You’ve been inundated with business issues for most of the morning, so you decide to take a break. You put on your safety glasses and head out into the shop area. As you’re walking down one of the aisles, you pass an employee who smiles and greets you. Although you’ve seen this worker several times before, you realize, with some embarrassment, that you can’t greet him by name because you don’t know it.
One of the most significant facets of being an excellent leader is knowing your people. When you make an effort to get to know them, it shows that you appreciate them and that they are important to you and your organization. It helps to build a sense of trust, mutual respect, and community within your company.
And getting to know their names is just the start. You should know their family status, what hobbies they enjoy, which skills they provide for the company, and whether they are experiencing personal issues that may be affecting their work.
Getting to know the people on your team on a more personal level can have a positive effect on their performance, morale, and job satisfaction. Here’s how you can get to know them better:
Keep your door open
As soon as you initiate an open-door policy, you’ll encourage your employees to talk to you about both personal and professional matters. Having a friendly demeanor sends a message that you’re an approachable leader. It also lets your people know that they have your support. Of course, you must let them know that you won’t back them up if they’ve done something unprincipled, but you will be there for them as long as they’re working in the best interest of the company.
Host social events
By hosting social events, coffee outings, and other informal gatherings, you can get to know your workers in a setting outside of work. You could see a different side of them and find out about traits and talents that you could access in the workplace. You’ll also get to understand them much better in this relaxed environment.
Show compassion
It helps to be compassionate and share in your employees’ struggles. While you can’t allow them to use their hardships as an excuse to put out inferior work, you can make allowances for those dealing with grief or other troubles and show an understanding of their problems.
Put a reward system into effect
Reward systems can be effective as long as they don’t demoralize some of your team members. Ensure that the system is competitive but fair so that everyone has a chance to receive an award.
Let us help you get to know some potential employees
We can put you in touch with your next candidates. Contact the professionals at Select Staff, a top recruitment agency in Dallas, Texas, and throughout the state.
