Leadership Tip: Focus on Relationships When Stress is High
You are under stress and so is your team. While the worst of the pandemic is likely behind us, we are now facing global unrest, sky-high inflation and the soon-to-be long hours of planting season.
“There may never be a more important time to focus on our relationships with not only our employees but also our family and friends,” says Bob Milligan, senior consultant at Dairy Strategies and former Cornell University professor.
For your employees, he says, you must recognize the relationship between an employee and his or her supervisor is an interpersonal relationship.
“Actually, it is often one of the two, three or four most important interpersonal relationship in the life of that employee,” Milligan says. “We also know a supervisor-employee relationship based on mutual trust and respect is highly motivating to both the supervisor and the employee.”
So how can you deepen and develop this important interpersonal relationship? Every interaction you have counts, Milligan says. With each, focus on these two objectives:
- The first is to accomplish successfully the purpose for the interaction.
- The second is to increase the trust in the relationship. We do this by listening, being fair, being positive, etc. as we accomplish the first purpose of the interaction.
“Now is a great time to place a high priority on that second objective,” he says.
Read More: 5 Tips To Be A Good Boss During Planting Season
During the online Top Producer Summit session from Bob Milligan presented, “Leadership is Not Rocket Science, But.....”
You can still register for the Online Top Producer Summit, which gives you access to content through March 31. Use the code “VIRTUAL” to take 50% off your registration fee.
