As a boss, have you ever spoken up for your staff?

Have you ever worked with a manager who is ready to protect you when you make mistakes, perform poorly or are criticized for no reason like the situation above? If we have experienced this, surely all of us will be grateful, grateful to the boss and vow to follow him despite all difficulties. It is a feeling that comes from the heart of each person.

So what happens if the situation is reversed? Do you feel comfortable standing up for your employees? Do you know when you should and shouldn't do this?

But first, do you know why we need to protect our personnel?

That is the responsibility of our managers. We have a responsibility to support our employees appropriately and ensure that they have everything they need to do their best job, including providing them with a safe, healthy and secure work environment. friendly. Despite the duty, not all managers are willing to speak up for their employees. So no matter what the outcome, as long as you have an attitude to protect them, they already admire you.

When you show that you are on the side of your employees when they need help, you are no different than a lifeline saving them in the middle of the ocean. They will feel more secure, trust you, stick with you for a long time, maybe even think that leaving your arms is an immediate storm.

This protective action also shows that you value the interests of the group more than your own, thereby creating a positive working environment that no one wants to leave.

However, this does not mean that you should protect the actions of your employees under all circumstances.

"You'll make a fool of yourself if you defend someone who's done something bad, and you should also avoid defending your staff in spite of the expectation of future return."

Before deciding to protect someone, analyze the situation and assess the risks

There are times when you need to immediately decide whether to speak up for your team. In these cases, you will have to trust your judgment. But you'd better take some time to analyze the situation first if possible.

The first is to collect situational data. Many people are short-tempered, only listening to part of the story or listening to one side and then making a fuss that their employees are doing the right thing. But when I asked carefully, I was ashamed because my "chicken" was flawed. At this point, not only the employee is wrong, but the boss is also wrong. So take the time to talk to everyone involved first.

Then, evaluate whether the employee's actions are contrary to core regulations or standards or have a negative impact. It is also critically important that the employee did all he or she could to avoid or correct the situation? Have they really tried their best? Did they take responsibility for their actions? In short, do they deserve your support?

Decide to take action

After analyzing the situation, you can make a decision.

If you believe that a team member has proven their work right or that they have inadvertently made a mistake, you can decide to support them. Or, as a manager, you can take responsibility for the actions of your employees and take appropriate steps to ensure that problems do not recur.

If you decide that the person is not worthy of your support, explain to them why you did not defend their actions using the information you gathered in the previous step.

Here comes the crucial step: demonstrating a reasonable defense action

When it comes to “rescuing” your team from a disadvantage, what and how should you say it?

If the employee was absolutely right, it would be too proud (and loud) right? We can boldly present strong evidence to prove it, leave it at that and say nothing more.

If the employee is wrong, then he's tired. You need to explain why you're on their side and highlight the steps they've taken to remedy the situation, if appropriate. If you are taking responsibility for their actions, make it clear what you will do to make the situation better and make sure it doesn't happen again. A gentle, peaceful attitude will help reduce stress for all parties. On the contrary, if you only finish talking or have a cool attitude, you are triggering another "war".

Protect your staff, but don't lose sight of a good working relationship with the person you're talking to. Show empathy to see things from their perspective. Even if the criticism is gratuitous, you need to show your integrity: communicate clearly, calmly, and stay professional.