Management Tip of the Day: Make Emotional Connections with Your Employees

Are you having trouble viewing this email? If so, click here to see it in a web browser. HOME   |   TIPS   |   BLOGS   |   THE MAGAZINE   |   BOOKS   |   STORE RSS   |   Mobile JANUARY 22, 2013 Make Emotional Connections with Your Employees The higher up you go in an organization, the more important is to connect with your employees on a personal level. Show people you work with that there is more to your relationship than the job. Here are three ways to forge these connections: Give your undivided attention. This sounds simple, but it's easy to overlook when you are overloaded with ringing phones and packed inboxes. In conversations, put everything down and focus exclusively on what's being said. Remember emotions are contagious. If you're feeling particularly anxious or negative, make an effort to quarantine yourself. When you're feeling especially buoyant, go to more meetings and spend more time with others. Get out there. Even if you're an introvert, reach out to people, engage them in discussion, and actively provide feedback. You can't connect from behind a closed office door. Today's Management Tip was adapted from Three Ways Leaders Make Emotional Connections Read the full post and join the discussion » Share Today's Tip: FEATURED PRODUCT Conscious Capitalism: Liberating the Heroic Spirit of Business Ebook Now Available Whole Foods Market Co-Founder John Mackey and Bentley professor Raj Sisodia argue for the inherent good of both business and capitalism, and use some of today's best known companies to illustrate how these two forces work most powerfully to create value for all stakeholders from customers and employees to investors and the environment. Learn how these "Conscious Capitalism" companies including Whole Foods Market, Southwest Airlines, Google, Patagonia and The Container Store use four specific tenets — higher purpose, stakeholder integration, conscious leadership and conscious culture and management — to build strong businesses and help advance capitalism further towards realizing its highest potential. ADVERTISEMENT Follow the Tip: PREVIOUS TIPS Job Seekers: Social Media Is Your Friend Grab Senior Executives' Attention When You Present 3 Ways to Battle E-mail Overload Stand Out in Your Interview Strengthen Your Network with Shared Activities Ask for Feedback Before Taking That Job Stop Regretting Your Career Decisions Keep a Work Diary 3 Ways to Get People to Change What You Really Want from an Informational Interview All Previous Tips BEST SELLERS HBR's 10 Must Reads: The Essentials HBR's 10 Must Reads Boxed Set HBR Guide to Persuasive Presentations HBR Guide to Better Business Writing HBR Guide to Getting the Right Work Done Introducing Mobile ManageMentor Powered by the proven content of Harvard ManageMentor™ iTunes >> Android >> UNSUBSCRIBE   |   UPDATE YOUR PROFILE   |   MORE EMAIL NEWSLETTERS   |   PRIVACY POLICY Was this email forwarded to you? If so, sign up to start receiving your own copy. ABOUT THIS MAILING LIST You have received this message because you subscribed to the "Management Tip of the Day" email newsletter from Harvard Business Review. If at any point you wish to remove yourself from this list, change your email address, or sign up for other email newsletters and alerts, please visit the Harvard Business Review Email Newsletter Preference Center. OPT OUT If you do not wish to receive any email messages from Harvard Business Review, click here. ADVERTISE WITH HBR This enewsletter is read by thousands of decision makers every day. Learn more about connecting your brand with this audience. Copyright © 2013 Harvard Business School Publishing, an affiliate of Harvard Business School. All rights reserved. Harvard Business Publishing | 60 Harvard Way | Boston, MA 02163 Customer Service: 800-545-7685 (+1-617-783-7600 outside the U.S. and Canada)