How to establish powerful employee connections

July 1, 2024

As workplaces continue to globalize and electronic communication systems develop at breakneck speeds, one vital element often gets lost in the shuffle. That element is human connection.

Today we look at those invisible threads that hold colleagues together, and we’re focused on much more than pleasantries exchanged over the water cooler. We’re showing ways companies can help to establish deep workplace connections and collegial trust.

So, grab a cup of coffee (or tea, we don't discriminate here) and join us as we explore the essence of employee connections.

What are employee connections?

"Employee connections" refer to the relationships and bonds that form among coworkers within a workplace or team. We all know a good collegial connection when we see it. Companies with highly connected teams demonstrate higher retention rates and more productive employees. One question you can ask of your teams to determine whether they feel like they have good employee connections is: “Are you happy with the people you work with, and the work they’re doing?” This question best measures the strength of employee connections at work.

How likely is it that 100 percent of your staff answer with an honest and resounding ‘yes’? The truth is that human connections affect a whole host of the company’s operations, from engagement and inclusion to turnover rate and customer satisfaction. Maslow’s historic Hierarchy of Needs rates this sense of social belonging just above physical safety, and this applies to workplace environments as much as the outside world.

The importance of having good employee connections at work is crystal clear, as research has indicated that more than 40% of surveyed employees felt physically and emotionally isolated in the workplace.

For these reasons, we’ll be showing you some of the best ways you can help your employees make deep, meaningful connections with each other in the workplace.

The best ways to build employee connections

So now we’ve laid out exactly what employee connections mean, let’s get busy with some practical activities you can implement at work to boost the relationships between staff members.

Employees at the decision-making table

One of the most effective ways to improve employee connection is to bring them into decision-making activities. Actively involve them in the conversations that shape the organization's direction. This could take many forms, like regular team meetings, feedback sessions where employees have their say on proposed changes, or even setting up formal structures like employee councils or committees.

By bringing them into the decision-making process you’re helping to develop employee engagement, which deepens the connections between team members. When they see their ideas respected and considered, it builds a genuine bond and says “Your input matters.”

It also makes the decision-making process more transparent, as when decisions are only made behind closed doors, employees feel less connected to the things that really matter at work, and eventually, less connected to one another.

Mini-golf lunchbreak

Sometimes the best results come from the simplest actions. Workforces are made up of mixed personalities, and inevitably, some people are introverted and won’t enjoy elaborate social outings to forge bonds. So why not just keep it as simple as a ball going into a hole?

Try this as the first step in revitalizing the connections between employees at work. Using simple and playful sports equipment is a great way to raise curiosity and kickstart employee connections. The big focus here is to see if anyone wants to get involved, to raise employee engagement. Don’t be afraid to bring in any similar simple sports equipment, like a foam dartboard, or even a padded frisbee (just keep it within bounds). You wouldn’t even need to announce it to your employees, just set any mini-game up in the lunch area and watch as staff grow curious, eager to grab a ball, paddle, or racket.

Team-building afternoons

This activity focuses on getting everyone outside the usual work grind for some dedicated team bonding. Create an afternoon session, say, 1 to 2 pm, and make the session jam-packed with quick teambuilding activities. You can make these games as simple or as complex as you desire, but remember that the real focus is to give team members a chance to make connections.

Keep things fast-paced by using popular ‘minute to win it’ games or dedicate a few hours to take staff out for a fun ‘museum hack.’ Activities carried out in groups or teams provide awesome opportunities for employees to share experiences and build relationships in a relaxed and enjoyable environment.

Diversity and inclusion initiatives

As workplaces diversify the best managers must create ample opportunities for people to feel represented. This is where diversity and inclusion initiatives come into play. They’re used to make sure everyone feels valued and included at work, regardless of who they are.

Diversity training workshops can be used like crash courses to understand each other better. They help us spot any biases we might not even realize we have and teach us how to be more open-minded.

Use cultural celebrations and awareness campaigns to enable staff to connect more deeply. By illustrating and being transparent about your inclusive policies, staff will feel like they’re in a workplace where diverse connections matter. By embracing diversity and inclusion, you create a company culture in which everyone feels like they belong, leading to better teamwork and stronger bonds.

