A recent study done in the United States by Accenture reported a troublesome fact, 31% of employees don’t like their boss and even in a climate of business uncertainty, many people leave their positions because of their boss.
Most employees who aspire to get promoted to a managerial position look forward to exploring new horizons and challenges, while often completely unaware of the extent of the challenges that both the position and the managerial role present.
Often, managers tend to focus on executing tasks and achieving results without acknowledging the people who are responsible for accomplishing the tasks and delivering the results.
Regardless of our position and professional responsibilities, most of us like to be liked and appreciated. Furthermore, we are more inclined to do business with people we like and who make us feel good, as opposed to people who don’t appreciate who we are and what we do.
All business is personal. In the end, people do business with people. And being likable has become fundamental to professional relationships and ultimately to success.
The first step to increase our likeability is to know ourselves and to be aware of how other people perceive us, and to know what impressions they have when they interact with us.
The second step is to remember that people are interested in themselves. Although most of us operate in an environment ruled by tight schedules, it is crucial to make time to find out what people like, and to seek to learn more about them: who are they, what’s important for them, and what are their needs and expectations. And then to listen to what they say.
Another way to increase our likeability is to look for common interests, as it is possible to find some point of commonality with nearly anyone, be it hobbies, sport, family situations, beliefs, etc. It might take a bit of creative effort, but discovering where interests and passions overlap will pay off.
In competitive times, polishing our likeability is a valuable asset. By learning who we are and how to get along with the widest variety of personality styles, we can increase our effectiveness with less frustration and a lot more fun. Ultimately, becoming a likable manager will ensure that our talented teams enjoy working with us and for us and will deliver the expected results.
How likable are you?