10 Ways Managers Can Connect With Their Employees
Can you imagine the kind of difference it would make if everyone in your team brings the very best of themselves at work? Well, it’s not a no-win situation, right?
As a project manager or entrepreneur, you have a lot of roles and responsibilities in your hand. From figuring out each employee’s needs, finding an ideal project management software, planning projects, solving problems, making recommendations, brainstorming ideas, and keeping things on-track, you’ve got plenty of work to do in a day. We also realize that there are days when things go over the edge and your stress level is all off the charts. Luckily, there are a few ways you can make things a bit less challenging at work and strengthening the bond with the people around you is definitely one of them.
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Making amends to genuinely connect with your employees is the secret to unlock the true potential and productivity for your company. So, what exactly can you do to connect with your employees? Here are a few ideas that you might want to consider.
Give employees a voice
When employees realize that they are being heard and they have a vote in the important decisions of the company, they tend to show more engagement and productivity towards every task they are delegated Apart from bringing more profits, giving every individual his/her own voice in the company makes them more satisfied at work and brings them in good terms with the leaders of the organisation.
Hear them out
Don’t just tell your employees what to do and what not to do. Practice the habit of listening to your employees. Now, having a meetings with your team is a great way to build up a strong connection with your team, but you’ll have to go an extra mile to know your employees better. Try having a one-on-one chat with each employee. Listen to what they have to say and guide them to the right direction when needed.
Empower, ask, and listen
Apart from being a good listener, a project manager should also make efforts to empower the team and root for them. Make your expectations clear before you assign specific project roles to an individual. Promote a sense of trust and support by creating a culture of open dialogue. Ask questions — how are things going? Is everything going as planned? Are there any ideas that you’d like to discuss? And please, listen. Make sure that you empower your employees to deliver their best in every possible way,
Help employees reach their goals
Everyone in this industry has their own set of goals and milestones. As a project manager, it is your responsibility to make sure that every employee in your team is held accountable to their goals. Foster a workplace environment where opportunities are created for employees to identify where their true motivation lies. Act as a coach and help them implement their goals, both professional and personal. Doing this will help you build a lasting connection that will live beyond the office walls.
Get involved on a personal level
You can’t connect with your teams if you are not willing to come out of the executive floor. If you wish to make your employees feel connected and valued, it’s time you start getting involved in the day-to-day activities. Get better understanding of what’s happening at each level of the business. Know the motives,goals , and challenges associated with every project or task that your employees are working on. Create opportunities for easy conversations and take care of your employees at a personal level.
Invest in the latest technology
No matter how you look at it, digitizing collaboration takes workplace productivity to a whole new level. By using technologies like Gantt chart software and collaboration apps, you provide people a platform where they can visualize their work schedules (tasks, deliverables, deadlines, dependencies, etc) and collaborate on them without any hassle. And just like that, you strengthen your company’s internal communication and help employees perform with higher efficiency.
Give employees room to explore
Give employees the flexibility and freedom to try new things and you’ll create a connection like nothing else. Encourage them to provide their input on the upcoming projects and help them bring their ideas to actual implementation. Remember, there is a learning curve in every job. So, in case your employees have to deal with some failure, tell them to embrace accountability and learn from their mistakes.
Lead as an example
Since you are the project manager, everyone on your team should look up to you with respect. But they may never be able to see you that way if you are not contributing to the team effort. Roll up your sleeves and do whatever it takes to show your employees that you are not just a good leader but a great team player too.
Keep things fun
Work is important, there is no doubt about that. But it won’t hurt if you could just spare a few hours of your workday and use them to interact as a team outside of the workplace. Take your team out for a lunch or organize some fun outdoor team building activities from time to time. This will help everyone on your team to open up and connect more genuinely.
Make recognition the way to go
The best project leaders understand that the only way to get a job done and move forward in a project is through the people around them. This is the reason why they need to go beyond the usual project manager roles & responsibilities to connect with the employees and motivate them to do their best. Now, recognizing each employees efforts and appreciating employees for a job well done is a great way to achieve your desired goal. Luckily, there are project management software and tools that can help you monitor each employees work and evaluate their overall performance in one view. Also, there are a few ways, like a kind note or message, you can make things a bit less challenging at work and strengthening the bond with the people around you is definitely one of them.
Want to share your insights as an experienced project manager? Tell us your ideas in the comments below!
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