A long-term friend and former colleague of mine who now runs his own successful business told me recently: “In the last two years I have come to realise that being a CEO means being a Mentor, too. We have to connect with our employees on both the work and the home front. It is no longer good enough just issue orders and train people to do their jobs; bosses must take a real interest in their employees’ lives, their problems and their aspirations.”< /p>

I have noticed that many CEO’s are coming round to this point of view. These are tough, entrepreneurial business men and women, not given to soft management or to accepting less than top class work. But they are confident as well. They do not have to show the rough side of managing to prove their power; they know that real power is self-evident and is the prerogative of the gentle, not the brutal.

What are the characteristics that make employees care about the organisation in which they work? What makes an employee committed to super effort and very high standards?

I recently had a run-in with a restaurant I often visit, part of a big group. The food is excellent and the service, good. One evening the food was still fine but the service went to pot. So badly, in fact, that I refused to pay the bill and called for a VP of the organisation to see me.

He was first rate. He didn’t argue, try to excuse the restaurant or bang the desk and demand payment. Instead he said he would be in touch with me. After a sensible few days cooling off he called me, listened to my story, accepted it and asked me to give them one more chance. I did so and am back as a regular customer now.

But the really good part of this story is that the VP made himself take on the restaurant and become acting head waiter. He doesn’t stand there giving orders. He works; he helps the waiters and waitresses. He cares. I am truly impressed. I have not seen such good recovery before.

Someone is running that organisation very well and I congratulate him or her. An employee will only put himself out like this if he, in turn, feels cared for by the company.

What does that mean?

Of all the conditions of employment that go to make good management, the single most important is clarity of objectives. If your employees know what you are trying to achieve, if their part in your purpose is clear and if you update them regularly on your objectives, they will respond. But don’t ask them to second-guess badly communicated, ill thought-out plans. They can’t and they won’t. Companies where employees repeatedly make mistakes characteristically have a lack of clear objectives.

Hot on the heels of transparent purpose is a willingness to listen to the point of view of those who are doing the work. They won’t always see the whole picture nor will they understand the economics of your business model. But they face the customer and the real world in which the company lives. Ignore their views at your peril. Regular dialogue (that means listening not lecturing) is a vital part of good management.

Clarity and transparency go hand in hand. They are the foundation of good employee relations. In my next article I will deal with some of the other issues vital to helping your employees do their best for you. In these days of staff shortages these issues are not an option; they are a must.