Building Boss: Employee Connection
Fostering connection among your staff benefits creativity, strategic thinking and unlocks generative capacity.
If employers aren’t making that emotional connection, they are simply maintaining the “acquaintance status” with their direct reports. They miss out on building rapport, collegiality, and a relationship that results in more engaged employees who are willing to do the impossible because they are inspired by their manager. Now that you know the reasons why becoming a friend to your employees (making an emotional connection) is so essential to becoming an inspiring leader. Showing your employees that you are making an effort to be approachable as well as sharing concerns and convictions can help you find interests and values you have in common.
A friendship is based on trust, as is a well-functioning employer – direct report relationship. As you foster the trust and bond between you and your employees, you will find they will get on board with new initiatives faster, work longer and harder, and overall be glad to work for you and your company. And that attitude ultimately drives profits. And who wouldn’t want that?
