iHR Australia Poll: How should a manager react?

Previous Poll Analysis

In our last poll, we asked respondents to select one manager behaviour that they believed was most valued by employees in modern Australian workplaces.

The results were as follows:

My manager clearly articulates our team direction and the roles we need to fulfil: 39%
My Manager listens to me: 23%
My manager explains his or her decisions honestly: 14%
My manager demonstrates they care about me and my career: 10%
My manager remains fair and impartial, especially in conflict situations: 8%
Other: 4%
My manager gives clear direction on daily tasks: 2%

There was one behaviour that attracted the lion’s share of responses, clearly indicating that employees strongly valued clear direction from managers. With change being a reality for many organisations, confusion over daily tasks can cause stress and harm productivity. On the other hand, clear directions provide clarity and help employees to navigate obstacles. Managers are charged with the important responsibility of steering the company towards its vision and giving employees critical information on what the team is aiming for, as well as how it should be implemented, is the key to staying on course.

Some of the “Other” responses were equally interesting. For example, one respondent suggested managers must “listen and take appropriate action”, indicating that it is not enough for a manager to simply listen, but that they must also respond appropriately to recommendations and feedback.