Building a relationship with your staff is more than company picnics and the occasional small talk. The strongest managers are relationship oriented and forward thinking. They prioritize their employees needs and then create action plans to meet those needs. They are aware of the morale of their team and take action when needed to strengthen company unity. By making a concerted effort to have positive, meaningful interaction with your staff, you will increase their satisfaction in the work place. There are many resources that talk about company unity, but here are a few tips we feel are important:

Clearly Define Expectations

Establishing expectations will provide your staff the tools they need to succeed. Clearly defined guidelines are essential in creating harmony between you and your staff. The creation of an employee handbook can help communicate expectations and improve performance. The handbook should include expectations for your staff, a benefits guide, your company policies or anything you find necessary for your staff to know. Differences of opinions within your office are inevitable. Having a guide or tool, such as a handbook, when these misunderstandings arise can help minimize hurt feelings between staff.

Perform Monthly Evaluations

Building relationships through monthly evaluations creates an atmosphere of safe and open communication. By evaluating your office staff and caregivers, you are laying the foundation for a strong work relationship. It allows you to see your employees’ accomplishment or where they need to improve. Together, use this evaluation time to determine and set goals, provide and receive constructive feedback, and, more importantly, validate where the employee has excelled in their position. When you perform monthly evaluations, your staff will feel their growth and success in the office is important to you, strengthening trust and open communication.

Give On-the-Spot Feedback

It’s easy to become so involved in the day-to-day tasks of running a business that you forget to recognize hard work when you see it. Although monthly evaluations allow for open communication between you and your staff, on-the-spot feedback—whether it’s positive or constructive—shows your employees you appreciate their efforts and hard work. In Home Care Pulse’s 2016 Home Care Benchmarking Study, caregivers reported the number one form of preferred appreciation is verbal recognition by their supervisor. It can be discouraging for an employee to have their hard work go unnoticed, but honest and timely feedback boosts morale.      

By using these few tips to build staff cohesion, you will create a work environment that promotes leadership and trust within your organization. Taking the time necessary to focus on building office relationships may seem overwhelming, but in the end, you will see it pay off in increased productivity and quality of work.

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