Welcome to Discuss HR, the HR blog written by Human Resources UK.
Today’s Discuss HR has a distinctly romantic feel and Una Doyle looks at how you can create deeper connections. (Ed Scrivener)
Valentine's Day for Business
Whether or not you are a romantic, this is a great opportunity to remind yourself to 'spread the love' in your business. Valentine's Day is all about making new and/or deeper connections. How could you do this in your workplace? Look to demonstrate your commitment, value and appreciation.
You might want to start with romancing yourself. When was the last time that you sat down and wrote down your accomplishments in the last year or few years? Large or small, get them all down and congratulate yourself for what you have achieved. Treat yourself with a special meal, a trip away or even a nice soak in the bath with a good book. It will be hard to make others feel special, if you don't feel special yourself.
Make sure you are really clear about the value you offer to your team and customers. Think about ways you could increase the amount of time you get to spend working in your strengths to increase your value to the business - and have more fun.
If you are working in a team then make sure to thank each and every team member for their contribution. Write them a note of what you value most in them and their work. Not only will it give them a warm fuzzy, they'll likely do more of whatever you wrote and improve their performance. Just use a plain card or one with a picture on it though, rather than an actual Valentine's card - you don't want your staff to think you have romantic attachments!
If you are a HR consultant/self-employed, do the same with your suppliers as they are your team. What do they do that enables you to focus on your strengths and have a stronger and more sustainable business?
When it comes to customers, what could you do to make them feel special too? Make sure it's not just a special offer but something free that's genuinely of value. It doesn't have to be a product or something that costs you. It could simply be a list of useful resources or an e-guide on a hot topic.
Highlight your top customers and send them a Valentine's card explaining what you appreciate about them as a customer - perhaps how they are great to deal with, or even what they do for their customers that you think is wonderful. This applies just the same to internal customers.
With everybody, make sure to consider their personality type and how they may prefer to receive this appreciation. Some would love for you to talk with them face-to-face or on the phone, others would prefer to see what you say in writing and could be embarrassed if in person.
In order to thank others, you'll first need to truly consider their strengths and weaknesses and how these show up in performance. What difference is each individual really making to business performance? How do they make your life, your team's or your customers' lives that bit easier?
This clarity on who delivers what kind of value and communication around it can deepen your connection with those that you work with because it builds trust.
This trust is vital In order to stand out in your marketplace. A sustainable career and business depends upon effective collaboration over the long term, whether a solopreneur or multinational corporate.
The special bonus is that you get to feel good by making others feel good. Go on - make their day!
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Discuss HR is the HR blog written by members of Human Resources UK, the 10,000 member strong LinkedIn group dedicated to the HR professionals in the UK. Discuss HR is published twice weekly and looks to take an insightful, informative and sometimes irreverent view on the world of HR – all with the purpose of generating a discussion.
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