Getting to know your employees is one of the critical factors that contribute towards the growth of your business. But the question is – how does this approach work? Well, it is quite simple; the better you know your employees, the better you would be able to motivate and inspire them.
Remember that once CEOs or managers’ start listening to their employees than just hearing them, employee productivity improves significantly, which ultimately results in higher profits for the business.
The “one-approach-fits all” days are long gone. If businesses want to succeed in today’s competitive environment, they must first have a talented workforce. And this is possible only when your employees are happy with their workplace.
An important thing to remember here is that being empathic is entirely necessary for leaders or managers as it helps them keep their companies and employees on the planned track. However, it is not seen to be very common among corporate leaders today. In fact,most managers and leaders fail to have a necessary level of understanding with their employees.
The ability to not only understand but also help employees is what makes a leader a compassionate. However, it is no less than a challenge for a leader to know why an employee is troubled or what is causing him/her to underperform at work.
When you talk about smart ‘employee’ management, it is all about having the ability to get a clear picture of what is going on inside your employee’s mind. And this takes much more than just hearing them out.
Staying quiet and just listening to the employees would not do much good; the facial expressions, the body language and other natural reactions should be considered too.Moreover, showing them your support is just as necessary.
Becoming an empathetic leader takes both guts and commitment – the courage to get personal with employees and the commitment to support them! If you are on the way to become a great, compassionate corporate leader one day, here are five ways you can do so:
1. Care for the Employees
Employees are not just any other inert business resource. In fact, they should be seen and treated as the highly valuable assets they actually are. Employees tend to perform well when they know they are being led by a person who puts their best interest at heart.
The more turbulent the employee-boss relationship is, the more are the chances of employees becoming less committed to their job. Meeting your employees at lunch or after team meetings are the best ways to get close to them and to understand them. Talk about their life and share your stories with them. Employees love to work for those who they can trust and rely upon during both personal and professional situations.
2. Never Judge the Employees
No two people think alike. We all have our own ways of approaching problems,and we all react differently to different types of situations. You are very likely to meet people with different styles, and instead of criticizing them or ridiculing them, you must learn to accept them. This not only gives your employees confidence but also offers you endless opportunities to learn new things. Moreover, allowing your employees to open up at meetings brings new ideas for the betterment of the business.
Not listening to your employees and judging them for their differences only shows how immature you are as a leader.What’s worse is that it shows your incompetency – i.e., you cannot adapt to changes.
3. Get to Know Them
You think you really know your employees? Think again. The employee-boss relationship is what determines how much you as a boss are valued and trusted by your employees. Knowing and getting close to your employees does not mean you ask about where they live, their kids and spouse, their parents, etc. Instead, talk about what they feel about you and your company.
If you know nothing or very less about your employees, try spending more one-on-one time with them. It does not have to be a formal lunch or meeting. In fact, you can do this during the break hour at the office.
4. Never Interrupt
Interrupting people while they are talking is never a good idea, especially when you are hearing your employees out. If you do, they will surely lose focus and would fail to share their feelings with you. What you must do is listen to them with an undivided attention and understand what they said. This makes the employees feel assured of being heard, hence increasing their motivation and trust.
5. Offer Assistance
This is one of the primary jobs of leaders and managers. Employees get stuck in all kinds of problems at work very often. This is where you come in and lend them a hand. You guide them and show them exactly how a task has to be completed. You cannot just leave them to figure it out on their own just because “it is their job; that is what they are being paid for.”Make sure you help your employees with their issues at work. Moreover, you must also try your best to help your employees with their personal problems as this renders them more dedicated towards you and your company.
