It is a lesser known fact that the lone wolves are not actually interested in being alone. The perception and grudging admiration says that lone wolves (people or animals) are independent and prefer solitude. But, the reality is that wolves are actually extremely collaborative and emotional, and seek friendships, long term relationships. They prefer staying in a pack, where there is communication, sharing of knowledge and skills, and emotional connect and attachment amongst everyone. Sure, there is an alpha wolf that is responsible for maintaining order and cohesion, but together they are a family and the alpha ensures they stay together!
A lot of full-time employees spend most of their wake time with the organization that they are working for. That is a lot of time to spend with different people in the team! These employees are your betas and omegas. And it is your responsibility as a manager that you build relationships with each and every one of them, ensuring there’s no lone wolf. It is highly essential that you share a bond with your employees that goes beyond work, to ensure that they feel welcome and valued while they are at work.
So, what can you do to build and maintain meaningful relationships with your employees?
Unity in diversity is better than unity in similarities –
For managers working with their teams, the first and the foremost step will be developing trust by being inclusive and diverse. You will have to ensure that there is no discrimination of any kind, in any way, with any of your teammates based on the color of their skin, the socio-economic background they come from, the gender they choose, or anything else for that matter. Recent events such as Black Lives Matter, Women’s March, LGBTQ protests, among many others have made the world realize that there are major flaws in several policies. We can do our bit by reforming our policies and eliminating workplace discrimination to build a unified ecosystem where people are judged only on the basis of their merit!
Mental Health is preserved Wealth –
The pandemic is the solo flag bearer of surfacing issues that actually hold value and were previously turned a blind eye to – our health. Not just physical health, but often overlooked, mental health is now being taken into consideration due to factors that have played a key role in deteriorating mental health such as WFH burnout and surge in stress levels due to uncertainty. Having a relationship with someone makes it vital for you to contribute in ensuring that their mental state is taken care of. Managers should collaborate with the HR team and make provisions for therapy sessions, yoga sessions, or stress buster events. They should conduct more one-on-one meetings to convey the message that employees are welcome to talk about any of their issues. Give your employees the confidence that you support them, their emotions, and their feelings.
Off-boarding relationship management –
It is often seen that when employees decide to move on to a different organization, there is a lot of friction and grudges that ruin the whole relationship that was built throughout their journey with your company. Not only does it affect the brand name of your firm, it also contributes to the list of the things these employees would never want to do again. When the employee chooses a different employer to grow and advance in life, let go of your grudges, shake it off of you and make sure that there is no bad blood between the two of you. Construct a pathway for a longer journey and know that there is more to a corporate relationship than just hiring and working with the employees.
The world will continue to advance, technology will continue to improve, but dealing with and embracing emotions and relationships cannot be automated. The emphasis has to be on the humane aspect of human resources and building relationships that hold value is the only way to go about it.
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