Your employees don’t have to be your best friends, but it does help If you can have a positive, friendly relationship with them. They’ll work harder for you, show more loyalty, and have an easier time being upfront and honest with you. Not to mention that workplace friendships can increase employee satisfaction by 50%. Here are ten ways to improve your relationship with your employees.
Treat your employees as teammates
Hire people who will work hard for your company’s goals. You want them to be excited about what your company’s doing and where you’re headed. If you can capture employees who are passionate and motivated, you won’t have to worry about telling them what to do—their goals will be aligned with yours and you can serve as the coach of a team instead of a micromanaging overseer. Trust and empower your employees to perform to the best of their abilities.
Be honest and upfront
Your friends appreciate your honest feedback, so you should treat your employees to the same. And offer that feedback as often as possible. You can schedule regular meetings or you can just chat informally in the break room, but regardless be straightforward, supportive, and candid. Sometimes your employees just need a little encouragement, but if they discover you’re not being totally truthful with them, they won’t trust you and will feel insecure about their abilities and your relationship.
Allow for input
It’s imperative that you encourage your employees to push for innovation by brainstorming ideas and solutions. Develop a relationship with everyone who reports to you and provide a safe space for them to voice their ideas and concerns. Even if every single idea isn’t actionable, it’s a starting point. You never know what types of genius transformations or new products you might develop by starting with one idea and collaborating with the rest of your team to revise and perfect it. It helps your team take ownership of their work and boosts morale.
Have boundaries
Though you can facilitate social interactions outside of the office—some of the most productive brainstorming sessions happen that way—you still need to have boundaries. Know when you’re crossing a line. That might mean not following your employees on Instagram or Facebook or simply not asking too many prying, personal questions. You can be authentically cordial, supportive, and friendly while still knowing that you probably won’t be friends if either of you leaves the company. But establish some solid relationships with your employees and watch their engagement, loyalty, and buy-in all improve.
For more tips on building productive yet personal relationships with your employees, contact Pridestaff Thousand Oaks today.
