How well do you know your employees? Building relationships with the people that work for you can take time – but it is worth the investment. Today, I’m going to reveal some of the surprising advantages your company can benefit from if you are prepared to take the time and effort to get to know your staff. Let’s take a closer look.
You discover hidden talents
Employees might be good at their jobs, but are they hiding hidden talents that you could utilize for your business? Maybe they have passions to excel in particular areas, that, when combined with their skills, could result in a supercharged employee who is driven to succeed. But to find out about these hidden desires, you will need to have a deeper understanding of the people who are working for you and develop better relationships with them.
You become approachable
Successful, modern bosses understand the importance of having an open door policy. But the simple truth is that it is not enough to tell employees they are always welcome to your office to discuss problems or ideas. You also need to give them the confidence to do so, and the only way of doing this is by getting to know them.
You enhance your corporate culture
Organizational culture has never been as important as it is today. In short, it defines your company and helps you hire the right people, target the right market, and differentiates your business from the rest. It also promotes a sense of camaraderie. As HR software specialists Pingboard state, wherever there is camaraderie, there is a lot of opportunity for team-building and faster, more productive progress. But it all needs to come from the top – when people see you getting to know everyone, they will follow your lead.
It enables you to build stronger teams
When teams get together, there are so many things that can get in the way of success. The right mix of people is vital for the makeup of any team – not just skills, but personalities, too. For example, put too many extroverts together, and you end up with a risky strategy. Put too many introverts together, however, and you risk nothing being done. But with a dash of each personality type in your teams, you will have a stronger formula for better decision making, innovation, and success. The problem is, if you don’t know your employees, you will never be able to determine which mix of people will work well together.
You avoid internal strife
Every workplace has its flashpoints, of course. But, by taking the time to learn about your employee’s personalities and problem areas, you will be able to avoid them turning into serious issues. Internal strife and ‘bad’ employees can quickly turn a workplace into a nightmare for everyone. However, if you know your employees, you will have a greater understanding of an individual’s problems, meaning you will be able to mediate and act on issues before they get too serious.
Any thoughts on this subject? Let me know about them in the comments section below!