Tips for manager meets and how to make them more effective

Meeting with a manager is a different experience for different people.Some individuals are in a working environment where they work directly with a supervisor and therefore rarely interact with a manager.Other places of work have managers working very closely with their employees.Whether you are an employee or a supervisor, meeting with a manager should not be something that you avoid.But rather a meeting that ought to be prepared for at least a little bit in advance.For a manager, meetings with employees can be both pleasant and stressful depending on the nature of the topics to be brought up for discussion.As the manager your responsibility is greater when it comes to your work.However, this does not mean that you are responsible for doing everything yourself.

There are many occasions when meeting with a manager, yields negative results such as when an employee has made a mistake or feels unable to finish a task.However, there are ways to make manager meetings more effective for both the manager and for the employee.Here are a few suggestions for both the employee and the manager that may help to make your next meet together more effective:

For the employee

- Respect your manager's time - It is true that your manager is responsible for overlooking your work, but chances are that there are other things that your manager is responsible for that you may not even be aware of.Be respectful of his time and never assume that your issue is the most important issue on your manager's plate.

- Know your responsibilities - Yes, your manager is ultimately responsible for the work that you do, but you are the one who was hired to do a certain job.Make sure that you know what you are responsible for and that you take ownership of those things.Sure your manager may be able to provide you with suggestions that may be helpful.But you are responsible for getting the work done.

- Work through your problems - Managers should always be a resource to you if you are struggling in your job.But you need to be proactive about solving problems on your own before going to the manager.This includes coming up with a list of possible solutions and simply asking the manager what he thinks would be the best course of action.Working and preparing for a meeting with a manager in this way not only saves the manger a lot of grief, but it reflects positively on your ability to do your own job well.

For the manger

- Do not take back responsibility for tasks that you have delegated - Many managers find that when they are presented with a problem by an employee, that it is always their responsibility to solve that problem.This is not always the case.Delegation is done for a reason.You cannot do the job of ten people nor should you try.Once you delegate something, make sure that you help your employee finish that task instead of taking on responsibility for it yourself.

- Encourage problem solving - Some of the most celebrated managers and business owners are those that can encourage their staff to solve their own problems.Problem solving is a skill that is vitally important for anyone to have.In developing this ability in others a manager is not only better able to supervise his team but team members are better prepared to excel on their own.

- Know your employees and their abilities - Meeting with employees can be intimidating, especially if you do not know much about the individual that you meet with.Getting to know your employees, their strengths and their weaknesses, better prepares you as the manager to know how to provide counsel and assistance to them.