A healthy work relationship between employees and the employer is vital for business. No company will thrive unless their employees are satisfied with the working environment.
One of the main factors that contribute to a pleasant working environment is the relationship between the superior and their employees.
So, if you want to have happy and content workers, you’ll need to start working on your relationship. Every relationship takes time, so will this one, which is why you need to take one step at a time and monitor the progress which will bring amazing results.
7 Ways To Build a Healthy Work Relationship With Your Employees
1. Listen to them
One of the most important parts of a solid relationship is communication. By communication we mean both parties listening and responding accordingly to other person’s opinions, demands and so on.
Unless you’re willing to listen carefully to your employees’ opinion, feedback and ideas, you won’t get any points from them. They need to know that their opinion matters and that they’re reaching through to you. Only an attentive boss is a good boss, so always give them your full attention and do your best to minimize distractions.
Ask questions to show them that you’re 100% present and involved with whatever it is that they’re saying. Another way to make everyone feel like they and their opinions matter is to have regular meetings where you’ll allow everyone with to speak whatever it is they need to share with you and the rest of the team.
2. Improve your people skills
Having strong people skills will allow you to make the most of your healthy work relationship with your employees. Aside from listening, that we mentioned before, you should also work on your patience, sympathy and empathy, flexibility and trust.
All of those skills will allow you to understand and communicate better with your employees. You should be able to put yourself in their shoes and comprehend everything that they’re going through in order to show you’re an attentive and understanding boss.
You should also always be able to recognize one’s emotional state. Learning to recognize one’s feelings and respond accordingly, without making them feel endangered or threatened in any way will make you more compassionate and bigger in your employee’s eyes.
Learning to be flexible is another skill that will be much appreciated among employees. You should be open to modifying schedules, meeting times, deadlines and everything that employees suggest.
Sometimes you may be too strict and unrealistic with deadlines, in which way you should listen and be ready to think through your decision and slightly modify them.
3. Be A Reliable Leader
Every employer must set a good example for their employees. Namely, only if you present yourself as a trustworthy leader that employees can depend on, will you be able to build strong relationships with your workers.
Therefore, do your best to always respect every arrangement that you’ve made with them. A leader must always act accordingly so that he or she can inspire trust and confidence in employees.
Do your best to always offer them a vision and objectivity, alongside clarity and a new fresh perspective that only a leader with a wider view of things can offer. You need to be a true leader that a team can always rely on and turn to for anything unclear.
Take responsibility for your actions and apologize when necessary. Don’t hide behind your mistakes and try to justify them with false excuses. Trust is imperative in a strong relationship so admit when you make mistakes and be responsible for your mistakes.
One of the greatest qualities is humbleness, so don’t be afraid to own up to your mistakes because it will be highly appreciated among employees.
4. Show appreciation
A little appreciation goes a long way. That’s why you should never forget about special occasions and treat your employees from time to time.
Has somebody been working for you for ten years?
Is somebody getting married or having a baby?
Maybe it’s the company’s jubilee. Whichever it is, you should show your employees that they’re much valued and offer them presents. From money to specific gifts, there’s a myriad of creative ideas that will allow you to make your employees happy.
How about a gift hamper filled with a gourmet selection of sweet treats or savoury delicacies such as biscuits, olives, nuts and more paired with a bottle of white wine? You can search for some unique gift hampers and choose the one that will be the right pick for a certain employee.
5. Set realistic goals
Sometimes employers are too ambitious and want to make everything happen as soon as possible. Because of that, they tend to set unrealistic goals to their employees, making the working environment beyond stressful.
Therefore, we suggest you ask for their opinions before you set any specific goal. You should know whether the timeframe and other factors are realistic enough to allow them to do all the work in time. More importantly, if it will allow them to do the job well without burning out in the process.
The more reasonable you are, the better your relationship with your employees will be. Yes, they will do the job for you, but if they see you don’t care about their mental and physical health, you’ll quickly become a Machiavelli that nobody enjoys working with.
That can cause many people to quit and look for a healthier working environment. So, instead of suffering the consequences, be sure you always have your employees’ interest in mind before you set any goal for the future.
6. Offer regular feedback
Feedback is invaluable in every business relationship. You cannot know whether you’re doing the job right, wrong or if the employer doesn’t even care about the job you do. Therefore, you should always offer feedback to your employees.
When they do a great job, praise them. It will be good for their morale and it will be additional motivation for them to do even better the next time and maybe even earn a raise in the future.
Negative feedback is also highly necessary because it will help you improve one’s performance by pointing out what they were doing wrong. Many employers don’t think about offering positive feedback because they believe that if nothing is wrong, nothing needs to be mentioned.
That’s not the right policy because if all your employees hear is how they haven’t done anything right, they’ll be demotivated for future work. That’s why you should always remember to praise them when they do well, just as you would point out their mistakes.
7. Work on team building
While having a good relationship with every employee individually is of great importance, it’s also crucial that you work on the team’s bond as well. That’s why you should consider organizing team-building events and let everyone hang out outside the workplace as well so they can be more motivated and more productive at work.
From golf tournaments to starting a tradition such as having a drink after work on Fridays can be very motivating and inspiring for your workers.
Final Thoughts on Healthy Work Relationship
Improving relationships with your employees is vital for business. That’s why you should make sure you’re a good listener, you know how to appreciate the employees, set realistic goals, work on team building and always offer feedback to make sure you’re being the best boss ever.
Read Also:
- 12 Clever Ways to Make Your Workplace More Efficient
- 15 Essential Must-Have Workplace Policies
- How to Grow Your business in an Environmentally Friendly Way
Author Bio: Emma Williams
