It’s not enough to hire skilled personnel and leave them to navigate the job on their own. Yes, they have the skills to complete their job, but the structure of the company calls for people who will be doing everything in the best interest of the business.

The CEOs cannot be expected to do it themselves. Here’s how a managerial position should be filled:

People Skills

Some industries don’t deal with employees who are in the office all day. If you own a trucking company, for instance, truck driver management means tracking their whereabouts outside the office, especially if they are taking a different route than usual. Because certain things may happen on the road that may cause a driver to deviate from their regular route, they need a manager they can openly discuss changes with.

There is a need for respect for each other, but the manager should not be scared to speak honestly. A managerial style that is too restrictive may not work when handling personnel who need to make split-second decisions while on the road. Managers should not jump to conclusions, as being close-minded will only tell drivers that their managers do not care about what happens to them.

Organization Skills

A company will not succeed if everyone can just do what they want. There is a structure for employees to follow and each scenario calls for a set protocol. A manager needs to enforce the rules and be a good example so that no one will have any problems understanding what is expected of them. There should be a preference for positive reinforcement rather than punitive actions, however.

It’s important that managers know they are handling capable individuals who want to be treated as such. When employees are made to feel like they are being treated like children, they will not feel motivated to perform. Managers should also refrain from micromanaging, especially if each team has a point person or team leader.

Snooping into what everyone is doing undermines the leaders and tells each member that the manager does not trust them.

Empathy

The rules are there to guide managers and department heads when employees deviate from their role. However, managers should connect with employees on a personal level to understand when certain deviations may be allowable. It might be against the rules to take one’s child to work, but if all other options are unavailable to an employee, and if it’s an isolated event, a verbal warning may be better than suspending them for simply wanting to be a responsible parent.

Another situation is when an employee fails to report for work on a crucial day. If it’s out of character for that employee to not show up when everyone expects them to, there might be something going on that prevented them from completing their job obligation. Successful managers will be a little lenient in these situations.

Your employees need someone to lead them without making them feel like they do not have any breathing room. When filling managerial positions, find someone who is able to connect, understand, and lead.