In recent years, there’s been a theory floating around management circles that has been twisted into irrelevance. Asking your employees, “how can I help,” was supposed to solve all of management’s problems. That single question was given the power to alleviate any conflict in the workplace, including anything that was caused by management in the first place.  

But by voicing these four little words, managers all over absconded responsibility and accountability. How you ask? By treating those words as if they alone had the power to move mountains.

If you don’t follow up on what your employees tell you in response to those words, then the words are meaningless. Yet, many managers act as though, they said the words, what happens after isn’t their fault. But it is. Managers need to go further than meaningless drivel and actually do something that makes the work lives of their employees better. If there is no follow through, it doesn’t matter what you said. “How can I help” is not some magic incantation that protects you and relieves you of responsibility. I’ve heard managers repeat these words as if they are poorly trained actors reading a script. And when confronted by others to defend their lack of action, they maintain that they said the magic words!

Managers need to genuinely care about their employees, not focus on saying words that they don’t mean, if they want their employees to respect them. Don’t just talk the talk, you need to walk the walk too.