One of the hallmarks of a great leader is not about guiding the business, but it’s about someone being all things to all people. While this may sound like an impossible task, there is one simple shortcut to get to this point, and it’s about looking after your number one priority: your employees. Your employees need care, and every employee, regardless of their skill, needs nurturing and support, so they can progress in the business but they can also so have more of a trust in your abilities so they will work towards improving the big picture. But getting your employees adequate care may seem like an obvious solution to a wide-ranging problem, but it’s certainly a very difficult thing to get right. How can you look after your employees and make sure they get the care that they deserve?
Go One Step Further
Another seemingly obvious solution, but going one step further is far more difficult in practice than it is in theory. We spend a lot of time in a business trying to firefight, but when our employees really need us, we’ve got to pull out all the stops. Going one step further isn’t just about providing adequate perks, but we’ve got to ensure that they feel our support when in a dangerous situation. If they’ve got themselves into a pickle, and something has happened, we could provide professional support, by contacting a personal injury attorney to ensure that all the legal aspects are secure, but we also need to provide that little bit extra, in terms of emotional support. Going one step further is all about doing what we can to make sure that they feel comfortable in a difficult situation. It’s the metaphorical comfort blanket.
Follow The Rules And Regulations
Sometimes our employees need us to look after them, but we also need to make sure that we do things by the book. Following the rules and regulations, as boring as it may seem, is not about covering your back, but about ensuring that your employees are supported in a proper framework. When we ensure that our employees get the care they deserve, it can be done with HR procedures, and following the right methods to give them our support. This is especially prudent if your employees have a mental health issue or are suffering from an external personal situation. We’ve all heard horror stories about HR departments being veritable nightmares, and while you need to follow the rules and regulations, that doesn’t mean that you should be cold in your approach. Follow the rules, but still have that warmth.
Prioritize Their Happiness
Happiness in the workplace is a priority. In one respect, it’s about the morale, and while happy employees are productive ones, we still need to remember that our business are not just a bunch of individual components; we have to remember that our employees need to be healthy and happy, so therefore, they can be productive. Keeping happiness in mind isn’t just about giving them free food on a Friday, but it’s about figuring out what they need and asking them for their opinions. Everybody has their own perception of what happiness entails, but in a working environment it is all about the morale that contributes to the culture, and therefore, collaboration and an improved business will follow.
Listen To Them
It might not be so so easy to listen to them if you are never there but if you think you’re doing your best for the business by going on various expeditions or trade shows, if you don’t spend much time in your office environment, will you ever listen to your employees? Simple and effective; listening to your employees is the perfect way to figure out if something has gone wrong, and what you can do to take positive steps in the right direction. It’s always worth experimenting with new ideas because this is what will keep you competitive and agile. But if you’re looking for solutions that aim to please everyone, this might be an impossible feat, but what you need to remember is that if something goes wrong, or a policy is implemented that’s taking some time to realign itself, never feel like you are failing the business. It’s better to give people choices, as this will help benefit the company and the employees. But you can’t do this until you listen to them.
Ensuring your employees get the care they deserve isn’t all about the benefits or the perks, but it’s about the emotional and personal.
