Strengthening professional relationships is an important part of employee satisfaction; workers will get excited to come into the office (or log on) when they enjoy who they’re working with. Here’s how you can build a cohesive team by making the most out of face time in the office.
All managers want a successful team to call their own, right? Unfortunately, dream teams don’t just grow on trees. You have to shape and mold a team to be efficient, productive, and excited about what they’re doing. So, how do you cultivate this elusive group dynamic after you’ve hired the right people for your team?
Can we take this meeting to go?
One-on-one meetings can be a great time to get to know your teammates even better — professionally and personally. A way to make new hires feel more comfortable is to suggest a walking meeting for a change of scenery. Taking things out of the office can help employees feel more relaxed, allowing for a more honest conversation (remember: transparency is key!). It’s also good for you!
We need to talk
It’s important to discuss more difficult topics in person with your employees rather than sending an email or online chat. Technology has done a lot for us, but one thing it can’t replace is the power of a face-to-face conversation. Whether you’re giving feedback, talking about personal difficulties, or revealing negative developments, it’s better to clear the air in person.
Your tone over the internet can easily be misinterpreted, and it can seem like you don’t value an employee as much as you actually do. On top of that, what can end up being drawn out over multiple emails could have just been solved in a few minutes of actual conversation.
Celebrate Good Times
People don’t always feel comfortable bragging about their own accomplishments or milestones, so why not do it for them? Maybe they finally got that client or contract they’ve been working on for months, landed a huge account, or helped break a company record. Showing your team hard work doesn’t go unnoticed is great morale booster and motivator to work even harder.
Popping by your employees’ desks to congratulate them in person is a great way to show people their work really matters, and adds that personal touch. You can also double up on this by adding in a quick note about your teams’ accomplishments during weekly meetings, too.
But work doesn’t have to be the only topic celebrated — congratulating your employees on events in their personal lives is a nice reminder that you respect them as people outside of the office. A flexible work-life balance is a big checkbox for potential hires nowadays, not just Gen Z-ers. So if an employee buys their first home, it’s important to not only congratulate them in the office, but also let them know they can work remotely as they get everything organized.
Cultivating a comfortable work environment will allow your employees to feel like they can come to you about anything (within reason, of course). Having a positive relationship with your employees means people won’t feel threatened by you, but rather respect you. Creating a well-oiled machine is going to involve putting in some extra legwork, but the results will speak for themselves. A strong team just gets things done ✊ .
