3 Reasons Treating Your Team Like Family is a Win-Win for Everyone Leading your staff in a supportive atmosphere creates three lasting benefits.
By Nancy Solari Edited by Micah Zimmerman
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Have you been searching for a different approach to managing your team? The way your employees interact with one another and with management impacts how they will work together. While a nurturing culture isn't always guaranteed, developing the unifying spirit of a family will strengthen your crew in three crucial ways.
1. Growing your business
When employees feel like they don't have support and motivation within the office, it can stifle their performance and commitment to the team. A lack of encouragement from the top can cause your employees to lose excitement in their work. Staff members complain that they aren't challenged with new tasks, leaving them feeling uninspired and undervalued. A family atmosphere emerges when you take the time to engage with your team. Setting a few minutes aside to explore their suggestions makes it clear that you're interested in hearing everyone's opinions and where they may apply their skills more effectively. Your employees will feel encouraged when you remain consistent by checking in with them regularly. They can see that you're invested in who they are and genuinely care about how they're doing.
A family grows in numerous ways, whether through marriage, welcoming a new little bundle of joy, or creating memories together. Within your team, a family-oriented work environment unfolds in many ways. A strong foundation allows for opportunities to promote from within. Cheering your employees on and promoting their achievements will enable them to be proud of the mark they're making. When staff members feel supported by leadership and their coworkers, it fosters personal growth and self-confidence. You will see positivity spread throughout the office as comradery surges. Your employees will encourage one another. Work will feel like a second home when you allow them to feel passionate about their contributions.
Related: Why Job Satisfaction is So Important for an Employee
2. Building your cultural vibe
Sometimes employees are uncertain about their company's mission and, therefore, can be disconnected. It can affect their morale when they lack a strong understanding of the corporate culture. You may notice staff members who show a negative attitude or slack off with their responsibilities. They may feel lost and unsure of the company's direction.
As leaders, they will look to you for guidance. When you treat others with dignity by having an open mind to different ideas, your team will be empowered, knowing that the company values them. You're setting a tone for your staff that aligns with the focus and goals of the company's vision. Every family has its structure and unique ways of working together; the same dynamic applies to your team.
Sometimes employees feel isolated when they can't share their individuality. When you provide them a chance to express themselves in the office, they feel respected and empowered. Perhaps during meetings, each person can tell a story of what they did over the weekend or share some of their upcoming plans. You might allow your team to decorate their workspace, so it's more personalized. When everyone feels unified in a common goal and has a creative mindset, it communicates a vibe of comradity within the workplace.
Related: 4 Signs Your Workplace Environment is Toxic
3. Motivating fresh ideas
Communication breakdowns can become a destructive force on the team and limit new ideas. Within a family, there will be moments of tension as you balance different personalities and diverse ways of approaching projects. Frustrations, arguments and divisiveness restrain the flow of inspiration. Promoting opportunities to collaborate in various ways motivates employees to see new possibilities. Instead of focusing on the conflict, draw attention back to a common goal — schedule time throughout the day when your staff comes together to review updates on progress. You can utilize this meeting to point out that everyone's voices matter, and each person's contributions play an essential role in the work.
When your employees can't express their opinions, it can lead them to bottle up feelings of resentment and dissatisfaction. Building communication among staff members starts with the leader and resonates throughout the team. While you can give feedback on personal growth, it also gives you a chance to form an exchange of ideas. You can start the conversation by asking your employees what projects they enjoy most or if there are any changes they would like to see made. When you seek out their suggestions, they'll feel motivated to continue sharing their ideas as they arise.
Within a team, you may find that certain coworkers form alliances. When you purposely pair teams so that each member works with someone they wouldn't usually seek out, it guides those with different personalities to find common ground and efficiently collaborate. Like a family, they can unite their strengths and launch new ideas to impact the team and the business positively.
Cultivating a family atmosphere promotes growth through a supportive environment where employees take pride in their work. This connectivity strengthens team spirit and shared values, building unity and better communication. By creating networking opportunities among your employees, you can help them realize their potential and expand their vision. You are building a community in which all stakeholders can claim victory, each building confidence in the success of all.
