MIAMI, FL / ACCESSWIRE / February 11, 2022 / "People should always be at the center of leadership efforts," notes C-suite executive and entrepreneur Jozef Opdeweegh. Opdeweegh has served as a CEO, Chairman, and Board Member of private and public global companies over the past 20 years, during the course of which he's developed a values-based leadership style built upon his core tenets of respect, transparency, loyalty, and more. For Opdeweegh, leaders cannot perform effectively unless they are able to understand the people around them.

Jozef Opdeweegh considers leadership as a way to inspire people to plan for the future by providing motivating factors founded on relationship building and community service. "When leadership is a relationship founded on trust and confidence, people take risks and make changes for the sake of growth and the greater good of the company, essentially keeping organizations and movements alive. Through that relationship, leaders turn their constituents into leaders themselves," says Jozef Opdeweegh.

In building relationships and creating communities, good leaders are better able to acclimate to changes and work with more diverse teams. But how can leaders and managers within organizations foster opportunities for relationship building and nurture them along the way? Here are the top recommendations that Jozef Opdeweegh proposes for all leaders:

1. Get out of the office

Holding off-site team-building events may feel a bit cliché, but they are a commonly implemented practice for companies looking to build camaraderie and team relationships. Why? Because they work. Taking activities off-site where people can relax and show more of their true selves accelerates feelings of trust and connection. Whether you host monthly happy hours, dinners, or celebrations to recognize team achievements, simply stepping outside of the work environment can go a long way toward developing employee trust and team cohesion. Being together out of the workplace allows people to get to know each other as complete, well-rounded human beings.

2. Build trust between your company and employees

Your employees are a reflection of the work culture you create! And what's more, the perception of your brand is founded by the way you treat them. If the environment you build is approachable, recognizes achievements, and offers support, your employees will adopt those same attitudes, and it will be reflected in the way they treat and engage with one another and external audiences, including customers and potential new talent.

3. Use technology to help build work culture

Technology is readily available to help you enhance teamwork as well as individual performance. Helping your employees to be comfortable with and embrace technology in this context should be encouraged. In an article for The Huffington Post, I covered various technologies that directly impact and encourage employee engagement. These include Jive, Slacker, and Yammer, for starters. Don't underestimate just how powerful technology can be in connecting and strengthening employee relationships.

4. Empower senior leaders and managers

When it comes to creating great work environments and good corporate culture, it takes a village. Make sure to empower your senior leaders and managers, teach them how to foster good relationships, and encourage them to nurture and guide their team members for collective as well as individual good. This isn't something that's instinctive to everyone, so regular and ongoing training on this issue is a worthwhile investment.

5. Invite feedback and use it:

An inclusive culture leads to employees feeling valued and appreciated. Ask for feedback about what will create and maintain a great corporate culture and build strong relationships among co-workers. It's one thing to apply principles from a book, but employee feedback will be reflective of what may really work in your particular organization. Don't stop at asking for their feedback; whenever possible, use it!

6. Be genuine and sincere:

You can't fake culture. If you're going down this path, make sure your motives are pure and that you're genuine and sincere with your team. People are incredibly savvy and if you talk the talk but don't walk the walk, they'll know it.

7. Recognize often:

People at all levels love - and need - recognition for their efforts and successes. Make sure to create many opportunities for recognition and celebration-for small accomplishments along with the big ones. Your team will love you all the more for it.

Great corporate culture, connected employees, strong teams, happy work environments - all of these are part of nurturing relationships that build a great organization. And whether your business is large or small, the formula for success remains the same. To learn more great insights about leadership and values, check out Jozef Opdeweegh latest book, Fair Value: Reflections on good business, available for purchase via Amazon.

Contact:

Andrew Mitchell
Email: media@cambridgeglobalmedia.com
Phone: 404-955-7133

SOURCE: Cambridge Global