How can my employee adopt a social life?

I have an operations manager at a manufacturing firm. He is good at his work and will not settle for less, an attribute his juniors have learned over the years. His only challenge, though, is that he tends to live an unsocial withdrawn life. How can I assit him adopt a friendly approach?

This is a common practice in many workplaces. Some workers assume a quieter life to avoid ‘trouble’ yet others are naturally reserved or too ‘smart’ to interact with co-workers. Whatever the reasons, anti-social behaviour can kill the morale of people around you and affect productivity.
Interacting with others is one of the little things that are often ignored yet important in building team spirit at the workplace. However, this should be done cautiously. Greeting is another little but important trait. As a manager, it is awkward to bypass juniors at the staircase or on your way to the office. It is crucial to know how your team members are faring, especially in the morning. This helps you to cheer up or assign them accordingly for better results.
Recognising a team or individual effort for successful execution of a given job cannot be accentuated. Saying ‘thank you’ can motivate a team to perform better. Some workers frown whenever their efforts are not appreciated.
Fair treatment. Naturally, we love to be treated well at the workplace. Rude treatment demoralises us. Largely, this should be earned through positive results. In addition to all this, being a good listener is important. We all like to be heard. Therefore, there is need to give others an opportunity to share their thoughts for good decision making, especially in a meeting.
It is important to note that these little but crucial traits do not happen overnight, they are learned and it can never be too late to get it right.

Isaiah Kitimbo
HR Specialist & Journalist
Monitor Publications Limited
[email protected]