How to Build Solid Relationships Among Your Employees

Build solid relationships among your employees.

Are the relationships between your employees solid like a rock? Or are their relationships so fragile that the slightest controversy will virtually destroy them?

Relationships are about building trust, demonstrating transparency and exchanging information. Office relationships are no different than those you cherish at home and require the same level of commitment and dedication. Is it possible to build solid relationships among your employees if their foundation is made of glass?

Build trust

Your employees are no different from your competition’s employees. All employees want is to know that their opinion matters and when they talk someone is listening. Trust is accepting your employees’ imperfections – warts and all. No one is perfect, yet when your employees make a mistake, does a member of your team make them feel vulnerable or inadequate?

The next time you give them a task to do, walk away and let them figure it out on their own. Allow them to make mistakes, develop solutions and learn from the experience. In other words, empower them. When was the last time you empowered your employees to take action on their own?

Transparency

Some managers feel that sharing too much information with their employees is not necessary; they’re concerned that employees will become reactive rather than be proactive (or productive) and ultimately quit or transfer—leaving the department short-handed.

Actually this way of thinking has the opposite effect. If your employees are left in the dark, they will start speculating and creating rumors which is completely ineffective. What is your communication strategy for sharing information with employees? What vehicles do you use to ensure employees are up-to-date on the latest information?

Exchange information

Teamwork is taking a group of employees and having them work together for a common goal. Teamwork is having employees’ strengths compliment other team members’ weaknesses. Team members need to feel their thoughts, ideas and perspectives are safe from criticism. And the ability to embrace new ideas and not judge them is a direct outcome of solid teamwork.

Michael Jordan’s latest book I Can’t Accept Not Trying, describes teamwork: 

“There are plenty of teams in every sport that have great players and never win titles. Most of the time, those players aren’t willing to sacrifice for the greater good of the team. The funny thing is, in the end, their unwillingness to sacrifice only makes individual goals more difficult to achieve. One thing I believe to the fullest is that if you think and achieve as a team, the individual accolades will take care of themselves. Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships.”

I encourage you to read the following questions and answer them honestly:

What type of relationship do your employees have with each other?

Can you rely on your employees to work together as a team?

What (or who) is your weakest link?