Relationships aren’t built in a day
In a recent interview on Building Workplace Relationships, author and speaker Simon Sinek stated categorically that “trust doesn’t form in an event, in a day”, and went on to say how organizations need to “create mechanisms where we allow for those little innocuous interactions to happen”.
He made reference earlier in the interview that these sorts of things cannot be taught in a 2-day leadership course for things to happen by magic. Nor can they happen if building leadership and increasing employee engagement is viewed purely as the job of management and/or the HR department. The employees must be part of the improvement and ongoing growth process. The must be empowered to and encouraged to be open, to take ownership for improving their workplace and to build strong, lasting relationships with the folks they work with day in and day out.
The ideas behind his talks align very closely with the values and purpose of An Even Better Place to Work (BP2W). He has a vision to build a world in which the vast majority of us wake each morning inspired to go to work – exactly what we are trying to achieve!
1. Feeling Valued
Help your people feel special. When you feel special, you will act special, and when you act special, the organisation benefits.
2. Openness
Create a ‘safe’ work environment for people to be open – so they can talk to each other, not about each other.
3. Feedback
Proactively invite feedback to reduce workplace tension and relationship dysfunction.
4. Motivation
Identify your people’s unique motivational needs and drivers. Explore creative ways to meet their needs.
5. Manage Differences
Help your people to become great at what they are good at, rather than criticising them for what they can’t do or not desired to do.
6. Ownership
Leadership is complex and people take joint responsibility with the leader for being led.
7. Conflict Free
Replace conflict, mistrust and misunderstanding with openness, trust and collaboration.
I encourage you to watch the entire interview and remember it is the connections we build with our peers, subordinates and supervisors that ultimately determine how successful we, our team and the business will be.
Published in collaboration with Shea Heaver, North American contact for An Even Better Place to Work.
More info at www.anevenbetterplacetowork.com or www.satisfactionatwork.com