It’s very easy for a business owner or manager to fall into the trap of condemning one of their team as a no-hoper or a problem child.
It may turn out that this person shouldn’t be on your team however as Abraham Lincoln once said about someone he had a problem with – “I don’t think I like that man, I must get to know him better.”
Of course, we’re not just talking about difficult members of your team; we’re talking about all of them and how important it is to understand them as individuals. It’s important because it’s important to them.
As Dr Phillip C McGraw says in his book – Life Strategies – “The number one need among all people is acceptance.” Your team want to know that you accept them from a work point of view but they also want you to accept them just for who they are.
Find out as much as you can about your team; their background, where they’re from, families, pets hobbies, sports and their views on the world. Find out their philosophies and faiths; how they think and how they feel. Just think about it like any other relationship – what do you want to know about this person?
Now I’m not suggesting you sit around all day gazing into each others eyes or spend half the night on the phone. I’m suggesting you do this over time and slowly but surely, build up your understanding of this person. I also know that you’re starting to get a bit nervous about this and might think its prying.
You might also be thinking that your team members won’t want you to get to know them that well. Well let me reassure you – most of them will if it’s done discretely. Almost everyone wants to know that someone is genuinely and positively interested in them. They may not always give that impression by their demeanour but trust me – they want to know you care; they want acceptance from you. If they know you care about them, then your relationship will be much more productive.
About the Author
Alan Fairweather is the author of “How to get More Sales by Motivating Your Team” This book is packed with practical things you can do to get the best out of your people.
