Editorial
According to a study by me and the Best Practice Institute (BPI), nearly 60% of today’s employees dislike or are neutral about their workplace. That’s a startling statistic when you consider that employees who love their workplace are four times more likely to perform at higher levels than those who do not. Here are 26 simple and practical ways you can help create a workplace employees love and with a boss they love working for ... you!
ASK
What Keeps You? — Do you know what they want? Ask your employees in an upcoming team meeting to share one idea or way they stay excited at work.
BUCK
It Stops Here — Who’s in charge of keeping them? Take the time today to ask the employees on your team, “What will make a difference in your day today?” Find simple and easy to implement ideas and just do it.
CAREER
Support Growth — Are you building their future or are you in the way? Encourage employees to talk about their strengths, development needs, likes, dislikes and what’s really important. Practice effective listening by going beyond the words to understand what really matters to your employees.
DIGNITY
Show Respect — Do they know that you respect them? Learn about the differences among your employees. Have a Discovery Day where your employees are encouraged to talk about themselves, where they grew up, holidays and traditions.
ENRICH
Energize the Job — Do your people have to leave to find growth and challenge?
Recognize the talents your employees are ‘not’ using in their job. Find ways to use these talents for job enrichment.
FAMILY
Get Friendly — Avoid making your employees choose between work and family life.
Have a cup of coffee with a fellow manager. Share your frustrations with creating work/life balance and come up with at least one solution.
GOALS
Expand Options — Did you know there are five career paths other than up? Consider an enrichment opportunity that allows your employees to expand their job, refine their expertise or find depth in areas they really enjoy.
HIRE
Fit is It — Make a match or start from scratch. Spend time teaching your recruits about the organization they have joined. Tell stories; share your experiences and knowledge about the organization’s culture and history.
INFORMATION
Share It — Do you have it? Do you hoard it? Search regularly on the web to find articles related to your industry. Is your industry changing? Share these articles with employees in a team meeting.
JERK
Don’t Be One — Are you one? Admit when you make a mistake. It’s as simple as that. Your ‘personal’ stock will go up with the people you work with.
KICKS
Get Some — Are we having fun yet? How long has it been since you’ve sprung for pizza for your team―just to say ‘glad you are here’? Find an opportunity to do it soon.
LINK
Create Connections — If you build them, they will stay. Host an informal breakfast or lunch for your team. Allow employees time to create connections in their group to grow relationships.
MENTOR
Be One — Are they learning from you? Utilize other employees to mentor new hires in getting them up to speed quickly and in guiding them through the orientation process.
NUMBERS
Run Them — Calculate the cost of loss. Do you know what the cost of annual turnover is in your organization? If not, find out. Ask a fellow manager, your boss or Human Resources.
OPPORTUNITY
Mine Them—Will they find them inside or outside? Talk to other managers in your organization about opportunities they have. Share these opportunities with your employees to encourage growth and development on your team.
PASSION
Encourage It — Help them find the work they love...without leaving. There are clues all around to help discover what employees have passion about. Place a paper and pen in your pocket and, for the next few days,write down all of the things you observe that seem to provide enjoyment to your employees.
QUESTION
Reconsider the Rules — Which will you keep...the rules or the people? When an employee comes to you with a new idea, consider listening closely and saying “let’s give it a try.”
REWARD
Provide Recognition — Which matters more…praise or pay? Find an opportunity today to offer a sincere thank you to an employee. Be consistent in demonstrating to employees that you appreciate their efforts.
SPACE
Give It — Are your people on a short leash? Talk with a solid performer today. Identify a task that they can start doing without your direct supervision.
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TRUTH
Tell It — The truth hurts... or does it? What can you do on a daily basis with your team and others to build a reputation where others know that they can count on you to be open and honest? Develop an action step and get feedback from people you respect as you work on it.
UNDERSTAND
Listen Deep — When you tune out, you lose out.... and they move out. Invite employees to schedule a 15 minute listening time with you. Leave the agenda open so the employee can talk about whatever they desire. Your role is to have an open ear — to understand their perspectives, ideas and concerns. Just listen!
VALUES
Define and Align — What matters most to them? Ask employees, “What are our values as a team?” Talk about how your values are similar and different. Discuss the benefits to the team of a diverse set of values.
WELLNESS
Sustain It—Are they sick or tired? Ask employees to rate the level of stress at work on a day-to-day basis. Use a scale of one to five, with five being the highest. Average the scores and then ask, “What is one thing we can do to reduce this score by a point?” Take small steps that could have a big result.
X-ERS AND OTHERS
Handle with Care—They are different. Can you keep them? Talk with fellow managers from different generations. How do their perspectives and expectations differ from yours?
YIELD
Power Down — Give it up to keep them. Yield one task to an employee today. Free up some time for yourself, and empower employees to think for themselves.
ZENITH
Go for It — Sustain your commitment to engagement. In a team meeting or in talking with an employee today, ask, “What can we explore or learn as a team to make us more successful?” Exploring is learning. Learn what your team needs to know.
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