June 20, 2019 Fostering Employee Relationships

Small business owners: here are four ways to gain respect from your employees.

June 20, 2019

When you’re trying to build a business from the ground up, everybody knows that you need to have the right people on your side. But the right people can quickly turn into the wrong ones if they have a tense relationship with you. Your company needs employees who are loyal and dedicated to actively encouraging business growth and development, but bear in mind that for the most part, your employees are never going to be as dedicated to your company as you are – after all it is your business, not theirs. However, employees can and will be loyal to somebody that they deem to be a good leader. So, here’s what you can do to foster great relationships with the people that shape your brand.

#1. Don’t Micromanage:

There’s nothing worse than a boss who just can’t trust employees to get things done, even when they’ve proven time and time again that they can. If you’re micromanaging your employees and need to be involved in every little thing that they do, then be careful – they may begin to resent you, and this will put a huge strain on your relationship in the workplace and may even effect your ability to work together harmoniously. Instead, trust your employees to get the job done – after all, they do it every day! If you’re struggling, ask your employees how they would prefer to be managed – and be open minded. Being a good leader involves putting yourself in the shoes of other people and taking their preferences and ideas on board, even if it’s not something that would personally work for you.

#2. Lead by Example:

A boss will tell people what to do and do another thing themselves, but a good leader will always lead by example. Your employees are not going to respect you if they feel that it is one rule for them and another for you. And at the end of the day, you want to work with people who have the same passion and dedication to your business as you do. So, lead by example when it comes to this; be positive and determined, even when the going is tough – don’t be tempted to only discuss the negative aspects of your business with your team. While it’s great to be honest about things that are going wrong in order for everybody to come together and work to improve things, you should share the positives just as often – if not more.

#3. Invest in Their Future:

Considering the future ambitions and goals of your employees can go a long way when it comes to building a good relationship with them. If they can go far in your company, and your business actively helps them to achieve their own personal career objectives, they are more likely to remain loyal for a long time, let alone motivated to be highly productive members of the team. Promote from within as often as you can and don’t shy away from investing in additional training or providing funding towards employee qualifications.

#4. Encourage Fun:

Last but not least, don’t make it all about work! A productive workplace is a happy one, so take the time to engage employees in activities that don’t involve sitting at their desks, such as these team building activities from teamtactics.co.uk. They provide a wide range of fun things to do like obstacle courses and treasure hunts, which can help employees get to know one another – and you – outside of the work environment, and massively improve teamwork once you’re back at your desks.

When you’re working hard to make your small business successful, having good relationships with your employees is crucial.

Subscribe to Industry Today