Office Dynamics & Your Interactions With Employees Matter – Here’s How to Master Them

October 13, 2017

There are many things that matter a great deal when you’re trying your best to run a successful business. However, there are also many things that get ignored, even when they’re equally important. Internal communication and the general dynamics in the office are two of the things that often get overlooked by entrepreneurs trying to make it big.
However, this is something that has to change. A well-oiled business machine requires strong interactions between those at the top of the company and everyone else working for it. Without that, things can become fractured, and that really is the last thing you need. The dynamics in the office can be worked on and tweaked in all kinds of ways. And the way in which interactions occur can always be improved.
These things can all seem a little daunting and overwhelming when you get started. That doesn’t need to be the case, though. Read on to learn about how you can master these issues.
Start Being More Open and Transparent With All Employees
Openness and transparency are two things that go hand in hand when you’re trying to run a business and manage its workforce. If you are not transparent with your employees, they will simply feel like you’re hiding things from them or keeping them out of the loop deliberately. That’s clearly not what you want. However, it’s not too late to change if your business is not quite as transparent with its staff as it should be. Simply open up the lines of communication and let them know what's happening with the business at your end. It will make a big difference.
Work on Boosting Office Positivity
Positivity might seem like a rather vague and unimportant issue when you’re running a business. But that’s the wrong kind of attitude to take. When your office is positive, the people within it will be more likely to be positive too. That’s got to be a good thing, and it’s not something that you should put on the backburner. Make working for the business fun, and encourage a friendly and communicative office. Don’t get people down by making them feel under pressure all the time. It’s not good for them, and it’s not good for the business either.
Implement a Feedback System
Feedback is an important aspect of maintaining a happy and productive team. If people are doing work for you, it’s only fair to give them feedback on that work. And this isn’t about nitpicking and being hypercritical. Of course, constructive criticisms can be useful, but you also need to talk about the good things. Strong feedback will help individuals better themselves and grow in their careers. This can benefit the business, but it benefits them personally too, and that’s what matters to them. Show them it matters to you too. They’ll certainly appreciate you going that extra mile for them.
Become Better at Reading Emotions
Managing a team of people is not always easy. People communicate in different ways, so you need to know how to read emotions correctly. This includes learning to recognise non-verbal cues from the people you’re working with. It’s something that takes time and plenty of effort to get right, but don’t let that put you off for a second. It’s worth the effort, and your team will be all the stronger for it. You will be able to react to situation quicker and give people what they need when they need it. If you don’t want to do this personally, hire a manager who can.
Clarify Policies and Expectations
Every business has a set of policies and rules that employees are expected to understand and follow to the best of their ability. You should definitely think about these policies, rules and expectations. When you know for sure what they are, you can also make sure that they are understood by your employees. Use the best work schedule app if you want to clarity holidays and attendance rules. And let people know what kind of conduct is expected without being too authoritarian about it all. It definitely can be done.
Know Where Power Lies
You need to understand where the balance of power lies in your workplace. This means looking closely at the group dynamic and seeing who the leaders are, who has the most influence and who fades into the background and keeps their heads down. Over time, you will learn more and more about the people who make up your business and serve it. Understanding how things operate is an important part of improving the situation and making the interactions within the office better for everyone. The way power and influence are wielded are always important factors to look into.
And Then Try to Share Power Out More Equally
When you have a clear understanding of where power lies and who has most of it within your company, you can start to take steps that would allow you to share it in a more fair and equal kind of way. This is definitely an important step to take if you want to make your company a more fair and democratic place. Put power in the hands of people who are working hard, and don’t allow certain voices to dominate and control the office dynamic because that simply leads to more unnecessary problems. Sharing power is tricky, but not implausible.
Consider Other Perspectives More Often
Other people’s perspectives matter, and people are easily frustrated when they feel like their perspective is being ignored. The dynamics in the office will definitely turn against if you make the kinds of decisions that affect people and their working lives without considering their perspective. Every decision your company makes could have an impact on the people who work for it. Not all entrepreneurs keep that in mind, but it’s about time more of them did. By doing so, you will build greater levels of trust with your employees, which is always positive for the business and the people in it.
Have Measures in Place for Dealing With Employee Stress
Stress is a pretty major issue in the modern workplace. If you don’t understand this already, it’s time you got to grips with it properly. You can’t just ignore the problem if it’s directly affecting the people who work for your company; that would be simply unfair. Instead, try to make sure that you put some effort into dealing with the problem in a head-on kind of way. If you can do that, you will ensure your employees are happier and healthier. In the long-term, that’s something that will be good for your company as well. Don’t forget that.
Try to Show Your Appreciation
Showing your appreciation to employees is one of those small things that can have a big impact if you do it in the correct way. Everyone wants to feel like the hard work they do is paying off and being noticed by the people at the top of the business. It can really motivate your workforce and make the office more positive in general. That has to be a good thing for your company, so put in place mechanisms that allow you to regularly show your appreciation to the team in various ways. There are no right and wrong ways to do this, so give it some thought.
Your business is made up of people, and how those people are managed and interacted with could decide how successful your business becomes. So, make the most of the advice above.

Mark Asquith

That British podcast guy, Mark is co-founder of Captivate.fm, the world's only growth-oriented podcast host. A Harvard, TEDx, Podcast Movement and Podfest speaker (amongst many more!), he's a wildly approachable Brit and Star Wars/DC Comics geek.

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