10 Steps to Make Your Employees Smile
A common-sense approach to building a
company culture of engagement.
I normally use a lot of examples, metaphors, and
random pop culture references when I talk about company culture. But sometimes
you just have to realize that good rules to live by don’t necessarily need a
picture or analogy. Here are the 10 things I always do, without fail, to make
employees smile:
- Give them a voice. Listen to them. Implement their ideas. Give them all the credit.
- Pay them fairly. To build a great culture, you have to have the basics in place. That means reasonable compensation and benefits. You don’t have to be at the top of the market. But if you try to create a culture of fun and miss the money part, it will appear disingenuous.
- Recognize and reward. Don’t just give them more cash. People just want to feel valued. Ask them how they want to be recognized; you’ll be surprised at some of the answers.
- Offer opportunities for advancement. Most of your employees want to feel there is room to grow. Do they know the path? Have you written it down for them? Show them the way.
- Support out-of-the-box semantics. Stop with the fancy titles. All that does is build silos and internal competition. Our receptionist’s official title is the “director of first impressions” and my assistant is the “director of executive wrangling.”
- Infiltrate the workplace with fun. Decorate the place, put up photos, host dress-up days, plan fun events, and bring families to the party.
- Walk the talk. You are the leader, so act like it. Don’t expect others to execute on this one. You have to let your hair down, set the example, and join the party. Get out of your office.
- Send a handwritten note. And send it home. The way to make a real connection is not through email, Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn. Put pen to paper, put card in envelope, add a real stamp, and put it in the mailbox.
- Create traditions. Buying a keg of beer this Friday night won’t change the culture. It takes commitment and long-term resolve. When you find something that works, keep doing it.
- Open your heart. Let everyone know that we are in this together. Be vulnerable. Share your successes and failures. In turn, they’ll fall on a sword for you.
These don’t take long to read and aren’t hard to
understand. Print them out, learn them, love them, live them, and your
employees will be smiling in no time.
8 Qualities of Remarkable Employees
Forget good to great.
Here's what makes a great employee remarkable.
Great employees are reliable, dependable, proactive,
diligent, great leaders and great followers... they possess a wide range of
easily-defined—but hard to find—qualities.
A few hit the next level. Some employees are
remarkable, possessing qualities that may not appear on performance appraisals
but nonetheless make a major impact on performance.
Here are eight qualities of remarkable employees:
1. They ignore job descriptions. The
smaller the company, the more important it is that employees can think on their
feet, adapt quickly to shifting priorities, and do whatever it takes,
regardless of role or position, to get things done.
When a key customer's project is in jeopardy,
remarkable employees know without being told there's a problem and jump in
without being asked—even if it's not their job.
2. They’re eccentric... The best employees
are often a little different: quirky, sometimes irreverent, even delighted to
be unusual. They seem slightly odd, but in a really good way. Unusual
personalities shake things up, make work more fun, and transform a plain-vanilla
group into a team with flair and flavor.
People who aren't afraid to be different
naturally stretch boundaries and challenge the status quo, and they often come
up with the best ideas.
3. But they know when to dial it back. An
unusual personality is a lot of fun... until it isn't. When a major challenge
pops up or a situation gets stressful, the best employees stop expressing their
individuality and fit seamlessly into the team.
Remarkable employees know when to play and when
to be serious; when to be irreverent and when to conform; and when to challenge
and when to back off. It’s a tough balance to strike, but a rare few can walk
that fine line with ease.
4. They publicly praise... Praise from a
boss feels good. Praise from a peer feels awesome, especially when you look up
to that person.
Remarkable employees recognize the contributions
of others, especially in group settings where the impact of their words is even
greater.
5. And they privately complain. We all
want employees to bring issues forward, but some problems are better handled in
private. Great employees often get more latitude to bring up controversial
subjects in a group setting because their performance allows greater freedom.
Remarkable employees come to you before or after
a meeting to discuss a sensitive issue, knowing that bringing it up in a group
setting could set off a firestorm.
6. They speak when others won’t. Some
employees are hesitant to speak up in meetings. Some are even hesitant to speak
up privately.
An employee once asked me a question about
potential layoffs. After the meeting I said to him, “Why did you ask about
that? You already know what's going on.” He said, “I do, but a lot of other
people don't, and they're afraid to ask. I thought it would help if they heard
the answer from you.”
Remarkable employees have an innate feel for the
issues and concerns of those around them, and step up to ask questions or raise
important issues when others hesitate.
7. They like to prove others wrong.
Self-motivation often springs from a desire to show that doubters are wrong.
The kid without a college degree or the woman who was told she didn't have
leadership potential often possess a burning desire to prove other people
wrong.
Education, intelligence, talent, and skill are
important, but drive is critical. Remarkable employees are driven by something
deeper and more personal than just the desire to do a good job.
8. They’re always fiddling. Some people
are rarely satisfied (I mean that in a good way) and are constantly tinkering
with something: Reworking a timeline, adjusting a process, tweaking a workflow.
Great
employees follow processes. Remarkable employees find ways to make those
processes even better, not only because they are expected to… but because they
just can't help it.
LEARN MORE TO COME IN THIS SITE….
Shirecop publications
Contacts: shirecop@gmail.com
0713629303
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