DIY Smoothie Bar

Creating a DIY smoothie bar is a fantastic activity to encourage employees to connect in a new and exciting way.

First, choose your space. Keep things casual by setting one up in the food area of the office, or even next to the office entrance to make for a great morning conversation starter. Get some supplies of fruit (and veg) and do a little research on some office favorites. Measure the amount of supplies you’ll need like cups, straws, and measuring spoons. Try creating a vibrant menu to add to the appeal.

A simple DIY smoothie bar helps improve employee connections by giving a focal point for conversation, as well as promoting health and wellness. There’s a whole list of ways it can brighten up the workplace, and everyone’s dietary needs can be considered, even the most dedicated health nut in the office.

Involve as many staff as you can when setting up the stall, blending everyone’s efforts together to create a smoothie-licious workplace full of strong employee connections.

Buddy-ups

Help develop employee connections by making the most of a buddy-up system. Buddy-ups are a staple element of the onboarding process, effective in two areas: teaching the new staff the ropes, and giving more experienced staff members the opportunity of training someone new. It’s a great connection-building activity, especially for newbies who might be a little nervous in their new job.

Why not apply it to your existing groups, or even in a cross-departmental way? Spend some time considering which two staff to buddy up. You might pick personalities that complement one another, so they click together like two puzzle pieces. Provide some guidance as and when it’s needed, and create a feedback system to gauge feelings after the buddy-up finishes.

Buddy-ups work to build trust, transfer knowledge, and create happier workers. You never know who might be in need of a new work buddy, so let’s get matchmaking and setting up those employee connections!

Outside-work interest groups

Here’s a fantastic way to create bonds from unlikely places. These are ‘Shared Interest Groups’, and honestly, the sky’s the limit here. These groups are great for relationship building and finding new common ground between members. There are the more traditional groups like reading, cooking, and gardening, but how about pushing the envelope a little and creating groups for things like home-music production, or a group set up for parenting?

Start off by surveying your teams to get a feel for what each member enjoys outside of work. Asking new staff about their hobbies is a great chance for ice-breaker questions. It will actually benefit you as a manager to spend time researching staff interests outside of work. Once that’s clear, mix and match to create a variety of groups. Try establishing a leader, nominating someone who’s passionate about the topic to help organize meet-ups and keep the energy going. Set dates for the group to meet, which can be weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly. Consistency is key to keeping the connections going.

Creating shared interest groups helps get rid of barriers and gives staff the chance to connect over something unexpected. The key is to survey each employee’s real interests outside of work, so more time spent in planning yields better results. Get those staff connected

Analyze social media behaviors

Over the past few years, a few trends have appeared on social media that demonstrate the damage that can be caused when employees feel disconnected at work, a lack of recognition, or stifled opportunities.

In 2022, a new trend of ‘quiet quitting’ emerged, which essentially means an employee performing only the most basic requirements of their job and never anything more. Further analysis of this behavior showed that the people quitting didn’t feel any connection to work, in job satisfaction, and with their colleagues.

This demonstrates the importance of spending time analyzing trends that emerge on social media, so a company can better prepare itself and respond accordingly to workplace disconnects. You could have your HR department periodically analyze trending videos for any common themes

Companies need to make an effort to recognize and understand some of these emerging trends, and once the information is collected, design connection strategies to get to the bottom of any concerns, before it’s too late.

Terrarium workshop

Here’s an overlooked idea for a session to help boost employee connections, make a terrarium workshop! Having all the team-building positivities of a regular DIY craft session, a terrarium workshop lets staff really get their hands dirty (in a fun way!) by crafting their own little green worlds inside glass containers.

Prepare by getting enough glass containers, small plants like succulents or air plants, colored pebbles or crystals, and cute little extras, like figurines or moss. Use a room with enough natural light to bring out the beauty of the plants and containers. Lay out all of the useful tools in a DIY station so people can easily grab what they need. At the end of the leafy adventure, arrange for everyone to do a show-and-tell, swapping tips and things they loved about the experience.

Establish employee connections in style, and reward them with one of our team retreats!

