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Creating a workplace dedicated to employee development helps build a culture that retains and attracts employees. Junior employees rely on their existing knowledge and skills to get a role, but what really helps an individual flourish in their position is support from superiors. From establishing mentorship programs to building a culture that allows employees to explore and grow their skills, leadership support can manifest itself in a variety of different ways.  Creating a workplace that truly caters to the development of employees requires that leaders put in both time and hard work, and the potential results alone make these efforts worthwhile. To help, the members of Newsweek Expert Forum each share one practical way managers can ensure junior employees are receiving adequate training and support to fuel their professional growth.

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Building long-lasting relationships with peers requires moving away from competition and toward supporting their successes. In a business setting, it’s difficult not to think of your peers as competition. Whether they are within your immediate team or running their own company with an offering similar to yours, it’s inevitable that you’ll begin comparing yourself to them, assuming that their every success may mean lost opportunities for you. The true reality is that people can occupy the same spaces at the same time without feeling threatened by one another. The first step is recognizing that no matter how similar a situation may seem, no two people walk the same path. To help professionals escape from a competitive mindset and build healthy relationships, 10 Newsweek Expert Forum members give advice on how to connect with peers without comparing yourself to their successes.

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Positive, collaborative relationships between colleagues can greatly enhance your company culture. Here's how to encourage this type of dynamic. For most people, work takes up the majority of their waking hours. Whether you're working a 9-to-5 or running your own business, your professional life can sometimes blend in with your personal one, especially when it comes to friendships in the workplace. While it's normal and natural for colleagues to form strong bonds, it's important for leaders to encourage their staff members to forge appropriate and productive connections. Otherwise, they may let close personal relationships with their coworkers cloud their judgment or cause them to play favorites when it comes to working with the rest of the team. Below, 11 members of Newsweek Expert Forum offered their best tips for leaders who want to encourage meaningful but appropriate relationships among their employees.

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Without focus on providing employees with clear communication, leaders risk company goals being not achieved.  As a company grows, it’s critical that everyone from the top down has a thorough understanding of what objectives the entire organization is working toward. A leader who prioritizes communicating the vision and goals is essential to ensuring that employees truly feel connected to the work they are doing. However, determining the most effective way to communicate company objectives can be difficult. Below, nine Newsweek Expert Forum members share their perspectives on the best way for a leader to clearly communicate the vision and goals of the company with current and potential employees.

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Establishing a personal reputation can give business leaders a wider reach and influence in their industry. Business leaders invest heavily in their businesses, aiming to build professional brands that resonate with their target audiences. As social media is now a necessary component of conducting business, leaders can now leverage these platforms to construct a personal brand or reputation for themselves separate from their business entity. Though setting oneself apart can be difficult, establishing a personal reputation can give a business leader more reach and influence in their industry. Below, the members of Newsweek Expert Forum share tips on the best way for a leader to build a personal reputation when their work is always top of mind for audiences.

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Keeping employees consistent connected to the mission and values of the organization means building a supportive work environment. The key to creating a supportive work environment lies in how well the leaders of the organization communicate with their employees. Clear and consistent communication is essential to ensuring employees feel a sense of belonging and are fully connected to the mission of the organization, but communication can no longer be one-sided and reserved for those at the top. Changing how they communicate to better accommodate employees and their needs will allow leaders to build and maintain long-term relationships with the people in their organizations. To help, the members of Newsweek Expert Forum share communications strategies leaders should consider adopting if they want to resonate more with employees and build influence.