Tip for the Top

Is yours a marriage made in heaven?

As a Human Resource Management consultant I see many varied and interesting relationships between employers and their employees. Just recently an employer told me how she felt quite grieved and hurt by the inconsiderate behaviour of a few of her employees when she believes she has worked very hard over many years to be a flexible and caring employer. Her complaint was that these few employees seemed interested only in taking and very little giving (except of course for the work they were being paid to do).

I see today’s employer-employee relationship as a marriage, a two-way street, which requires nurturing, give and take, consideration for each others circumstances and being supportive. I appreciate that it is a complex relationship but when handled thoughtfully it can reap great rewards.

Most couples in a long-term relationship have to work at keeping the relationship ‘sweet’. By this I mean that there has to be effective communication and mutual trust and confidence between them for the marriage/partnership to last and be fruitful.

I am no marriage guidance counsellor but my advice to any employer and prospective employee looking for a good working relationship at work would be:

Ensure you know each other well enough before committing yourselves to entering into a relationship, especially a long-term one. This means getting your recruitment right. We often hear of couples who when they start to live together find that after a few months they cannot cope with each others ‘bad habits’, routines etc. And instead of working at sorting out their differences they separate.
Having made the commitment ensure you both understand what each of you expect from the relationship, for example, one of fidelity, flexibility and trust. Of course, the level of commitment you get from your employees will depend on the climate and environment created in the workplace.
When problems arise don’t ignore them. So often relationships fall apart due to lack of communication. Talk it through, communicate openly. If necessary get outside help such as mediation as a couple might from marriage counsellors. Some relationships, however, just cannot be salvaged and separation is inevitable.

About Tip for the Top

Tip for the Top is published in "Suffolk Business Magazine" where Lina Hogg is a regular contributor.

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