Whether you are a startup or an established small business owner, to be a success, you need portray yourself as an approachable person or leader. Experts opine that when an entrepreneur is unapproachable or guarded, communication gets cut off as it shuts people up. When you are unapproachable there is a possibility of cutting off information flow that is vital for the success of a small and mid-sized business. As a small business owner you need to ask a few questions about yourself.
- Do I consider distance is good?
- Do I wish to keep myself aloof, so I get my task done?
- Do I foster an environment of candor as well as collaboration among my employees?
A smart entrepreneur would know that being approachable and personable is considered to be a leadership quality. When you fall short of striking a relationship with your employees, they hesitate to communicate with you and you lose out on many vital business information. Here we have put together a few pointers to help you be more approachable so that your employees can easily communicate to you regarding the issues related to work.
How to build a positive relationship with your employees
Get to know your staff-
Take time to talk to your employees about their interests and hobbies and also about their families. It’s not necessary to get deeply involved with their personal matters. However, a simple ‘ Good morning, how was your weekend’ or on the start of the week’ Have a great week ahead’ will do wonders to boost the morale of your employees.
Never close the door of your room-
Try to leave the door of your office whenever possible. It will leave a good vibe among your employees. They will stop by to wish you or at times ask questions regarding their tasks. However, at times you would want to conduct sensitive business meetings or want to complete urgent tasks without any distractions. Then don’t hesitate to close the door. When the door is closed the employees understand you are not to be disturbed.
Step down from the pedestal of a boss-
Today’s work environment is collaborative. Therefore, only if you step down from the CEO pedestal will you be able to establish a good working relationship, collaborate with the employees to get the best out of them. That is, you need to lead from within.
Pep talk to motivate your employees-
Motivational talk will give the employees the much needed confidence when they are on a crucial project. A smart manager would invest time in one-to-one talk with his team. The employees also would want to know about their employer. Share your stories of failures and success with them to let them know about you as a person.
Prepare your employees for the new projects-
When you assign a team to complete a task, ensure to give them the relevant trainings and crystal clear instructions. Give them the feelers that they can approach you anytime if they have any clarification regarding the assignments. Also ensure that they have enough time to complete the project.
Gear up for unpleasant surprises-
If you’re someone who prefer to hear only pleasant things, then your employees will hold back the relevant and vital news, that is unpleasant, from you. Therefore, let your employees know that you are open to suggestions and opinions. Words such as “Thank you for the update, it did help”, “The heads up is appreciated” and similar words encourages the employees to provide you with further information. Remember, the employees who are on the front line have better insight about the market scenario than you. By making yourself more approachable you will be able to get the best of information that can help you to gauge the market and make better strategies to succeed.
To be a successful small business entrepreneur, you need to display approachable leadership qualities. Let your team know that you are a compassionate and empathic person. You should be ethical in the way you use your intelligence and the information that is passed on to you by someone in your team. This will earn you the much need trust and also your employees will be encouraged to come to you for problem-solving.
If we have left out any crucial points, please do share it with us in the comments box.
