Healthy relationships between managers and employees encourage productivity, engagement, collaboration, and loyalty – in other words, a sense that everyone is in it together when it comes to enjoying each day at work and supporting the success of your business.

Both sides of that equation – every employee being happy at their job and committed to the future of your company – need to be in balance. What steps can you take to ensure this happens?

How to Better Relationships Between Managers and Employees

It’s All About Trust

A company culture based on mutual trust makes employees feel safe, improves collaboration, and boosts morale. Trust is a critical component of any relationship, including those between employees and managers.  

• When team members trust one another, they know they have someone to rely on if they have questions or need support. They’re more productive, in large part because they’re confident their colleagues and managers are upholding their responsibilities to ensure that everyone is successful.

Get to Know Employees as People

Get to know your employees on a personal level, beyond the workplace. They’re not just cogs in a wheel. Show a true appreciation for each of them as an individual, including their personalities, goals, needs, aspirations, and work styles. Help them link their personal vision to that of your organization.

• Managers should be prepared to advocate for their employees based on their relationships with them. People will go the extra mile for you when you do the same for them.

Be Sure Communication is Two-Way

Two-way communication is essential for building trust between managers and employees, aligning goals, and sustaining productivity. Communication with employees should be a regular and ongoing priority with as much transparency as possible. The benefits include greater mutual understanding, a stronger sense of ownership in your company, greater job satisfaction as people naturally feel in the know, and fewer obstacles to day-to-day workflow and results.

Listen Actively

Active listening is a skill that involves reflecting on what another person says, without judgment or jumping in too soon to make suggestions or give advice. It means paying attention not just to the words you hear, but also to non-verbal cues like body language and tone of voice.

• Reflecting means paraphrasing what a speaker has told you, to show you understand. Active listening also involves clarifying messages by asking open-ended questions or requesting more information.

Don’t Micromanage

When supervisors micromanage their employees, rather than gaining control over their products and processes, they lose time and limit their ability to communicate effectively and move projects forward. Micromanagement can lead to massive breakdowns of trust. Employees must be given the freedom to think and act on their own.

Consider Working with KeyHR

As you continuously improve manager/employee relations, consider a partnership with KeyHR. Through our alignments with leading preferred provider companies, we help growing businesses meet their HR, payroll, insurance, benefit, and risk management needs so they can develop their employees and managers while at the same time cutting costs and minimizing risk. Contact us today to learn more.