There are plenty of ways to increase employee satisfaction. Sure, you could give them a raise, but that doesn’t always solve the root of the problem, only temporarily fixes the symptoms. Let’s jump into 5 ways you can improve your company culture and even your mentoring style in order to keep your team happy and productive.
- “Create opportunities for connection.” Whether you have an office or not, you should always have an open-door policy. A good leader is there for their team. Go to brainstorm or training sessions, lend a helping hand when you can (even if you’re busy), or get coffee/lunch with team members. When you create a comfortable environment, your team members are more likely to engage and be happy. They will also offer up pieces of the personal life because they trust and respect you as a person. People over profit, always will lead to more profits in the long run.
- “Build a trusting feedback mechanism.” You have to open up the floor for honest feedback. If you respond negatively, you will push your employees away. If they don’t feel like they can offer up an opinion without repercussions, they will never be fully happy or trust you as a leader. In addition to that, you need to make sure you are constructive in your feedback. Make sure you can provide honest assessment without berating or condescending to someone.
- “Don’t micromanage.” This is so vital! Micromanaging people can lead to serious consequence. People respond negatively when you try to dictate every aspect of their day. They feel overworked and like you don’t trust them. All of these things can make someone severely unhappy at work. This is probably the most least-effective management style. Don’t tell them what to do, teach them and guide them to do it on their own.
- “Encourage office friendships.” People need people. It’s rather simple really. When people have friends in the office, they will be happier spending the majority of their day in the office. It builds a sense of camaraderie. However, it’s important to remember that some people have trouble connecting. It your job as the leader to set the tone. You can create the space to connect by organizing team building exercises or outings. This gives your team a fun way to talk about things outside of work.
- “Give credit away.” We’re big believers in giving credit where credit is due. A great leader helps build up the success of others and does not hoard it for themselves. By surrendering the need to be front and center you are empowering your team to succeed. It will give them a sense of pride and accomplishment that will help keep that happy in their jobs.
Ultimately, throwing money at something does not solve the long-term problems. Creating a culture you and your team is proud of you are creating a better, more productive place to work.
Not everyone makes friends easily, so it’s often up to managers and team leaders to create an environment in which office friendships can flourish. To build stronger personal and business relationships, try to learn at least one important personal thing about each of your employees; especially what motivates them.
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