Students in business management training programs are poised to enter an exciting, generic fast-paced, and globalized market upon graduation—a market in which employees need solid leadership. According to The Gallup Organization, one of the most common reasons why employees leave a company is because of poor relationships with their supervisors. While that might sound like bad news, it also means that with the right business training and management techniques, you can make a big difference in employee retention numbers once you begin your career.
Keep reading to discover three valuable management tips for students in business school, as well as how they help keep employees both happy and productive.
1. Focus On Employee Growth
Consider the following conversation between two managers regarding the dynamics of investing in employee growth:
Manager 1: What if we invest in them, and they leave?
Manager 2: What if we don’t invest in them…and they stay?
As the above anecdote demonstrates, a common fear among managers is that too much employee development will lead to employees finding work elsewhere or opening up their own businesses. However, business management training can teach you that employee investment encourages employee retention and leads to greater productivity.
For example, Google creates collective spaces—like Google Cafés—allowing employees from different departments to interact over a coffee or tea. It also offers incentives to work on diverse projects, providing employees with the opportunity to switch up their routine and use their brainpower on something other than their regular daily tasks. By giving its employees the opportunity to grow, Google encourages creative thinking and innovation, which helps to take the company to new heights.
2. Prepare to Receive Criticism with Open Arms
Facebook is often cited as one of the world’s leaders in managing employees. One of the management philosophies this company uses revolves around the importance of placing less emphasis on a top-down management structure and instead encouraging employees to question and even occasionally criticize their managers. This philosophy of allowing workers an equal playing field has seemed to work, as Facebook’s revenues have climbed from $7.87 billion in 2013 to $17.93 billion in 2015.
After you’ve completed your business management diploma, you might want to try encouraging employees to offer criticism or their point of view. Not only will they feel that their opinion is respected, but you might also generate some new ideas as well. As the saying goes, two heads are sometimes better than one!
3. Business Management Training May Make You Consider an Open Door Policy
Courses like the ‘Business Supervisory Skills’ course at the Academy of Learning Career College’s business school prepare students to do everything from resolve conflicts to motivate staff. Through this extensive training, you’ll learn to develop your own unique leadership style so that you can manage employees with confidence.
One approach you might choose to adopt throughout your career is an open door policy. Keeping your office door open is inviting for employees and encourages dialogue between the team and yourself. An open-door policy also allows for easy accessibility so employees can report issues and provide solutions in a matter of moments—without waiting for emails to be read, typed, and exchanged. An open-door policy also invites the opportunity of more informal conversations, which is often the type of conversation that leads to innovative insights into the company’s practices and a stronger rapport amongst employees. A good team atmosphere can also lead to much higher productivity rates too!
Hoping to enter the fast-paced business sector or take your supervisory skills to the next level?