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A better manager–employee relationship comes from consistent habits: clear expectations, fair treatment, useful two-way conversations, constructive feedback, and follow-through. It is not a one-time workshop or survey result. Both people can contribute, but organizations also need to give managers the skills, time, authority, and support to do the work well.
What a healthy working relationship looks like
A productive relationship does not require personal closeness or agreement on every issue. It requires enough trust and clarity for people to raise concerns, understand what is expected, and work through problems respectfully. That includes sharing relevant information, recognizing contributions, and making space for employees to speak up.
CIPD identifies managers as an important link between senior leaders and employees, while noting that their impact depends on their management skills, leadership style, and the support available to them. Its 2023 summary connects fair treatment, effective feedback and support, employee development, and collaboration with teams that are more likely to be happier, healthier, and higher-performing. CIPD’s review of effective people managers and its summary of manager training and support describe these factors.
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Regular individual conversations give both people a predictable place to clarify priorities and raise issues before they grow. The meeting does not need to be long; it needs to result in understanding and, where needed, agreed action.
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- Ask what is going well. Identify progress, useful contributions, and what should continue.
- Surface obstacles. Ask what is blocked, what is taking longer than expected, and what support or decision would help.
- Clarify expectations. Check priorities, deadlines, ownership, and what a successful outcome looks like.
- Invite the employee’s view. Ask what the manager could do differently or what would make work more manageable.
- Agree on next steps. Name who will do what and when you will check back. Follow through at the next conversation.
Gallup recommends ongoing dialogue, inviting feedback and acting on it, recognizing contributions, and tailoring support to individual needs. Its guidance on a manager’s listening habit offers further context.
Give feedback that helps rather than shuts down conversation
Feedback is not another word for criticism. Useful feedback is timely, specific, respectful, and focused on an observable action or outcome. Explain the effect, recognize what is working, and ask for the employee’s perspective before deciding on a next step. For example, instead of saying “You need to communicate better,” describe the missed handoff, the impact on the work, and the change that would help next time.
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Make room for feedback in both directions. An employee should be able to ask for clearer priorities or explain why an approach is difficult without the conversation becoming a personal judgment. CIPD’s evidence review on performance feedback notes that feedback is generally seen as a way to improve performance, but can be detrimental when delivered poorly. How it is given matters.
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Inviting concerns is only useful if employees can see what happened next. A manager may not be able to grant every request, but should acknowledge the issue, explain what can be changed, and be candid about what cannot—and why. If a decision depends on someone else, say who will look into it and when the employee can expect an update.
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Trust and psychological safety support effective teamwork, alongside shared goals, communication, information sharing, and reflection. CIPD discusses these conditions in its review of high-performing teams. Gallup reports that employees who say their manager is always willing to listen to work-related problems are 4.2 times as likely to strongly agree that they trust organizational leadership; this is an association reported by Gallup, not proof that listening alone causes trust. Gallup’s workplace trust article describes the 2021 finding.
Address tension before it hardens into conflict
When a disagreement arises, speak privately when appropriate and focus on the specific work issue, its effects, and what needs to change. Give each person a chance to explain their understanding. Record agreed actions and follow-up dates so that the conversation leads to something concrete.
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For serious, repeated, or unresolved issues, use the organization’s established HR, reporting, or grievance processes and follow the applicable policy and local requirements. There is no single procedure that fits every workplace or jurisdiction. CIPD’s report on managing workplace conflict identifies managers’ capability in handling challenging people issues as an area of concern.
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Make relationship-building an organizational responsibility
It is unreasonable to expect one manager or employee to fix a relationship if the conditions around them make good management difficult. Organizations need to develop managers’ people skills and provide enough time, clear authority, and practical backing to address issues. Managers, in turn, need to apply those skills consistently and make commitments they can keep.
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When choosing a response to a strained relationship, identify the problem first: unclear responsibilities, poor feedback, lack of support, unresolved conflict, or a workplace condition that affects the team. Then consider whether the response builds manager capability, improves working conditions, gives employees a safe way to be heard, and makes follow-through visible. No single intervention is established as best for every situation.
Check whether the relationship is improving
Look for changes people can describe and observe, rather than treating a completed training session or survey as proof of success. Useful signs include:
- Expectations and priorities are clearer.
- Issues are raised and resolved in a more timely way.
- Employees report that they are heard and treated fairly.
- Agreed actions are completed or updated honestly when circumstances change.
- The team shares information and works through problems more effectively.
Use surveys or check-ins as prompts for a conversation and action. If employees identify a problem, report back on what will change, what will not, and the reason.
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Gallup says that 70% of the variance in team engagement is attributed to the manager or team leader. This is Gallup’s reported estimate; it should not be read to mean that managers alone cause engagement. Engagement is shaped by more than an individual relationship, including the organization’s conditions and support. Gallup’s employee engagement guidance provides the estimate and its engagement recommendations.
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