Do I focus on hitting our business goals and lowering the risk for the company?
Do I focus on supporting my team members and advocating for them?
Yes and Yes.
As a leader, you actually should do both AND they are both directly related.
Since the best way to learn is through practical, tangible examples, let’s focus on some specific ways managers have navigated this balance. Below are three examples (with some changes to protect confidentiality) from our clients, our experiences as internal HR partners, and an audience member at a conference where Karen spoke on this specific topic.
Situation #1: One manager had an employee on leave and the employee had exhausted all the time the company offered but the they weren’t ready to come back. This was really hard, as a human, the manager really cared about this person and knew they wanted to come back but just wasn’t healthy enough to do so yet. They were a top performer and everyone liked this person. But the company also had metrics to hit and the team was running thin while covering for this person’s absence. The manager worked with their HR partner and benefits manager but unfortunately they had to part ways. It was done in a very respectful and supportive way, giving the employee enough notice so it didn’t surprise them and they had time to prepare. The company also left the door open so when the person was well enough to work, they could absolutely be considered for another role. It was emotionally tough, but the business had to move forward and the employee understood how supportive the company had been during the leave. Spoiler alert, that person did actually return to the team about a year later and thrived in their new role and commented on how much they appreciated the support they got the year prior and it’s why if they wanted to come back when they could!
Situation #2: Another manager had someone on their team who came to them and said they were burning out and felt under appreciated. They liked the work they did, but knew they could have better balance and be paid more if they went somewhere else. The manager went to their department head to talk about options. This was a strong performer but they also knew there wasn’t a budget for a compensation change and the next review cycle was months away. They decided they could move some money around to pull forward a comp increase but also the department head met with the employee to better understand what was driving the burnout. After hearing more of the feedback, and also checking in with other team members, the manager was able to create some efficiencies for the team so they weren’t spinning their wheels on some tasks that led to frustration, which led to burn out. Money does not solve a problem alone. Anyone can find a company that will pay them more. But if you dig deeper to find out what is causing the feelings of being undervalued, that’s where you can get a win for the team that will actually create change. And in the meantime, you are also investing in the right people on the team to make sure they know they are valued.
Situation 3: Managers and team members don’t always get along or agree on how to handle a situation. But what do you do when it is impacting others or the ability to get the work done? One manager found themselves in that situation. The employee was starting to shut down and it was hurting the business. The manager tried several times to work with the employee to understand where the disconnect was, how better to work with them and how they could adjust their style. At the end of the day, after several months of attempting different things, they just couldn’t get on the same page. The manager worked with HR and they intervened as well to see how they could move forward, including asking for feedback from the employee directly to see how the manager could be coached. But still, more months passed and it was obvious the manager and employee were oil and water and just weren’t on the same page. It was also now getting contentious, and more feedback was coming in regarding how the employee was handling situations that the manager was seeing as well. A final conversation with HR, the manager and the team member led to the decision to help the employee find another role in the company or transition out with a supportive package. Sometimes, there is no right and wrong, there is just a difference of approach or opinion. And in that case, it hurts the business to continue to fit a square peg in a round hole, but also isn’t fair for the people involved and the best thing for everyone is to find a path forward that is supportive but also makes the change that is needed.
Being a manager is hard work. You have a lot to balance. But similar to HR professionals, if you think about where the humans and the business overlap and need each other, when you are faced with tough situations, you can find a path forward that balances the business and people needs to get to the best outcome possible.