When something goes wrong, steer clear of assigning blame. No employee wants to be disciplined like a child. A boss is not a parent. No one wants to feel like they’re incompetent at their job. Assigning blame will actually cause stress and more mistakes in the future. When addressing a problem, include the collective body of workers and even yourself. Watching you take some of the responsibility makes employees trust you and more likely to want to fix problems in the future.

On a similar note to the previous point, don’t talk down to your employees. Avoid being condescending. Your workers are adults. Remember that you hired them for a reason. They likely showed talent and potential. Think about that in your interactions with them. This way, you’ll help them reach the potential that you expected from the start.

Motivate your employees by acknowledging their unique talents and skill sets. This goes beyond giving positive feedback. Tap into what each employee has to offer, and they’ll feel valued. Feeling valued motivates employees to do their best. They are likely to stay with your company because they feel like what they have is needed.

Provide employees with opportunities to speak their minds freely without consequences. People need to feel comfortable enough to provide feedback. Not only does this make employees more trusting, but it also provides your company with necessary information from various perspectives. This is a great way to help employees value continuous improvement because they know that your company is improving, too.

Great employees want to grow. Give them opportunities for this to show that you value their exemplary work. Give them new manageable challenges. Consider sending them to seminars. You don’t want stagnant employees, and employees don’t want to be stuck at the same level forever.

Senior management should know about every individual employee. Nobody wants to feel invisible. Take time to meet with everyone to learn what they have to offer. And don’t limit yourself or your senior managers to one meeting. Meet again every now and then, and acknowledge the person’s improvement. Learn about their talents, skills, and strengths. Don’t let anyone go unnoticed or feel unrecognized.

Many companies stick to the bare minimum amount of break time required by law. This is not an effective strategy. Employees are actually more productive when you give them time to de-stress. If you work them to the bone, they’ll only work slower and slower. Give them time to relax, and this will be their launching pad for productive work. Also, provide exceptional relaxation space. Incorporate plants and artwork into your break rooms for a calming and inspirational space.

Say thank you, provide rewards, offer bonuses, and give gifts. Give raises for great work and accomplishments. If you keep employees to a set salary forever, they will almost certainly leave when they have enough experience from your company to add to their résumés. If you have a pattern of providing annual bonuses or holiday bonuses, stick to it. Employees expect it and plan for it. Don’t let them down and cause them to lose trust in your company to provide for them.

No company is perfect, and even if you do everything right, you will still lose some employees. When this inevitably happens, don’t assume that you have it all figured out. Perform exit interviews to find out the reasons for their departure. Heed this information, and you might be able to retain valued employees later on.