It is so important for a boss to get along well with their team; it’s crucial if you want a successful business. You need that team to want to work for you and do what you ask, but you also need to make sure they don’t walk all over you. It’s good to keep things in check. There are, however, some tried-and-true ways to get along with your team while still being in charge. Read on to find out more about how to build a good rapport with your team to ensure success.
Listen
A good boss will pay attention to what their workers say. This could happen in a meeting or just in general conversation, such as if they suggest using Autotask plugins or tell you they need some training, for example. It’s important to listen to what’s being said and be seen to listen, no matter where or when it happens. It builds trust and a sense of community between you and your employees. It also makes them more likely to come to you with any problems they have.
Why does this matter? If they tell you about any part of their work, good or bad, you can fix problems and applaud hard work (both of which are required if you want to build a rapport with your team). Making sure that everyone in the organization has a voice and knows that their viewpoints will be heard creates a considerate environment, and people are usually happier when they know they will be heard. You’ll also find that people are more likely to share their thoughts in a group, which can lead to some great innovative ideas for the business.
Look For Emotions
Being able to tell when someone is going through something emotional is part of being a good boss who gets along well with the rest of the team. It could be something that makes them happy or something that makes them sad. You can be intuitive if you can read the signs in people’s faces, bodies, and even words. You can help people who need it by asking the right questions, and you can tell when someone is happy and help them celebrate.
When you pay close attention to your employees, it shows that you care about them and that they can talk to you about anything. It isn’t always easy to figure out how people feel. It may take some time or even a class on body language and facial expressions. When you get good at it, though, it will pay off.
Praise Where Praise Is Due
Praise is one of the surest ways to get people to do their best at work. It makes people feel better about themselves and the work they are doing, which makes them work effectively. They will feel important and appreciated, which will make them want to work even harder.
The opposite happens when someone is constantly yelled at, and their work can drop a lot. So, even if you need to tell someone something bad, try to start and end the conversation on a good note. They will be more likely to listen to you and work harder to get a better result. Remember, though, that you should only praise people for things that deserve praise. If you don’t, it won’t feel real and won’t have the effect you want.
Treat Them
It’s important to let your team have fun every now and then, whether it’s for a birthday, because a goal has been reached, or because it’s a holiday. Putting together a game of paintball, a trip to the movies, or any number of other fun activities gets everyone out of the office for a while and gives them a chance to get to know each other outside of their desks and cubicles. This could bring them closer together as a team. It also shows that you care about them and want them to have a good balance between work and life.
Other ideas include letting people dress casually on Fridays, giving out free drinks at the office, and leaving early once a week. You could even give your employees the day off for their birthday or think about giving those who need it more flexibility in their schedules. If you make the workplace a fun, easy, and enjoyable place to be, it will be better for everyone.
Lead By Example
It’s important to be a leader when you’re trying to build a relationship with your team. It’s nice to be liked, but you’re the boss, not one of the workers. That means you’ll sometimes have to be tough on your staff and give them warnings. If you’re too friendly with them, that will make things harder for both of you than they need to be.
It’s important to lead by example so that they can see you standing up for them, making decisions, and doing what’s best for the company instead of always wanting to make friends. This will make your employees respect you, and even if you’re not best friends with them, you’ll have a special relationship with them. Also, they will want to do what you ask because they know you have good intentions.
Set High Expectations
Setting high expectations might not sound like a good way to get to know your team. It sounds more like telling them they have to work hard. Still, this is the point. Setting high expectations does mean telling your team they need to work hard, but it also means encouraging them and believing they can do that.
Telling them that you know they can do what you’re asking them to do, even if it sounds hard or like a lot of work, makes a big difference. They’ll like how it makes them feel when you believe in them, and they’ll want to show you they can do it. When you do these two things, they will have a good opinion of how you lead, and you will be able to build that much-needed rapport quickly.