The relationship between bosses and employees has changed
No time right now?
Everyone knows that in times of crisis, relationships are put to the test. But what does that mean in concrete terms for the relationship between managers and their employees during the corona pandemic?
The view of the past few months is ambivalent: on the one hand, the corona crisis has brought managers and specialists to grow closer together, on the other hand, the pandemic has also turned the understanding of modern leadership upside down. We had to face challenges together, there was no time for vanity. For many companies it was and is still about survival and therefore about the job for employees. That welds together. Many decisions are still made from top to bottom, often without consultation with the team. A leadership style that was considered to have been overcome in times of new work and new leadership. “Every change of course wasn’t always clear to me,” explains Sabine Mühring, who actually has a different name. She told t3n that projects were suddenly stopped or prioritized differently, or that from one minute to the next she got completely new jobs. “I often found it to be headless,” said the project manager of an event service provider. “I wasn’t used to that from my boss.”
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Relationship to the boss different than before Corona
That the relationships between executives and their employees have changed since Corona has brought about also a survey of the market research institute Appinio in cooperation with the job platform Indeed. Every fourth employed person states that the relationship with the boss is different today than it was before the pandemic. The majority, however, means: better. At least 68 percent of all employees surveyed see it that way. Young people in particular perceive a positive development: 63 percent of 18 to 24-year-olds and 80 percent of 35 to 44-year-olds state that the basic relationship with managers has improved since the corona crisis. The reason: Despite or because of the challenges, the colleagues felt more valued. At 29 percent, according to the survey, almost a third of all employees in Germany are of the opinion that their performance has attracted more attention from management since the outbreak of the pandemic.
For managerial trainer Stefan Lammers, this is particularly evident in everyday working life: “I experience superiors as incredibly committed and caring. They keep asking themselves questions: How can I keep in touch? How can I ensure that my employees are doing well and that nobody falls over backwards? ”Said the coach in the t3n conversation. A lot has happened in this regard, mainly due to the lack of office presence. “Before that, most of the superiors thought: ‘Since I see people, I have everything under control’. Today they notice that that is not enough. ”The exchange with the team has increased. Instead of reading emotions on people’s faces in passing, more direct questions are now being asked in online meetings as to whether their colleagues are doing well and thanks are also being expressed more often. “From my subjective point of view, the proportion of caring work on the job has increased,” explains Stefan Lammers. “I very much hope that this will also be retained for future cooperation in the present times.”
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However, the apparently improved climate in many companies does not hide the fact that the bosses’ crisis management is rated as not very good by the employees, according to the survey by Appinio and Indeed. On average, the employees rate the way their superiors dealt with the pandemic as only satisfactory. Employees in large companies tended to give their superiors slightly better marks than skilled workers in smaller companies. The average grade for companies with up to 20 employees is 3.3 and for those with up to 1,000 employees it is 3.1. Above all, this also shows what Sabine Mühring spoke of at the beginning: In times of crisis, many things run differently than before. “In order not to lose employees in important decisions, bosses are well advised not only to hold more appraisal interviews, but also to make more transparent how sudden changes of course came about,” says Stefan Lammers.
Having to forgive nothing after Corona
Sabine Mühring has also noticed that her supervisor is more likely to be appreciative. For example, for overtime worked or that, despite considerable private challenges, such as homeschooling her children, she continues to do her day’s work with commitment, according to the project manager. “My boss also says that we all have a lot on our minds at the moment and never misses an opportunity to show his gratitude,” the working mother tells t3n. If the economic situation improved after the pandemic, her supervisor had also announced salary concessions to her. Even during the corona crisis, large companies in particular valued their employees through bonus payments. Siemens, Adidas and Daimler are among them. Last year you spent up to 1,000 euros per employee as a special payment. “With this one-off payment, we want to honor the commitment of each individual and say thank you,” said Adidas CEO Kasper Rorsted in December 2020.
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The management trainer Stefan Lammers is happy about the mutual understanding. “It is extremely difficult for managers to meet all the different demands in times of crisis,” he explains. “In many places, supervisors also work from home and look after the children at the same time.” This is not only the case for employees. The coach knows that many executives are more timed than ever, have to manage their environment and are confronted with an incredible number of demands from all sides. “It’s a tough time for everyone.” This is another reason why employees should seek a discussion on their own initiative if their superiors overlook certain issues. Anyone who – like Sabine Mühring – lacks transparency, for example, should ask for it more directly. “If everyone develops understanding, is sometimes a little more relaxed, gives each other targeted feedback and doesn’t take mistakes personally, that can also contribute enormously to satisfaction.” So after Corona you don’t have to forgive yourself.