Teams that are made up of members with deep connections often go above and beyond what’s needed. They feel like they’re working with and for each other, and we know that employees with deep connections are more motivated at work. One of the best ways these teams can reach their peak is with a team-building retreat. So why not try one of these fabulous retreats with us?

Imagine the usual confines of your office settings melting away on a sandy beach or taking the time to appreciate nature on a countryside retreat. A quick change of environment can be as revitalizing as a complete office overhaul. Your team will have one another’s backs and be working in complete harmony, motivated to tackle any challenge together.

Source: https://www.surfoffice.com/blog/establish-employee-connections

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15 Truly impactful feedback methods for your team

July 7, 2024

Feedback is one of the most frustrating elements of being a leader. An effective leader incorporates feedback into their management style. This not only improves performance but enhances employee satisfaction . The research is clear: employees want feedback. When managers provide valuable feedback, they create a culture where everyone does their best. Plus, it shows staff that their contributions make a real difference, which is key to feeling appreciated. 96% of employees say that getting regular feedback is good, while 41% of people have left a job because they felt they weren’t listened to. Furthermore, 83% of employees say they appreciate getting feedback, whether positive or negative. That’s because generally, people want to do their best. Shaping a culture where everyone works hard and offers unique contributions will make your entire staff more productive, happier, and especially loyal. 10 Effective feedback techniques 1. Sandwich Feedback This is one of the most common and most impactful forms of feedback. Chances are, you’ve received input at some point in your own life using this method. In these instances, you would sandwich a negative piece of feedback between two positive terms. You start with some form of praise, then focus on areas for improvement, and end with more positive feedback. This is particularly effective for people who have some really strong areas, along with things that need to be improved. For example: “I want to commend you for the great work you did on the Smith project. Your attention to detail was outstanding there. The only thing that we might want to improve is the timeliness of your deliverables. It seems we missed a few deadlines along the way, so I just wanted to remind you of the importance of meeting those milestones on time. That being said, I’m confident you will improve in that area and overcome any obstacles you might be facing here, because you have a tremendous work ethic. We’ve always been able to count on your skills and dedication.” 2. DESC (Describe, Express, Specify, Consequences) With this method, the goal is to deliver feedback in the most balanced way. The focus is on providing feedback that is clear and concise, while being constructive. With this tactic, you break down feedback into distinct and understandable parts. That will make it easier for employees to grasp and then act upon. Start by describing the behavior, expressing your feelings about it, laying out clear expectations, and then sharing possible consequences. For instance, “I’ve noticed you tend to run late to our team meetings. That behavior makes me feel as though you don’t prioritize our time together and it disrupts the flow of our discussions. I’d like to see you arrive on time for our future scheduled meetings. Once we address this issue, we’ll have more productive and efficient meetings and be able to have them less often.” 3. EDGE (Explain, Describe, Give, End Positively) Ensure feedback flows smoothly with this method. This strategy can serve as a roadmap for your feedback discussions, making sure you have all of the important points covered. As the acronym states, start by explaining the area for improvement, including describing what you noticed. Then give specific feedback and be sure to end on a positive note. Here’s an example: “I wanted to chat about our recent sales pitch with the client, because having stellar presentations is really important to our future success. I noticed that during the pitch you spoke very quickly and didn’t seem eager to engage with the client in meaningful conversation. To enhance pitches going forward, I suggest slowing down your speech, asking open-ended questions, and then actively listening to the client’s needs. I know those small adjustments will make you an even better communicator and help us to close even more deals.” 4. 360-Degree Feedback In this comprehensive approach, you’ll gather input from multiple sources, including peers, direct reports, supervisors, and the individual themselves. You’re essentially collecting feedback from everyone around the person to get some different perspectives and views. This is particularly effective for people in middle management who have their own direct reports but also report to you (or someone else). It’s also really helpful for people who work in cross-functional teams, so that you can get a better feel for the way that they are perceived and the way that they interact with others in the company. Start by collecting feedback and gathering insights from the person’s colleagues, subordinates, boss, and then the person themselves. Once you have all of this information available, spend some time compiling what you found out and analyze it. Look for patterns in strengths as well as areas for improvement. Share the feedback privately and constructively, and make sure to devote time to the strengths you appreciate as well as areas for development. Then, collaborate and make a plan for improving moving forward, including setting clear goals and the actions you want to see. An important part of this process is following up periodically. Check in on progress and make sure to provide ongoing support. For more team-centric approaches, strategies to build team trust , and team building tips , make sure to follow our blog. 5. GROW (Goals, Reality, Options, Wrap-Up) Model This four-step process is a good way to help others work toward their goals. The four steps consist of goals, reality, options, and wrapping up. Start with a conversation on goals, then tie that into the current realities of the situation. This will help