How well do you know your employees?
Do you build relationships with your employees? We are always talking about networking and building professional relationships, what about the people right beside you?
A recent survey by Flexjobs found that 30% of employees want to quit their jobs. Two of the highest-rated reasons were “toxic company culture” by 62% and “poor management” by 56%. Could you be leading one or more of these unhappy employees? Would you know it if you did?
Cultivating professional relationships with our employees creates a connection and builds trust. A skilled leader builds these connections in concert with clearly defined boundaries to avoid confusion or overfamiliarity.
This connection is mutually beneficial. It gives you access to a variety of perspectives on how things are going behind the scenes with your team. It gives your staff a sense of belonging where they feel heard and that their opinion matters.
We cannot cater to our employee's every whim. Having periodic meetings and checking in with our employees is one small effort we can make to change the culture and demonstrate real leadership.
Still need some convincing that finding time in your busy schedule is worth the effort. Consider the benefits you would receive from this interaction as well. Let’s assume you hire talented people, talented people often provide value in many forms, so it’s possible they have input, ideas, or suggestions that you might not be thinking of.
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