progress tracking with goal setting
Busy managers often have a lot on their plate that they cannot consistently stay on top of well-being initiatives and make sure they are making efficient progress. More often than not, these goals tend to become less of a priority list and become more abstract since they are not always seen as business-critical objectives.
As such, it is vital to use some type of action-tracking and goal-setting platform that makes it easy to hold managers accountable for how their teams are doing. This ensures they always have their well-being goals in mind alongside other key team and business objectives, making it easier for HR to have total visibility on what exactly goes on with every team after surveys so they can coach and support their managers.
Conclusion
Prioritising employee well-being is something that falls not only on the employees themselves but also on the collective effort of managers, leaders, and the organisation. And as covered above, empowering managers with training, tools, and support is one of the best ways to build a positive work culture that values the well-being of its employees. All this promotes a happier and healthier workforce, which serves as an invaluable asset that drives organisational longevity and growth.
To get started with your manager empowerment initiative, consider signing them up for leadership workshops in Singapore today. As Asia’s most trusted corporate learning and development partner, our StrengthsFinder-based programmes are designed to unlock the best version of your employees and turn them into stronger leaders and managers that serve as the foundation of your success.
For more information about our all-encompassing training workshops, feel free to reach out to us here.
