In business, those in leadership positions have to handle their relationships with employees rather delicately. They have to be firm when a situation calls for it. They also have to be understanding, flexible and compassionate when other matters – personally, or professionally – arise.
This is not always easy. Not everyone in a management position has the personality type that automatically gets along with those they are responsible for overseeing. That said, it is important for these leaders to learn how to maintain positive relationships with all employees in order to get the most out of them.
You see, when an employee begins to disrespect a management figure, productivity can go backward, while workplace interactions can become strained and/or non-existent.
What can help such relationships stay intact is by all parties involved regularly gathering via an online meeting platform they know and trust. While employees should always (of course!) do their part to ensure bonds with the leadership team remain strong, it is largely up to management to use this modern communication tool to consistently win over employees.
Here’s how they can go about doing that:
Be on Time
Whenever a virtual meeting is held with staff, management should always make a concerted effort to be on time. No matter someone’s standing in a company, they always want to know that their time, too, is valued
If management consistently enters meetings late and unapologetic about it, this can very easily rub staff the wrong way and make them wonder how seriously those at the top are taking their business.
Conversely, being on time for each video conference shows the team that management is focused on all company happenings and that in order for productivity to be optimal, meetings need to start and end on time.
Have a Point/Focus for Each Video Call
Before a management-initiated team-wide live video chat online even begins, all attendees should receive an outline regarding what will be tackled during the conversation.
This helps staff meetings remain on-track and focused. If specific topics for discussion are not pre-defined, a video conference runs the risk of not tackling specific points. This could lead to project confusion, a waste of resources, as well as missed deadlines.
If management does not offer employees guidance ahead of – and during – these team meetings, staff will question how organized their leadership group really is.
Let Others Contribute
For online meetings to be successful, management needs to allow other employees to positively contribute to the conversation.
When employees do not feel empowered to speak up and be part of a solution, they will quickly dial back how much effort they put into team meetings. However, when management encourages staff participation, these individuals will respect the fact that their bosses are open to new ideas.
Celebrate Employees and Do Not Humiliate Them
On video calls, a certain level of decorum needs to be had. As such, to keep staff unified and feeling positive about management, it’s imperative to celebrate accomplishments and not humiliate those whose idea/endeavour failed.
Sure, some people continue to believe in the “It’s not personal, it’s business” saying, but at the end of the day, we are all human beings. We inherently react better to praise and constructive criticism than we do public shaming.
The moment a member of the management team lambastes an employee on a team video conference, the quicker they will lose respect from others in the room.
In business, it takes a tight-knit team in order to achieve company success. In order to keep the team happy, management should always choose their words/approach carefully when addressing employees directly on a video call.
