🔒Employee relationships are key to a business’s success

When you hear the term “business relationships” what pops into your head?

Customers? Naturally. They are the relationships that matter the most. Or, are they?

There are suppliers, vendors, partners, etc. These are the resources that keep the business operating. You need parts to manufacture product. You need IT, telecom and accounting support.

All of these are important elements for smooth and profitable operations.

For me though, the most important relationships that are often overlooked are employees. Employees are like family. You see them every day. Your bonds and connections become familiar, if not familial. And with that comes a level of comfort.

However, employee relationships aren’t always nurtured. Routines develop. One-on-one and team relationships are accepted for what they are. Any effort to work on employee relationships and improve them goes by the wayside. The daily tasks of the job get prioritized, and any focus on internal interactions is directed toward getting things done.

And yet, the simple truth is employees control a company’s destiny. And that’s the irony: Internal relationships — too often taken for granted — are in reality critical to your success.

Here are two reasons why:

1. What your employees do, or don’t do, is what causes customers to take action (or do nothing). And customer actions are usually defined by whether they buy or don’t buy.

Therefore, employees control the company’s destiny because they control the point of purchase and are the greatest influence on the customer’s buying decision.

2. In looking at the value of employee cohesiveness and involvement, Richard Whiteley in “The Customer-Driven Company,” studied the identification of problems in a large factory.

Four percent of the problems were known to senior management. Nine percent of the problems were known to general supervisors and 74% of the problems were known to supervisors.

However, 100% of the problems were known to the rank-and-file employees. The employees know what problems exist, and what barriers prevent customers from being satisfied and brand promises delivered upon.

I can think of no better two arguments for focusing on the quality of internal relationships. It is essential for employee relationships to be the best they can be. The challenge is how to do this seamlessly within the day-to-day activities.

What can leadership do? Research points toward two distinct sets of action that can produce positive results.

First, employees follow what their leaders model. Second, employees who know they’re appreciated and make a difference are much more satisfied.

Therefore, leaders should lead by example. Demonstrate clear appreciation for work being done. Respect each person’s contribution to the whole.

Ask employees for ongoing feedback and their ideas to improve things. Ask employees to point out gaps between the company’s strategic intent and the customer experience.

Let employees know the impact their work has on the company’s success, and how their work together drives the business. Also, determine what resources and training employees require.

An organization with connected and aligned employees is an organization that is mustering its most powerful resource. The phrase “employees are our most important asset” is not just a passive slogan. It has substance and impact on the day-to-day activities of the business.

Strong relationships among and between employees helps those employees feel empowered. Empowered employees become employee advocates, delivering satisfied customers and sustainable competitive advantages.

This frees leadership to do what they should do best. Set a clear direction. Assemble resources to get the job done. Model behaviors. Focus on the strategic relationships essential for the growth of the business.

Ken Cook is the co-founder of How to Who, a source for expertise on how to build strong relationships, and how to build business through those relationships. Learn more at howtowho.com.