the person to reflect on recent experiences. Then move into a discussion on the various options open to them, and talk about ways to improve. Finally, summarize by highlighting the key takeaways and action steps. In this example, you can help a staff member who wants to improve their leadership skills. Here is how the conversation might go according to the four steps: “Can you share the specific leadership skills that you want to develop? Maybe share some particular outcomes you’re hoping to achieve? Let’s talk about some of the leadership qualities that I’ve noticed lately, such as when you lead the project meetings on Tuesdays. What’s working well, and what’s challenging in those scenarios?” This will lead to a deeper discussion, where you can encourage the employee to brainstorm ideas with you. “What are some of the approaches you could try? To make those come to fruition, which resources or support do you need?” Ideally the employee will open up about some various ideas as well as what support they need from you. Make sure to wrap up on a positive note that includes concrete action items, for example “Based on this discussion, it seems like the areas for immediate focus are active listening and delegation. Let’s create a plan to delegate certain parts of your project next week, and perhaps sign up for an active listening workshop within this quarter.” 6. Start-Stop-Continue A lot of valuable feedback involves sharing what someone might start doing, what they should stop doing, and what they can continue for peak performance. For instance, the next time you need to have a general feedback discussion, you could say something like: “Let’s start thinking about implementing regular status update emails to keep the team in the loop. It’ll improve our overall communication.” For Stop, you could add something like “On the other hand, you might want to stop micromanaging the team in these ways. It can be demotivating, so let’s focus on helping the team to handle their tasks more effectively.” And finally, to continue, “Lastly, please continue to facilitate our weekly team meetings. Your leadership there has been really effective in facilitating great discussions.” 7. SBI (Situation - Behavior - Impact) Model This process is all about painting a comprehensive picture when you’re giving feedback. It focuses on describing a specific situation, the observed behavior, and the impact of that behavior on the team or work. For example, if you’re talking to an employee about a recent interaction with a client. Here is how you can start the discussion: “Let’s talk about the client meeting we had yesterday. I noticed that you interrupted the client a few times while they were explaining their requirements. I can imagine this made them feel unheard and maybe even frustrated. That could impact our overall client relationship and the work we get moving forward.” After that, follow up with a discussion on how things can be improved and how you are prepared to help. Sometimes, people need additional resources to improve in the ways that you want to see. You should encourage them to share that with you, and talk about what you’ll do to offer support. 8. STAR (Situation - Task - Action - Result) Tactic This option not only sounds cool, but can be really effective. It’s all about making feedback specific and relevant to the actual situation. This can be a good way to share negative or positive feedback, but it can be especially useful when you have good news to share. If we want to use another example from an employee during a client pitch, you can start by describing the situation. “Remember that important client meeting last week where we needed to secure a new contract? You were tasked with presenting our products’ features and benefits in a really convincing way. You were well-prepared and did a great job addressing the client's concerns, and offered real solutions. And guess what? You nailed it and we secured a huge contract. Congrats!” This is a powerful way to share great information with your star employee (get it?). 9. BOOST (Balanced, Objective, Observable, Specific, Timely) model The best feedback is objective and balanced, and includes behavior that is actually observable and relevant. This helps to ensure that feedback is fair, unbiased, and actionable, and also provides an avenue for future conversations. For example, if you want to give some feedback to a software engineer about coding, you could say: “I wanted to offer some feedback on some strengths and improvement areas. As you know, our objective is to improve coding efficiency and quality. I noticed in your recent code review that you found and fixed critical bugs before they caused problems in production. You showed superior debugging skills and attention to detail.” Share this feedback directly after a project so that the information is timely and specific to something the employee will remember. 10. CAS (Criticize - Ask - Suggest) This feedback technique combines constructive criticism with open-ended questions and options for improvement. Though you start with criticism, you move into a discussion with questions and then end with actionable suggestions. Here’s an example you could share with a marketing leader: “I’ve got some concerns about the effectiveness of the most recent campaign. Can you help me to understand how you chose that specific audience? How about for our next round we take a more data-driven approach and refine some of the market research available to target an audience?” Retreats offer an opportunity for feedback Providing feedback to employees is a crucial part of developing them and improving performance over time. It’s not always easy to find time to have these discussions, but an annual review is a good place to start. Some people find quarterly reviews worthwhile, but really you can have these discussions as often as you (and your employee) would like. If your staff isn’t geographically close or partly remote, it can be harder to schedule these conversations. That’s where an offsite retreat comes into play. You can use that time to pull employees aside and have one on one conversations. A team-building retreat offers time to learn and train together, as well as time to socialize and provide valuable feedback. A company or team retreat provides quality time between managers and their reports and offers lots of chances for giving feedback using any of the methods we covered here. Source: https://www.surfoffice.com/blog/team-feedback-methods

