As a leader, it is more important than ever that you take the time to build a relationship with your employees. Not only does this help them to trust you and the company, it helps them become better employees. If your employees understand that you care about them as a person, they will feel more secure in their roles, more comfortable with taking risks for the company and are more likely to be engaged and productive at work.
If you can take the time to connect with each employee on an individual level, you will slowly start to build a relationship in which they know that you have their best interest at heart. This is what we call a Personal Business Relationship, or PBR. Employees with whom you have established a PBR will take feedback more openly, believing that it is truly helpful to them, not just what you want. They will be more committed to the company. And, most importantly, they will be highly engaged in what they’re doing.
In a talent market that is seeing more voluntary departures than ever before, it is essential to your company that employees feel connected and engaged at work. If they don’t, they’ll leave in a heartbeat. There are plenty of other employers offering the promise of a better workplace with more fulfilling work. Take the time to get to know your employees. It can only help.
If you’re interested in learning more ways to be a better CEO, download our eBook “5 Ways to Become a Better CEO This Week“.
