The problem with a lot of places of employment is that you are nothing more than a number. You have a number no your timesheet, a number that signifies your benefits, and maybe even a number on your employee identification badge. This is a sad situation and it is a good reason why there is no loyalty among employees and their employers.
If you really want to change this cycle, I would encourage you to go outside of the box a little bit. I heard from a good friend of mine that his employer if they made a certain amount of sales each year would take them up to his Alaskan vacation home. They would spend a week up there just hanging out, fishing, and drinking plenty of beer.
Why don’t other employers do this? What better way to really get to know your employees than to spend time outside of work with them? Perhaps this idea would not work if you had a slew of female employee’s and you are male. But you can even invite their spouses to come along to relieve the tension of the idea. Getting a vacation rental home is a great way to truly get to know your employees. You can build a trust and communication avenue that is almost unachievable by only keeping a corporate relationship. I understand other people’s views on this are differently. I have actually heard other managers say that it is best to not make friends out of your employees. However, I disagree entirely and on every level. When you make friends with employees, invite them to a vacation rental home, they will be much more inclined to work hard for you and ensure that you look good in the end as well!