Progressive Discipline: Steps for Creating Discipline in the Workplace

July 7, 2024

When it comes to managing employee behavior and performance issues, the progressive discipline process offers obvious benefits One of the most difficult challenges for many companies is the need to address negative behavior and performance issues in the workplace. Without a concrete plan to manage discipline, decisions may end up being arbitrary, inconsistent, and even open to legal action. That's why it is incumbent upon businesses to develop sound disciplinary policies that clearly outline how these problems are addressed. A progressive discipline process is one commonly used option. In this post, we'll provide a progressive discipline definition and explain its many benefits. We'll also examine the steps that are commonly used in any system of progressive disciplinary action. What is progressive discipline? Progressive discipline is a process that involves a structured approach to correcting employee behaviors. Organizations that adopt the progressive disciplinary process implement a system of corrective actions that escalate in severity with each infraction. This allows management to provide helpful notice to employees that gives them an opportunity to correct their own behaviors or performance issues and avoid any escalation in discipline. Since organizations should use disciplinary processes to correct undesirable behaviors rather than punish offenders, this progressive approach offers one of the best ways to achieve that goal. It ensures that management communicates problems to employees in a clear and timely manner and provides a structured way to encourage improvements in performance and behavior . For managers who may struggle to deal with problem employees, this process can also provide a guided approach to engaging in difficult conversations. What are the benefits associated with progressive discipline? There are many benefits for companies that implement a progressive disciplinary policy for their organizations. We've listed some of the most important benefits below. This type of discipline process can help managers and employees to resolve concerns before bigger issues arise The progressive disciplinary approach can facilitate improved communication between management and their workers, which can help managers to develop more productive and higher-performing teams Implemented properly, this disciplinary approach provides employees with fair notice about expected behavior and results, and promotes accountability By using a progressive series of increasingly severe corrective measures, employees have incentive to self-correct Management can avoid arbitrary decisions that could lead to negative consequences, including legal concerns in some jurisdictions Employee retention and job satisfaction tend to be higher in environments that provide clear expectations and a fair, just, and consistent disciplinary process Because steps in the process are typically well-documented, employers will have an easier time defending difficult decisions about suspensions and terminations What are the typical steps of the progressive disciplinary process? To understand how a progressive disciplinary process works in a real-world company setting, let's examine a typical step-by-step progressive approach. Some of the most common disciplinary policies use a four-step framework that involves increasingly serious consequences for the employee. 1. Verbal warning This is almost always the first disciplinary action in any progressive discipline system. As soon as an issue comes to management's attention, someone is tasked with warning the employee about the problem. This warning can be delivered in either an informal or formal meeting, during which the employee is told about the behavioral or performance problem. In many cases, management also provides the employee with recommended steps that they can take to correct the issue so that further action can be avoided. Even though the warning is delivered verbally, company policies should require that the person issuing the warning document important details. These details include vital information like when the warning was given and the behavior or other issues that prompted the action. The documentation should also list everyone involved in the meeting, the actions the employee agreed to take to correct the problems, and whether any follow-up conversations are scheduled. 2. Written warning When verbal warnings don't lead to the necessary positive change, management then typically follows up with the next progressive disciplinary step – the written warning. This is a more formal action designed to signal to the employee that the issue has become a more serious concern. Some companies include the possibility for multiple written warnings within this stage of the progressive discipline process. The written warning should describe the employee's failures, the policies that have been violated, and specific steps that they must take if they want to get back in the company's good graces. It should also provide fair warning about the consequences the employee will experience if those corrective actions are not followed. Employers should allow employees to discuss the document and should inform them that signing it is simply an acknowledgment that they received the warning. Again, everything about this meeting should be documented, and the documentation and written warning should be placed in the employee's employment file. That documentation should include details about the participants in the meeting – all of whom should have signed the warning - as well as the agreed-upon action plan to correct the behavior and other important information that provides an accurate historical record of the meeting. 