When you’re a boss, it’s easy to get distracted by all of your own work and commitments. However, it’s vital to remember that one of these all-important commitments is actually your employees. These are the people that your business relies on to keep the everyday processes rolling, so you need to show them how crucial they really are to you. Below are some great ideas as to how you can show your staff that you’re a loyal and caring boss.

Be Helpful

Being helpful and following through with problems your employees might be experiencing demonstrates loyalty to them and their place within your business. Listen to your staff when they come to you and genuinely address the problems they raise with you. This way, if something negative happens like a workplace accident or injury, an employee is much more likely to come directly to you to solve the issue. You should also aid your staff by finding out what they want to get out of working for you, if they’re happy in their role, and how you can help them reach their employment goals within your business.

Take an Interest

If you show that you are generally interested in your employees, you are on the right track to showing them you care. If possible, try and know each of your employees and what their jobs entail. Take some time each week to wander around the office and touch base with where each person is at and if they are having any problems. Also ask about their personal lives. This doesn’t have to be an in-depth conversation or a ‘deep and meaningful,’ but ask about things such as siblings, partners, hobbies, or career goals. Understanding your staff in this way can even help to reveal if their skills are being under-utilised.

Relax

Although being a boss can be time-consuming and stressful, showing your employees you are relaxed will make you more approachable. Always smile and say hello to the people you pass in the morning and leave your office door open occasionally so staff know they are welcome to come in if they have any questions. Even organising something as simple as Friday night drinks will show your employees you are, in fact, a real person.

Make Work Enjoyable

Most people will spend a large chunk of their lives at work and, as a boss, you should make sure your employees don’t despise every second they spend there. Organise weekly group lunches to get everyone away from their desks and into the courtyard for an hour or so. The same goes for monthly meetings; make them a morning tea that people want to attend rather than a stuffy boardroom meeting where everyone is trying not to fall asleep.

Loyalty and compassion are two invaluable traits to have and can help take your business from mediocre to a highly productive, efficient and proactive work environment. Although work is not something people love every single day, it is usually the people you work with that make the weeks more bearable. By showing your staff you are truly one of the team, you are actively contributing to a more harmonious workplace.