“An employee’s motivation is a direct result of the sum of interactions with his or her manager.” – Bob Nelson
Bosses, team leaders, managers, supervisors, and so on! They always have a terrible reputation. No matter what they do, they just can’t get it right in their subordinates or team members’ eyes.
You may be astounded to know that around 87% of the employees hate their managers. I don’t know about others, but being a manager myself, this stat saddens me to the core.
Imagine leading a team that does not even like you?
No way!
The main reason why the term ‘Manager’ carries so much hatred with it is that they fail to develop a healthy relationship with their team members. There’s no denying that managers need to keep up with their ‘managerial attitude’ to be taken seriously, but that does not mean they should act like a dictator for that matter. This ‘Bossy’ behavior is often what leads to their downfall.
Managers and employees are indeed better off as colleagues than friends (of course, you can’t spend the entire day gossiping at work), but it is still essential to establish a healthy and positive relationship between the two sides.
Why Should Managers Focus On Building A Better Relationship With Their Team Members?
When managers have a healthy and positive relationship with their team members, the entire company benefits. As per a study, people having mutually respectful and positive relationships with their managers are more productive, happier, and engaged in their work in the long-run.
If you are thinking of building a happy relationship with your team members, CONGRATULATIONS! You are already a step ahead of most managers and team leaders.
Here are some reasons to continue doing so:
Happy Employees = More Loyalty:
Believe it or not, people don’t leave their jobs; they leave their managers. Employees are more likely to leave if they don’t have a positive relationship with their managers. A company where employees feel comfortable around their managers is more likely to have a loyal workforce.
Happy Employees = More Productivity:
If the team members are undervalued and ill-treated, the entire company suffers. Employees either resign or they just work for the sake of their jobs. There’s no innovation or productivity. Conversely, employees who are constantly motivated and treated well by the managers make significant contributions to the organization. Similarly, when it comes to boosting productivity, an employee management system can also make a great impact on employee engagement.
Happy Employees = Better Company Culture:
A company is said to have an excellent work culture if the employees are trusted, treated well, and recognized for their efforts. Establishing a robust employee-manager relationship is the best way to develop a great company culture. If employees enjoy working at a place, they are more likely to adhere to the guidelines and company rules.
Happy Employees = No Workplace Conflict:
Workplace conflicts usually arise between an employee and the manager because of the differences and poor relationship between them. Such conflicts are quite common, and if ignored, they only grow and lead to business failures. Thus, having a good relationship with the employees is the only solution in such circumstances because the chances of conflict are less if the manager and employees are on good terms.
What Are The Attributes Of A Healthy Employee-Manager Relationship?
A lot of managers think they have an excellent relationship with their team members just because they share laughter and jokes. Remember that a tremendous employee-manager relationship does not sum up to just that. There are a few crucial characteristics of a healthy relationship with employees that need to be recognized and understood.
Here are a few of them:
- Mutual respect
- Effective communication
- Transparency and openness
- Mutual reliance
- Trust and commitment
How Can Managers Establish Healthy Relations With Their Team Members?
It is clear that a happy relationship with the employees is the ultimate key to create an environment that is cheerful, positive, and motivating enough to boost the employees to go the extra mile with the work. It is a consistent process that needs effort and time.
This is how you can ensure a strong fellowship with your subordinates.
1. Talk It Out:
Communication plays the most important role in not just our personal but professional lives too. They say, “Communication to a relationship is like oxygen to life, without it…it dies.” Communication is something that either improves or spoils your relationship with the team members.
Make sure that you opt for transparent and consistent communication with your employees. It brings clarity in thoughts and keeps everyone on the same page.
However, it might get really tough for a manager to keep in touch with every employee regularly. So, using communication tools might help in facilitating consistent communication.
2. Bring Together Diversity and Inclusion:
It is a significant challenge to work with a team with beliefs and values different from yours. Differences lead to resistance and may cause trust issues among the manager and employees.
Managers need to understand that every employee is different and must be respected for the same. Employers should make the employees feel included by recognizing and understanding their values. It should be ensured that their ideas and concerns are being heard.
This will create strong momentum for satisfaction and performance in their jobs.
3. Learn To Appreciate:
There’s no denying that employees are the most critical asset of a company. It is essential to maintain them by providing them a timely appreciation. Everybody needs to be appreciated for the work they put in.
If you value your employees for their excellent work, they are motivated and work harder to maintain their performance. It is more than just a matter of one day (Employee Appreciation Day). Appreciate them regularly instead of just one day in the entire year.
4. Make The Feedback A Two-Way Street:
Well, it is important to let your employees know about their performances, but it is equally essential for you to let them express whether things are working out in their favor or not.
As a manager, you should ask them what you can do to make their work or jobs easier to make them more efficient. Look out for the changes they would like to see in the work process or your leadership (if any).
You need to understand that employees stick longer to a company where they feel that their concerns are being heard and valued.
5. Say No To Micromanagement:
“I perform better under strict micromanagement, “said no employee ever.”
I don’t think there is any employee that really enjoys being micromanaged. I know it is important for managers to keep track of what is being done and what is not, but there is a way to do that.
Everybody has personal space, and we should respect it. No employee likes it when someone looms over them, inspecting and criticizing every little thing they do. It is disrespectful and demotivating.
If you wish to develop a better relationship with your employees, the most important thing you can do is, avoid micromanage and trust them.
The Endnote:
Employees are like plants. Give them their personal space, required attention (not too much though), give them the amount of sunlight they require and they will thrive. Keep them in the dark, neglect them; they will fail.
Remember that employees are the backbone of a business, and the kind of relationship you have with them can either make or break your business. Make sure that you put in the effort which makes the employees connected to the business and you as well.
Appreciate them for their achievements, give them required positive reinforcement, keep the “boss is always right” attitude away and you’ll see them shine like stars in no time.