When you’re building a business, it’s incredibly important to know how you’re going to approach your work/life balance. But it’s just as important to be thinking ahead about how you’re going to treat your people. After all, you can’t grow your business without having a motivated team on your side. And how do you motivate them? By treating them with respect and managing them in a way that builds them up.

Leaders should always try to approach their businesses in a way that creates unity and inspires them. One of the best ways to do that is by treating your team like family. Here’s why that’s so beneficial to your business.

Humans are wired to need a sense of belonging. Being treated with the same respect you’d treat a family member can help your team manage their stress, become more resilient, and boost their self-esteem. The return means you have a group of individuals who will go over and above to meet your company’s objectives.

When people feel that they belong and are welcome, and they have the culture that supports it, they will do whatever it takes to contribute. It’s because they want to be a part of your story. Your company can do great things when people have that sense of belonging that comes from treating them like family.

Teams that trust each other are more willing to communicate with each other. They’re more collaborative. They meet their objectives and complete tasks faster. And trust is at the core of every healthy relationship. The more trust that exists, the stronger the relationships you can build and the healthier the culture you’ll be creating in your business.

It’s just like with your family. The more you prove to each other that you can trust each other, the more everyone can work without fear and with true autonomy. From trust comes transparency, commitment, and productivity. And that’s key for helping your business grow.

Treating your team with respect and care is motivating to them. And when people are motivated, they do their best work. Motivation is known to boost a person’s performance and increase engagement. And it makes them happier in their job in the long run. That means you’ll have an employee that’s in it for the long-haul, and who is willing to put in the work to make your company great.

When you show your team that you care, it gives them reason to build loyalty within your company. And it makes them want to do better—and be better—for the good of the company. It’s a win-win for your organization.

Great cultures create innovation within an organization. And when that family atmosphere is ingrained into a culture, it draws people in and builds an environment where creativity becomes part of the DNA. Suddenly, new ideas are constantly brought to the table. That’s because people feel like they can speak without hesitation. It can make your business flourish.

Creativity continues to grow in importance in a modern business. Giving your team the ability to come up with innovative ideas can be the thing that launches your success for the future.

Do you want your employees to function more seamlessly? Then treat them the way they deserve to be treated. Treating them with that respect and making them feel like a part of the family helps boost morale, improves their work quality, and makes them more efficient and accountable to you and each other. You’re building a culture of accountability from the start when you treat them this way.

As you build and strengthen your relationships with your team members, be sure to set them up for success through clear communication and by modeling the culture you want them to display. Then, you’ll see your team flourish.

Think about it this way: investing in your family is a smart business choice. That sentiment should include investing in your people. Because when your people feel connected to you and your business, all of you will shine.

Jim Allen is a business leader and entrepreneur who has built one of the top-producing real estate groups in the Triangle. He is President of The Jim Allen Group, which is consistently named one of the top real estate teams in North Carolina and even North America.