The relationships you have with your team members are similar to those you develop with your clients in one important way, says Larry Distillio, director of financial advisor business management with Mackenzie Financial Corp. in Toronto: As you build deeper relationships with members of those groups, those people will feel stronger loyalty toward you.
By developing deep relationships with team members, you can help them feel important to your practice, which in turn will motivate them to make a contribution to its success.
“People will follow [a person] before they follow a plan,” Distillio says.
Here are three steps to help you develop stronger relationships with your staff:
1. Get to know your team members as individuals
Make a habit of having one-on-one lunches with employees on a quarterly basis. These events present an opportunity for you to learn more about what is important to each member of your staff. People can talk about their families, friends, interests and upcoming life events.
These lunches can be similar to interactions you might have with a client, at which you learn details about that person. Take notes, if necessary, to help you recall this information, Distillio suggests.
You are more likely learn about your colleagues through individual conversations than by taking the whole team out for lunch.
“Sometimes, if you go out as a group,” Distillio says, “the conversation can gravitate back to what’s going on in the office.”
2. Acknowledge employees’ hard work — on their terms
Honouring your team and their efforts in making your practice a success is always important. However, team members may prefer to receive praise in different ways.
Not everyone wants to be called out during a meeting — even if it is for a good reason, Distillio says. And not everyone wants a party.
So, another way to get to know team members is to find out how they would like to be acknowledged. A quick question during a performance review or on an internal survey can answer this question. Give team members options. Would your staff member prefer a round of drinks at the local pub or a private discussion and a personal note?
3. Follow up on milestones
Consider the emphasis you place on getting in touch with clients for birthdays, anniversaries and other special events. Don’t exclude your own staff from receiving this type of attention.
As well, acknowledging less predictable events or situations — such as a team member’s father’s upcoming surgery — can be especially touching. Don’t forget, in such cases, to check in later with this individual to ask how her father is feeling.
Another way to develop the relationship is to offer a small but personal gift to congratulate a team member on some great news. For example, when your associate tells you his son has graduated from university, celebrate this event by passing along your favourite book on career development.
This is the second part in a two-part series on developing team loyalty.