Think of the strongest teams you know. What do they all have in common? One factor is that strong teams work toward a common goal, explained Anna Lisa Bacon, EHS/OSHA program director for Texas A&M Engineering Service’s OSHA Training Institute Education Center (OTIEC), at the 2026 North Texas Facilities Expo.
But a common goal isn’t enough—a strong team also needs a skilled leader. Leadership can be learned and honed like any other skill. Bacon shared tips for leaders to improve the way they relate to others.
Relationship-Building Dos and Don’ts
Do act friendly toward all employees. You don’t need to be their friend, but you do need to act friendly. Today we have a tendency to “get lost on the devices we have,” Bacon said. “We’ve almost forgotten how to interact with people. This is something we need to work on.”
Do be thoughtful and considerate of employees’ needs and concerns. “You’d be surprised how quickly somebody will care for the rest of the team when they realize that you care for them and you care for the team. That is contagious,” Bacon said. “Care looks different for different people, but take that time to understand what’s important to each other.”
Do be patient. “I need to work on patience—you shouldn’t feel like I’m impatient,” Bacon explained. “How am I affecting the team? You do not foster trust and growth when you are impatient.”
Do be open, honest, and candid with your employees. This applies even if you’re saying you made a mistake or don’t know something. “It takes a big person to say they don’t understand something,” Bacon said. “Be honest and say, ‘I don’t have the best idea,’ or ‘My idea failed, what’s yours?’”
Do always be respectful. Understand the personal dignity of others, Bacon urged. Don’t rely on stereotypes, because they diminish individuals as actual people and break down teams.
Don’t argue with employees. “Don’t lose your temper with them,” Bacon said. “There is a time and a place to have healthy discussions… When that temper is lost, everybody shuts down. Was that person right? It doesn’t matter, because we failed as a team.”
Don’t discipline or criticize an employee in public. Instead, praise in public and discipline in private, Bacon said. When you do need to offer a thoughtful critique, ensure you’re listening to the employee’s side. “You can discipline and still have a positive demeanor,” Bacon added. “You can still be respectful and honor their personal dignity. You don’t have to diminish who they are as a person.”
Don’t engage in any practice that you wouldn’t want your employees doing. “If you’re doing something and thinking, ‘I wonder what my employees would say if I was doing this right now,’ you probably shouldn’t be doing it,” Bacon said. “You don’t want to be involved in those things. We have to rise above.”
Don’t be prejudiced or biased toward any race, color, religion, sex, age, or national origin. “These are all going to get you in trouble with a lawyer. Don’t do it,” Bacon said. “This also goes with side jokes. Don’t do jokes on anything listed in this group. There’s no right place for that.”
Don’t harass or be disrespectful. “When I look at items on this list, I feel drained thinking about them because they take away our spirit and diminish who we are,” Bacon said.
7 Techniques for Building Strong Relationships
Dale Carnegie’s “6 Ways to Make People Like You” from his classic book How to Win Friends and Influence People offer invaluable lessons for leaders, Bacon explained. Here’s how to apply them:
- Don’t criticize, condemn, or complain. “Sometimes we have to critique. Sometimes we need to give constructive criticism,” Bacon said. “There’s a right way and a wrong way to critique someone and give them that feedback.”
- Give honest, sincere appreciation. “Tell people thank you,” Bacon said. “Those words go so far. Let people understand their role is pivotal on your team.”
- Create in the other person the desire to work together. When you incorporate the “do” list of relationship builders, people want to work together, Bacon explained.
- Demonstrate genuine interest in others. Understand your common interests and goals to grow together.
- Maintain a friendly demeanor. “A smile goes a long way, and it’s also contagious,” Bacon said. “…Think about what you’re saying with your facial expressions, because our faces will give away what we’re thinking.”
- Acknowledge individuals by name. “Take the time to learn their name. That’s a big deal,” Bacon said. “It also makes [the interaction] personalized. You’re talking specifically to that person.”
- Practice active listening. “This is much harder than it sounds. Active listening can be exhausting,” Bacon said. “Active listening requires us to slow down, actually listen to what the person’s saying, and then absorb it. It’s not enough to just go, ‘Oh, I have a response to that.’”
“Growing a team can be uncomfortable,” Bacon added. “It takes work. It requires us to step out of our shell and rely on other people to do the same thing. When we think about building a team, we have to start with ourselves. Start with trusting your own character and confidence.”
