How do you maintain relationships with your team?

1 Communicate clearly and regularly

Communication is the key to any successful relationship, and it is especially important when you are managing a team. You need to communicate your expectations, goals, feedback, and recognition to your team members, and also listen to their concerns, ideas, and suggestions. You can use various channels and methods to communicate with your team, such as email, phone, video call, chat, or face-to-face meetings, depending on the situation and preference. However, make sure that you are clear, concise, and consistent in your messages, and that you avoid jargon, ambiguity, or misinformation. You also need to communicate regularly and frequently, so that your team members feel informed, involved, and valued.

2 Show respect and appreciation

Another way to maintain relationships with your team is to show respect and appreciation for their work and contributions. Respect means treating your team members with dignity, courtesy, and professionalism, and acknowledging their skills, strengths, and opinions. Appreciation means expressing gratitude, praise, and recognition for their efforts, achievements, and improvements. You can show respect and appreciation in various ways, such as saying thank you, giving positive feedback, providing rewards or incentives, or celebrating milestones or successes. Showing respect and appreciation can boost your team's self-esteem, confidence, and loyalty.

3 Encourage collaboration and feedback

A good relationship with your team is not only based on communication, but also on collaboration and feedback. Collaboration means working together as a team, sharing ideas, resources, and responsibilities, and supporting each other's goals and challenges. Feedback means giving and receiving constructive criticism, suggestions, and advice, and using them to improve your work and performance. You can encourage collaboration and feedback by creating a culture of trust, openness, and honesty, and by providing opportunities and tools for your team to work together and exchange feedback. For example, you can use online platforms, such as Google Docs or Slack, to facilitate teamwork and communication. You can also conduct regular surveys, reviews, or meetings to collect and share feedback.

4 Be flexible and supportive

Another tip to maintain relationships with your team is to be flexible and supportive of their needs and preferences. Flexibility means being adaptable and responsive to changing situations, demands, or expectations, and allowing your team members to have some autonomy and control over their work. Support means being available and accessible to your team members, and providing them with the resources, guidance, or assistance they need to succeed. You can be flexible and supportive by offering options or alternatives for your team members to complete their tasks, such as working remotely, setting their own hours, or choosing their preferred tools or methods. You can also be flexible and supportive by checking in with your team members regularly, asking them how they are doing, and addressing any issues or concerns they may have.

5 Resolve conflicts and problems

The last tip to maintain relationships with your team is to resolve any conflicts or problems that may arise among or with your team members. Conflicts and problems are inevitable in any work environment, and they can affect your team's performance, morale, and cohesion. Therefore, you need to be proactive and effective in resolving them as soon as possible. You can resolve conflicts and problems by following these steps: identify the source and nature of the conflict or problem, listen to all parties involved, acknowledge their feelings and perspectives, find a common ground or goal, negotiate a solution or compromise, implement and monitor the solution or compromise, and follow up and evaluate the outcome.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?