Treat your employees right for a healthy business

It is vital for the success of a business to have a healthy relationship between employer and employee. If the employees are happy with the employer, their output is automatically greater than it would be if they are unhappy or dissatisfied. No one wants to work for an inhuman taskmaster. So if you’ve been thinking that a “strictly neutral” attitude devoid of compliments and empathy will get you good results, it’s time to take a reality check.

Get to know your employees

A manager has to tread a fine line between preserving professional dignity yet being friendly and sympathetic to his/her employees. Let your employees see you as a friend to get the maximum loyalty and productivity from them. You will have to be approachable, friendly and considerate when faced with real problems, yet tackle lazy or insubordinate workers with authority. This is almost a tightrope walk, but you can definitely learn your way along.

Preserve transparency between yourself and your employees

Business is an extremely dynamic enterprise, with changes or even crises taking place very frequently. Under these circumstances, employees like to know where they stand and where the company itself stands. Proper communication with your employees is also important to preserve their mental health and your working relationship. The more you talk to them clearly and honestly, the greater the professional bond between you – which may also encourage employees to buy-in and get some actual ownership in the company.

Pay compliments where they are due

Always reward good work as well as you would reprimand or punish for mistakes. When employees receive acknowledgements for good work, it encourages them to perform well instead of merely doing a mediocre job. Also, DO NOT try to pass off an employee’s good work as your own. This is a bad habit many managers have, and it gains them nothing but a very bad reputation in their company.

When you need to single out an individual for his/her underperformance, try to do so privately and respectfully. Instead of blasting them in front of their colleagues, call them to a one-on-one meeting and offer constructive advice and criticism. Let them know that they can approach you with any problems they may have, or tell them who to consult with their specific difficulties. This sort of support will gain their loyalty and goodwill, and encourage them to improve in future.