"You can make more friends in two months by becoming
interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to
get other people interested in you."
-- Dale Carnegie
Successful business leaders appear to be emotionally bionic in
order to serve all the demands they're required to meet each
day. The good news (and there is some) is that a leader who's
well liked by his or her employees inspires loyalty which in turn
increases productivity and keeps morale high and turnover low.
Here are some tips and tricks you can use with your
employees--and your clients and vendors, too--that demonstrate
great leadership skills. By applying these suggestions in your
business, you'll create trust and loyalty by consistently
showing your employees that you care about them and the work they
do.
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1. The start of the day is a great time to demonstrate high
levels of enthusiasm for the new workday. Go out of your way to
greet your employees. Deliver compliments early in the day to put
your employees in a positive frame of mind as they face their
day.
2. Give your employees lots of opportunities to see you
frequently throughout the day. Walk around the company with
your head high and a smile on your face. Avoid hiding out in your
office doing paperwork for hours at a time. If your employees
don't see you during the day, they can feel ignored or (worse
yet) demoralized.
3. Celebrate victories. Set small and attainable goals
every few weeks or months to give your employees tasks worth
striving toward. Don't wait until you complete a big project to
congratulate the people who were involved. It's easy to bring
in a cake and some soft drinks to reward outstanding performances
for a job well done.
4. Encourage order. Every few months, give your employees
two or three hours to clean their desks, their files, and do minor
computer repairs. If you let them know you care about their working
conditions and their stress levels, they'll be more dedicated
to producing top quality work.
5. When the afternoon slump hits (around 3:00 p.m.), take a
walk around the office and ask people, "How's it
going?" This is a time when everyone needs a quick lift and
they'll appreciate your care and concern.
6. Create a locked suggestion box and periodically review the
contents. Let your employees know you're concerned about
their well being by addressing their issues. Post the suggestions
by sending out an e-mail newsletter or tacking them up on a
bulletin board.
7. Offer incentives for your employees to show them you care
about them. Allow them time off to volunteer for community
projects your company supports if they produce quality work. Offer
flex time to those qualified people who need it for personal
reasons (a sick child, a semester of extra education, etc.). Create
special privileges for those who excel at projects or quotas
(ball-game tickets, restaurant coupons, theater tickets).
8. Encourage friendships among co-workers. People want to
have friends at work, yet many are too busy or too shy to know how
to go about it. Encourage interaction by giving your employees the
chance to share their talents with other employees within your
office. Most offices attract a great variety of talented people.
For example, if someone in your company plays chess and would be
willing to teach chess to other who are interested, allow them to
promote their skill and give them a place (a lunch room or vacant
office) to teach those who'd like to learn chess. Or knitting.
Or another language. Or how to play the harmonica. The list is
endless! Your employees will love you for caring.
9. Hide your anger. If an employee does something that
provokes your anger, instead of blowing up at them, let that person
know you're disappointed in his or her behavior and never
criticize them as a person. That's the difference between a
good critique and criticism. Most people can learn from a
well-thought-out critique yet all people hate being criticized.
10. Show your humanity. Everyone loves a person with a
good sense of humor. You don't need to tell jokes, but learn to
laugh out loud easily and often.
Phyllis Davis coaches senior-level executives through her
company, Executive
Mentoring and Coaching Inc., and has taught corporate etiquette
and protocol for the past 28 years. She is the author of The
Rules Have Changed: American Business Strategies in a Brave New
World.