14 Ways to Show Your Team You Care

“People don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.”

This is a phrase that has been attributed to many people from Teddy Roosevelt to John Maxwell. But regardless of who said it, it’s true. When you are cared for, you have a sense of satisfaction that someone needs you, they value you and it helps us become less self-absorbed and more empathic.

Here are 14 Ways to Show Your Team You Care

1. Unexpected time off

Whether you let someone leave early or you give them an extended period of time off. Giving them time off unexpectedly says, “I appreciate the hard work you’re doing for me and I want to give you some of that time back.”

2. Gifts / bonuses

This may seem obviously, but giving someone a gift as an unexpected bonus shows you appreciate him or her and acknowledges the work they’re doing.

3. Compliment them specifically

Compliments can lose their impact if they’re overused. If you’re telling the same person over and over that they’re doing “great,” eventually they’ll tune you out. Telling them specifically what they did great and is an effective way to build rapport and reinforce positive behaviors.

4. Make time for them

How often do you keep looking at your computer screen when an employee comes to talk to you? Take time to listen to your team by giving them your undivided attention.

5. Show you care about their personal life

By getting to know your team on a personal level you learn more about them and their lives away from work. Simple things like making sure you remember their spouse, children’s or significant other’s names is one way to show you care. If they’ve had an occasion or a major life event, don’t be afraid to respectfully ask them about it.

6. Have their backs

There’s nothing worse than a leader who will throw their team under the bus just to make their life easier. If you have your teams back, you can guarantee they’ll trust you and have yours next time.

7. Be as transparent as possible

When communicating with your team try and be as straight forward as possible. No one enjoys the feeling that they need an enigma-coding machine to decipher all the corporate speak. Keep it simple and get to the point. This shows you aren’t trying to hide anything and you care enough to keep them informed.

8. Listen to them

This goes back to number 5. Listen, I mean really listen. If you ask a question then immediately tune out their answer it’ll be obvious that you aren’t sincere and don’t really care. Feeling like you’re not being heard is a major employee pet peeve.

9. Create opportunities for them to learn and grow

What says I care more than encouraging an individual to learn new skills, develop professionally and ultimately improve their life and the lives of their nearest and dearest?  Simple answer, nothing.

10. Set expectations and keep to them

Apathy will kill a relationship. Nothing screams apathy louder than a leader who sets arbitrary expectations then fails to hold their team to them. Show your team you care by pushing them to be better than they thought they could be.

11. Relate to them

Finding at least one common interest with each team member, even if you’re not that interested shows you care enough to try.

12. Coach them, don’t boss them

Coaching involves developing a person whereby you support them in achieving a specific personal or professional goal. Offering advice and guidance lets them know you care about their success. Bossing them shows ownership and has a strong feeling of “I am superior to you because of my title.”

13. Steer clear of micromanaging

Micromanaging says “I don’t trust you to do it right”. It’s frustrating and demoralizing. Show you care by collaborating and giving your team the freedom to make their own decisions.

14. Trust them

Trust them and they will trust you to do what’s best for them.

By caring for others, people are more engaged and their performance goes up. Is there something that you do to show your team that you care that didn’t make the list? Let us know in the comments section below.