Why Your Relationship with Your Employees Matters

Recognition & Motivation Ideas

Most managers dream of a work environment that consists of collaboration, ingenuity, productivity, low stress and high employee morale.

If you manage a group of people, it may be easier to make that dream into a reality than you think.

It all starts with one thing: building a great relationship with your employees.

Why does this matter so much? Why put the effort into building a solid foundation of mutual respect and trust? Why not just issue orders and expect them to be followed?

Because we’re all human. And as humans, we naturally work harder for those who are fair, consistent and kind. The more positive interactions we have with our boss, the more productive we tend to be.

Creating a good relationship with your employees isn’t just for their benefit. It can have numerous perks for yourself and the company as well.

It frees up your time

If employees feel that you trust them to use their own judgment to solve problems as they arise, you’ll discover that they’re in your office a lot less.

When you’re dealing with fewer questions and crises, you’ll be able to concentrate on other, higher level issues.

It leads to less mistakes

If you consistently demonstrate trust in your team, you’ll also probably find that employees make better decisions because they won’t want to let you down. In addition, you’ll probably make fewer mistakes as well since you’ll have more time to concentrate on your own work.

It cultivates creativity and innovation

Fear-based corporate cultures suppress any urge to think outside the box for fear of being shut down.

But an encouraging, supportive atmosphere allows employees to take risks, offer opinions and generate ideas that help the department and/or company succeed.

It makes change easier

Employees who have a good relationship with their manager are far more likely to go along with any changes you need to implement, even if they’re difficult ones. While there still may be some resistance (after all, none of us truly likes change), their trust in you will help them make the transition more quickly.

It reduces turnover

The cost of keeping an employee over the long term has far less impact on the bottom line than constantly hiring and training new employees. Having a great relationship with your team members creates a sense of loyalty and dedication, drastically reducing turnover.

It makes you look good to your superiors

When a team is happy, productive and innovative, it’s almost impossible for upper management not to notice. No doubt, they’ll want to know what you’re doing that’s so different from your peers, and they may even put you at the head of the line for the next promotion!

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