Thought of the Week - 12/15/08

“In order to have a winner, the team must have a feeling of unity; every player must put the team first – ahead of personal glory.” -- Paul Bear Bryant

In addition to building a positive relationship between you and your employees, we believe that cultivating positive relationships between and among employees is one of the most important, yet challenging goals facing today’s leaders. Building a successful organization depends on the ability of a leader to create a positive organizational culture which focuses on cooperation and collaboration, as well as strong relationships among and between employees (peers), departments and employees and management. Actively building a positive culture of employee relationships is contagious and leads to both improved customer service and improved relationships among and between all members of the organization’s community.

Ultimately, the success of any organization is largely dependent upon the strength of the relationships formed and maintained within an organization. The capacity to communicate effectively, to trust and to develop healthy teams relies on the strength of relationships. Stronger relationships between staff and supervisors and their teams are directly linked to increased productivity, increased retention and overall success of an organization.

What are you doing to let your staff know that relationships are important?

What strategies have you developed in order to create a safe environment for dialogue and discussion within your organization?

What have you done consciously in order to create opportunities for staff to share personal and family accomplishments?