Collegiality is worth having

As managers we cannot force our employees into friendship, but we can create the foundation for good collegiality. So what is good collegiality? You may find it in the dictionary, but to me it is: A positive relationship between human beings with a work place in common.

We need to think along those lines, because the company's well-being is our responsibility and that well-being depends to a very large extent on the relationship between colleagues in the company. Everything goes a lot smoother, when people thrive together. This is the foundation for a healthy company culture based on mutual trust and support.

As we are counting the number of bankruptcies in the hundreds, and unemployment has gone up by more than 10,000, it is time to be pay attention to whether collegiality is at risk. Job uncertainty may create a negative atmosphere. Employees will 'take cover' and not take any unnecessary risks. In the worst cases the helping hand becomes a knife in the back.

That is no good at all. A company culture changing in that direction will begin to produce declining quality, bad results and lose employees in a self-reinforcing process.

It is the manager's job to see these danger signals and to act in time. There are a number of areas you can work on as a manager.

Communication: Consider whether everyone knows which objectives to carry out. Tell people what you are thinking; what you want, and what you believe in. Make sure you tell what is happening. Do it with a smile, and by all means cultivate the 'company smile' - the good story, the thrill of something that succeeded and kindness in everyday life.

Responsibility: Demonstrate that the responsibility for things to succeed - is personal. 'It is my company, my job, my responsibility' - that applies for everybody. Point out good ideas, test them and reward the best of them.

Organisation: Put the right people together matching their skills and behaviour. This gives rise to mutual support. Show that in practice everybody in the company is important and all work has significance. See conflicts and make sure they are solved so that they do not appear again. Social activities, planned or spontaneous, counteract conflicts.

And last but definitely not least: Think of yourself as a colleague and part of the community. 'No man is an island.' Your attitude as a manager and leader acts as a role model in and for the company.