To ensure that each and every one of your team members see you as someone they want to deliver the goods for, rather than someone who doesn’t care about them (can you just hear the ‘I told you so’s'). Here is a quick rundown on ‘How to be a boss that everyone likes’.
1. Say ‘Good Morning’ to everyone and make eye contact
By acknowledging them as real people, you will become much more interesting to your team and they will return the courtesy too. Making eye-contact makes a contract with them that shows you value them and they are important to you. Without saying anything, this focused attention of yours creates trust and a stronger relationship, right away.
2. Acknowledge people by their first name
If you can’t remember names, find a technique that helps you to – it’s very important to them – and the more you do it, the easier it is to remember!.
By building on how well you know them, knowing names is a way to ensure that you show that you treat them as individuals too.
Which, if you think about the reverse – when you are on the receiving end – makes you feel pretty special when it comes from your boss.
3. Ask them something about them that you have found out is really important to them
If they have a dog, get to know its name and occasionally, show interest in it! Life, for some people, is way more interesting outside work than inside – believe it or not!
By making sure that they know that you are interested in them as people and what is important to them too, you will start to create an amazing relationship.
A relationship that you can nurture with them and make managing much easier, as well as much more productive – on both sides.
4. Be comfortable when you are asked questions and ensure that you are attentive
Listening hard and – just as importantly – showing that you are listening too, is an absolute must.
If you want to build lasting relationships you need to be trusted. Simply being attentive to others when they are communicating with you will make a big step forward for you.
5. When good things happen (and they don’t have to be massive), say ‘Thank you’
It’s even better if you say, ‘Thank you for leaving me that message from Pete Arthurson, I appreciate you doing that for me’. ‘Thank you’ in context is much more powerful than simple ‘Thank you’, but if you can’t say a contextual one, the simple one is better than not at all!
People don’t like generics much – we’ve become immune to the value (if there ever was one, to scripted responses). Think of the twee ‘Have a nice day’ that so often gets churned out. Authenticity is the key here or if you can’t develop that, it’s probably not worth doing.
6. Say ‘Goodbye’ or ‘Good Night’ or ‘Good Evening’ at the end of your day
Taking the time to acknowledge your team, on their departure, is very powerful. They see that you are taking the time to see them off.
Of course this needs to work in your environment too. If you do this, try not to miss anyone if you can.
Simple courtesies and acknowledgements can make for the most amazing routes into successful relationships – with every one of your team members.
And once you have this, you will simply be amazed at what becomes much more possible, from a place where the possible didn’t look like it at all.
To you have any additional tips to build strong relationships with your employees? Share in the comments below.
Author Bio: Martin Haworth – This is a short excerpt from one of 52 lessons in management development at Super Successful Manager!, an easy to use, step-by-step weekly development program for managers of EVERY skill level.
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