Introduction:
Recall the maxim, “A good man is hard to find.” This is indeed true for all walks of life, but especially in business, a good “person” is even harder to replace. Customers are very important (even vital) to a business, but employees relate information, produce product, or sell the product or service to the customer to turn a profit for the business. A good employee is as indispensible as a prized customer; the success of the business is contingent on both of them.
Most people are going to tell you that they don’t like to ‘work’ at all. Sure, any of us would rather not have to worry about money, and be soaking up rays and pina coladas on some remote tropical island, but the majority of us will have to put in our forty hours (at least). The common worker, when over the lottery-pipe-dream, will tell you that the money is not (it’s not?) the number one aspect of staying and being satisfied with a job.
“The better part of happiness is to wish to be what you are.”
What Do Employees Want?
The respect and rapport of superiors and coworkers is a part of work that should be valued. Most of us have come to the reality that we will have to work, and that money will not fluctuate so much in our own area of industry. What does fluctuate is the chemistry and atmosphere of the working environment.
Workers want to be recognized for who they are and what they are worth to the business. They want to be addressed as an individual who conducts their work in such a way that it cannot be replicated by just any other person who may have been hired in their place. Intrinsic value has a more potent impact and is more tenacious than extrinsic value.
The following are a couple of insights to help facilitate good relationships between businesses and their employees:
Communicate:
Business does not have to be addressed as strictly business all of the time. This does not mean throw an office party every other day, or cut the workweek in half; but, get to know employees on a personal level. We are workers, but we are people foremost, and should be treated equally and accordingly despite our positions or incomes. The janitor should be asked how they are doing just as much and with the same sincerity as the CEO.
Get to know your employees’ names and something about their personal interests or other aspect of their lives outside of work. Employees should be talked to on a regular basis; if this is not realistic for a ‘big boss’ to do, then he should make sure that his managers are doing this.
“My happiness is to increase other people’s happiness. To be happy myself I need the happiness of all.”
Acknowledge:
A good worker will put in a lot of themselves into their work and would greatly appreciate it if they were recognized for it. A subpar worker may produce such work because they feel that if they do better it won’t make a difference anyway; if they were noticed then that feeling of recognition may inspire them to produce the work that generates those observations. When things are going well, let it be known that everyone is doing very satisfactory work. Have feedback available for employees on a bi-monthly basis to let them know that you are observing them.
Go the Extra Step:
Know about your employees, the things that are going on in their lives, and relate information about yourself as well. A good idea would be to circulate a newsletter every month to tell of birthdays, weddings, and other special events and news in your employees’ lives. A great deal of waking life is spent at work and it would be a great gesture to foster a sense of ‘family’ at work.
Nurture:
For employees to do a stellar job, they need to know exactly what that entails and the resources they can utilize to produce that level of work. Informing employees of places to go for information, providing handbooks, and offering to send them to workshops are all ways to engineer a better worker. The worker will produce at higher levels for you if they think you understand the reality of their position and will do what you can to help them become better workers.
“Happiness is not achieved by the conscious pursuit of happiness; it is generally the by-product of other activities.”
Conclusion:
Good employees start with great management. There will be some workers with a negative attitude that will possibly tarnish your image of employees in general. Everyone should be addressed on an individual level and negative attitudes should not be tolerated; let it be known that it is to be modified or will be eradicated all together. People naturally want to surround themselves with positivity, and administration has the respect to start the ball rolling. You will see a big difference in the production and the general atmosphere of the workplace if you follow these guidelines and add your own spin to them.
Do You Want Happy Employees? - To learn more about this author, visit Ken Wisnefski's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
|
|
Ken Wisnefski
(Visit Ken's Website)
Wisnefski launched VendorSeek.
com in 2002 out of Mt. Laurel, N.J.
He spent years in the business industry
before formulating plans for his unique
business. After spending valuable time
locating and evaluating vendors during a
project, he became inspired to start a
business that delivered qualified vendors
to buyers and generated quality leads to
vendors. Since its inception, VendorSeek
has attracted continued business and
success. Their business consists of over
7,000 pre-qualified vendors offering
services for over 150 categories.
VendorSeek prides itself in providing
expert information on business topics.
The site's Industry Experts section
delivers resourceful intelligence from
VendorSeek's knowledgeable staff and their
contributing vendors.
|
|
|
Ken Wisnefski's
Complete
List Of
Sales
Articles
|
|
|
If you enjoyed this article, get Ken Wisnefski's Complete List of Sales Articles For FREE!
|
| |
|
|
|
![[Get Copyright Permissions]](http://license.icopyright.net/images/icopy-w.gif){kind=small}
Your greatest asset is the people who work for you. While bonuses for a job well done are nice, so is showing your appreciation with a few words to let your employees know that you care about their successes. But do...
