There are relationships, and there are relationships. As “woke” people would say, there are levels to this thing. Not all relationships are the same. It’s best knowing what kind of relationship one has with others and managing expectations accordingly than walking blind. By Nimroth Gwetsa, 30 January 2017.

Of the leaders declaring employees as the most valuable resources in the company, it would be interesting knowing how many live up to that mantra. Or could such utterances be marketing clichés?

More important would be to understand the underlying meaning of such statements and if employees in those companies feel valued.

Undoubtedly, there are companies many people would wish to work for but find it difficult to enter. This, not because the company does not wish to hire new employees, but that they created a strong and special brand for themselves where people with the best skills and good personality are hired.

Employees at such companies are usually self-motivated and are not clock-watchers. They form a close-knit community readily supporting one another and increasingly improving individual contributions to deliver best results. Employees there seem to fit their roles well and enjoy their duties. They are not in transition waiting for their next big break elsewhere. Neither do they stay in the job for earnings while their hearts are elsewhere.

Such companies are the envy of many, leaving one wondering how they managed to achieve such feat.

Some say a good friend is selfless and concerned about the welfare of others. If one has such a friend, likewise, is one such a friend to others too? We can expect good companies that employees find best to work at having others-centred leaders.

Such leadership cannot be faked, at least not sustainably. But one’s behaviour and character can be well-influenced by being surrounded by others-centred people. To ensure that people in possession of good skills and displaying qualities of a good friend are hired, it is important to improve recruitment methods.

While some cannot hide their behaviour in an interview when put under pressure, others can endure the ordeal. References are also not ideal either because candidates choose their referees.

Probation on the one hand, can enable assessment of the suitability of employees in fulfilling the requirements of the job. Maintaining an internship programme of six months to two years may be preferable to assess inexperienced youngsters before suitable ones are hired permanently.

A well-run and resourced internship programme can become a source for the company to recruit committed, productive and self-motivated workforce.

Hiring such workforce isn’t the end but the beginning, as employees must be kept committed, productive and self-motivated. Employees should be assisted and encouraged in maintaining good health and general fitness. A healthy and fit employee is a strong employee. And when trust is fostered in the relationship, there will be mutual respect also. Such strength cannot occur in an unhealthy working environment.

With a slump in economic performance, leaders in some companies make the mistake of abruptly disrupting the working environment conditions. Suddenly, employees are no longer trusted, their moves questioned and motives second-guessed. Fear and paranoia start prevailing, followed by purging of some while others are favoured.

Leaders should learn to manage their anxieties so they can allay fears of others. Worry isn’t a solution to any problem, but increases panic and adds to the misery.

When in difficult situations, it is better to spend energies thinking deeply about how to get out of the difficult situation than worrying about it. Better ideas come to mind and joy increases as one meditates on the solution to the problem. Calm and normality are soon restored with some endurance and acting on those ideas.

Do leaders really understand what they are talking about when declaring their employees being their businesses? Do they know what attracts such employees to their companies?

Employees are also obliged to be that “good friend” to company leadership. On sites such as LinkedIn, not a day goes by without seeing posters urging leaders to reward employees or keep them motivated as if leaders are solely obliged to create a healthy working environment.  Although leaders are responsible for the creation of such environments, employees are equally responsible for ensuring their job satisfaction.

Job satisfaction cannot be achieved by employees obsessed with their dues, incentives and favours. Such employees exert minimum effort and are interested in complying with than exceeding expectations. Should leaders not discourage such behaviour soon enough, they would find themselves moving away from leading employees through influence to being legalistic in approach, where rules and procedures take precedence over self-control. Rules and procedures lead to “tick-marks”, where work requirements remain unfulfilled if they fall outside unscripted job specifications.

Employees also have a duty to encourage leaders to want to keep them. They can energise leaders by taking care of other issues weighing them down while also enabling them to focus on increasing opportunities for the company.

A good employee is valuable to a leader just as a good leader is valuable to an employee.

If everyone is others-centred, everyone’s needs will be met. Let us therefore be people others would want to be surrounded by.