Small Business Work Relationships

Everyone wants good and healthy work relationships, but do you know how to cultivate and obtain those? There are books upon books of how to develop relationships within business partnerships, or even personal relationships outside of the workplace, but move inside of the workplace and it’s a subject that often gets pushed under the rug. There is a great article from the Houston Chronicle online that addresses just that. The article goes through a six step process, and I’ll touch on each of those.

Step 1 urges leadership to create a “clear and concise company mission statement.” As an employee it is important to understand what your companies mission statement is and to embrace it. For a true understanding of your purpose in the company then know what the mission is and take ownership in it.

Step 2 encourages teamwork. When you are part of a team you feel as if you belong and believing in what you do comes easily. Teamwork helps bond closer relationships between employees and supervisors creating more of a level playing field without the superiority feeling. University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences found that respect and trust among co-workers and between supervisors and staff leads to greater collaboration, innovation and efficiency in the workplace.

Step 3 says to communicate group expectations. With expectation employees have an ability to measure their work against the expectations given. This allows for self-motivated goals to be set within the ones given by leadership.

Step 4 promotes goal setting for employees. When goals are set employees tend to want to achieve those goals. Many people are competitive by nature and setting goals and deadlines lets employees strive for the finish line.

Step 5 gives the idea of rewarding employees for a job well done or addressing issues quickly. People like to know that they are doing a good job or like constructive criticism to help them do their job better. When edification is received the desire to achieve is heightened.

Each of these items constitutes structure, but not overwhelming micromanagement. When employees are able to cultivate their relationships with each other and supervisors freely then the work environment stays a happy place to be a part of. Try to have a group outing where employees can get to know each other on a more personal level away from work. How do you think your company does on maintaining and cultivating work relationships?

Read the full article from the Houston Chronicle HERE

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