How to improve communication between managers and staff

Computerworld - With their skills moldering and their influence waning, many of the IT workers who responded to our job satisfaction survey say they are feeling shut out and place the blame squarely at their managers' feet. But with every round of layoffs, those managers are saddled with more direct reports and bigger budget headaches. They spend so much time fighting fires, in fact, that they have precious little left for coaching, advocacy and other managerial duties.
Meanwhile, hovering in the background -- never far from IT professionals' minds -- is the possibility that some of the technology workforce will be replaced by offshore outsourcing. According to some sources, communication from senior management decreases as outsourcing increases.
What will it take to restore the lines of communication? Interviews with individual contributors and managers indicate the problem is a deep, protracted one - but there are small steps that can be taken to improve the situation now.

Get Creative, Cheaply. "Our budget is tight, and we have to learn how to make do with what we have," says Julius May, a database administrator for the state of Washington. Employees there have gone without raises for the past two years -- and increases aren't on the horizon, says May.
He says managers could ease the pain if they did more to pass along kudos. "They accept all praise that's sent their way but fail to recognize the employees that provide the services," May says.
According to Maria Schafer, an analyst at Meta Group Inc. in Stamford, Conn., managers can do a lot to counteract flat salaries and boost morale -- if they're resourceful.
"If you're stuck with no budget for incentives, you've got to be creative," Schafer says. "You can start an [IT] employee newsletter; you can offer vouchers and other noncash awards. These things aren't enough, but even a token of recognition helps."

Look at the Big Picture. Of course, even managers have managers. Many middle-management IT professionals who responded to our survey understand their direct reports' resentment but have adopted a "What can you do?" attitude, because it's obvious that their bosses are struggling just as they are.
That's how one network manager at an East Coast satellite office feels. Though his employer, a California-based retailer, is prospering, senior management has refused to expand his three-member support staff. The staff includes just one dedicated help desk member -- and 320 users. "I've been pleading my case every year for three years," says the manager, who asked that neither he nor his company