Lean Quote: 5 Ways To Build Positive Relationships With Your Employees

On Fridays I will post a Lean related Quote. Throughout our lifetimes many people touch our lives and leave us with words of wisdom. These can both be a source of new learning and also a point to pause and reflect upon lessons we have learned. Within Lean active learning is an important aspect on this journey because without learning we can not improve.

"Everyone talks about building a relationship with your customer. I think you build one with your employees first."   — Angela Ahrendts (Senior Vice President, Apple)

Every manager should know the value of personal relationships with employees. Building a positive and stimulating work environment is your top priority – this is what will help your workers to go that extra mile in completing tasks for their projects. Yet, many executives find it challenging to establish the balance between respect and likeability. Here are a few tips to help you develop meaningful relationships with your employees and build a positive work environment.

Bond Of Trust

The most important part of a boss-employee relationship is trust. Always be honest with your employees and never twist your words. Always tell the truth. Be more transparent while you approach your employees. And never gossip about your employees or share any of their personal information to others. Trust is the building block and makes your relationship with employees sustainable. So trust-building will give you great results.

Merge The Gap With Communication

Communication is one of the most important key aspects of the boss-employee relationship. Open and honest communication gives you the understanding of the employees’ sentiments and needs. A workplace should not only limit to email communication. Weekly meetings and hearing out the employees help you achieve more employee loyalty. Good communication fills the gap between awkwardness and other human complexities.

Appreciate Your Employees

Imagine you work in a company and work really hard to meet up the company’s goals and deadlines. Work can make you all exhausted and drained. A simple gesture or a ‘Thank you’ note can lift your mood up and keep you motivated.

Give your employees the appreciation they need, they work for you and dedicate a lot of time and effort for your company’s growth. Pat their backs, make them feel special and let them know how much you value their work. Do it honestly and not just for the sake of it. Though it would take very little time to appreciate their good work, for them this can bring a whole new motivation and engagement in their work.

Respect Your Employees and Give Them Autonomy

Respect your employees and their opinions. Never make your employees feel neglected. Don’t be harsh on their face when you disagree with them. Respect their inputs and try to explain your point of view with a little more empathy.

Give your employees the freedom in your workplace. Nobody would appreciate you if you don’t give your employees enough room and space to complete their tasks. It’s very evident that autonomy in the workplace increases job satisfaction and your relationship with employees.

Have A learning Attitude

Don’t take the proverb “The boss is always right ” literally. Keep a learning attitude and this would help the employees to feel more comfortable while they give their point of view to you. This also helps the employees to realize that they are all the same and gives a sense of oneness.

Forging a meaningful relationship with your team can be a challenge, but that doesn't mean that it's impossible to achieve it. A great and open relationship with employees will help you to build a positive work environment, which engages and inspires the team, effectively helping the company reach its key business goals.