“Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships.”
As you build a winning culture at your company, these are words to live by. The source: Michael Jordan, former NBA star and principal owner of the Charlotte Hornets. In his heyday, he led the Chicago Bulls to six world championships. So M.J. knows a thing or two about how to stay on top when it comes to competition – and the same basics apply in sports and business.
Relationship Management in the Workplace
Employee engagement is the bottom line when it comes to the success of your company. Workers who become disengaged are more likely to leave their jobs or share their dissatisfaction, both on and offline. So, engagement can mean the difference between productivity and ineffectiveness, or ultimately, profitability and insolvency. Good employee/management relationship management reflects your ongoing commitment to high engagement levels.
Relationship management at work is all about:
- Maintaining open, two-way communication.
- Encouraging collaboration between coworkers and teams.
- Showing appreciation for jobs well done.
- Fostering mutual respect and understanding
- Empowering people to take risks, spread their wings, and stretch their limits.
- Helping employees set the right goals and continue to find purpose in their work.
What It Looks Like
Another advantage of effective relationship management is the minimization of workplace toxicity. For example, if a manager nips a disagreement in the bud or clarifies a concern early on, these proactive steps can make a positive difference in employee performance, as well as overall company culture.
Picture these scenarios:
- Effective conflict resolution: whether it’s between two coworkers or between an employee and their supervisor.
- Better career development opportunities: Managers are better poised to help their employees reach their professional goals and ensure they algin with your company’s objective and vision.
How to Achieve It
The steps to heightened employee/management relations are not complicated, but you must be committed to making them the norm, not the exception. These steps include:
- Promoting cooperation: Achieving desired results can involve some healthy competition, as long as every player is driving toward the same goal. Managers should delegate tasks thoughtfully and strategically, capitalizing on everyone’s unique talents and ensuring that all are in lockstep to achieve desired outcomes.
- Strengthening communication skills: Leadership, by example, is the secret sauce. Make sure managers are well trained in active listening and confrontation, and conflict management. Offer ongoing communication workshops and seminars for all team members.
- Managers inspiring their team members: This starts with keeping each individual, team, and department informed of their goals, metrics, and progress towards achieving them. Have a robust recognition program with appropriate incentives and awards.
- Giving people a sense of ownership: When management is planning a project, introducing an initiative, or making a business decision, employee input should be sought as much as possible. This not only helps to visualize situations rationally and from different perspectives, but it also provides more viable options for which paths to take. And, employees feel more invested and connected to your company.
As you raise the bar on relationship management at your company, consider turning to the staffing and talent management experts at PrideStaff Fresno for more tips and advice. Read our related posts or contact us today to learn more.