3. Final warning, including possible suspension period Once the written warning step has been exhausted (again, some companies may provide as many as three written warnings before escalating the process), the next stage of the progressive discipline process is considered the final warning. This is another document-based corrective action that basically puts the employee on notice that any continued failure to correct the problem will result in termination. Sometimes, this final warning can also be accompanied by a period of suspension without compensation. Like the other warnings, this one should be well-documented with details about the policies that have been violated and what the employee was told to do to correct the situation. The documentation should also note that this is the final warning. It must be signed by everyone present at the meeting and stored in the employee's employment file. 4. Termination As you might expect, the most drastic and final step of the progressive discipline process involves the termination of the employee. While the entire process is designed to correct behavior and avoid this step, there are times when there is no other option but to fire an employee who fails to correct behavior or performance issues. This step also requires detailed documentation and careful attention to the details. Larger companies will typically want to handle termination through human resources, and sometimes in consultation with employment lawyers if potential legal issues could arise. Witnesses should always be present whenever possible and the employee should be given a detailed review of the entire process, beginning with the verbal warning. The termination notice itself should be provided in written form, with a copy placed in the employment file. The appeal In addition to that four-step approach to corrective action, effective progressive discipline often includes an opportunity to appeal decisions made in each step of the process. This provides the employee with an opportunity to offer evidence or arguments in opposition to the discipline. Sometimes, employee behaviors involve disabilities or other issues that may require some sort of accommodation. The appeals process can help to promote fairer outcomes based on the best available information. Designing your progressive discipline policy If you're tasked with implementing a progressive disciplinary process in your workplace, it's vital to ensure that you have a well-constructed policy that outlines every key detail. Make sure that yours includes each of the following elements. Details about each step of the progressive disciplinary process This section of your policy should outline each progressive step your company takes to address employee misconduct and performance concerns. You may want to include a brief explanation of each, so that employees know what to expect if they fail to meet expectations. Exceptions that may result in immediate termination Some violations of policy are so serious that they qualify for immediate termination of employment. You should cite specific examples of these actions. For example, criminal activities, physical abuse of co-workers, theft, and similar actions may fall outside of the normal progressive discipline scheme. Any necessary disclaimers Each policy should also include disclaimers that preserve the employer's right to enforce the policy, disregard certain elements when necessary, or make needed changes. Legal issues like at-will employment should also be addressed in this section. Adhering to your company's progressive discipline policy Once you have a policy in place, it's important to make sure that it's followed as rigorously as possible. Employees tend to adapt to the prevailing company culture, and any failure of consistency or fair application of policy will impact their adherence to company rules, productivity goals, and other performance and behavioral metrics. Progressive discipline: a powerful tool to impact employee behavior Without clear disciplinary policies in place, any company will struggle to achieve a fair and balanced application of rules and expectations. Fortunately, the progressive discipline approach offers a clear and understandable approach to managing and correcting negative behaviors and performance issues. By creating and implementing your own progressive disciplinary processes, you can develop a powerful workplace culture that helps employees to overcome their shortcomings and meet your expectations. Source: https://www.topresume.com/career-advice/progressive-discipline-steps-for-creating-discipline-in-the-workplace