MICHELLE RAY
Staying power … Why do people love their jobs? Ten ways for leaders to lead for long-term success
Recently I worked with two clients in very different arenas (education and accounting; union and non-union) and I found myself thinking about the fact that people who love their jobs have several things in common. In both cases, the people from these two organizations were all in a support staff role yet they were polar opposites in terms of the nature of their clientele. When charged with the responsibility of putting on their respective conferences, they rose to the challenge and were deeply committed to great outcomes.
There was no management mandate to get along, no directive to work hard and put in long hours (which occurred without being paid overtime). They loved what they were doing because they felt that they were part of a family. They supported their co-workers, understood the objective and displayed a genuine caring and respect for each other. Both events were an outstanding success for all who attended.
Their conference experience was a reflection of their workplace. When they are at work, they have fun and get the job done. These teams understand the strengths of their peers and their managers simply let them get on with it. They don’t punch the clock and no one is questioning their individualist work styles. At one of the conferences, one woman celebrated her 45th year with her employer. Another celebrated 35 years and several were acknowledged for 30 years of service. I knew I was witnessing something that is becoming increasingly rare…longevity of employment with one company. In a nutshell, their high level of job satisfaction endured because there was a high level of trust and appreciation of their expertise, wisdom and value. How can organizations create this kind of staying power?
Here are ten ways:
1. Allow people to express their individuality regarding how they approach their work.
Each person will take their own unique approach to their work. Their methodology may not identical to someone else’s, yet the end result may be better than you imagined if people aren’t restricted by processes. Encourage and endorse individuality and your organization will almost certainly experience higher engagement and retention.
2. Respect the talents of each team member.
Your point of difference in business begins with your people. Do you look for an individual to fill a job, trying to make them “fit†because of their qualifications, or do you recognize their talents may be ideally suited for another role within your organization? The most common approach is the former. On the other hand, if you understand where their real talents lie and capitalize upon it, everyone wins.
3. Trust them, don’t “police” them.
Trust is the highest form of motivation and engagement in the workplace. The responsibilities associated with creating and building trust rests with the leadership and forms an integral part of a successful culture. If you are finding it difficult to trust others, it is incumbent on you, as a leader, to examine the underlying reasons. Otherwise, your team will perceive your need to control as a lack of belief in their abilities. Invariably, the level of disengagement and discontent will grow.
4. Create an environment that attracts and excites people.
This is a key contributor for “staying power†over the long-term. In fact, it is essential to promote an atmosphere of fun and camaraderie; one where people where people want to stay and voluntarily contribute to the overall goals and objectives.
5. Focus on the intangibles.
Numerous studies on motivation in the workplace reveal a disparity between what employers and employees think is the key in terms of job satisfaction. While tangibles such as remuneration and benefits attract people to an organization, the intangibles will keep them and keep them happy. In a word: “atmosphereâ€.
6. Employ managers that know how to ask rather than tell.
If only more organizations paid attention to this one! This links back to earlier remarks regarding trust. When managers focus on interpersonal communication skills and are willing to have dialogues rather than monologues, individuals and teams feel included in the conversation because they have the opportunity to contribute. There is an art to asking questions (such as minimizing the usage of “whyâ€) rather than telling people what to do and how to do it.
7. Keep people in the loop … Don’t hide any bad news.
You may be fortunate to have a talented team and are to be congratulated when motivation and productivity is high. Unfortunately, your hard work in securing the right people and doing all of the above will be nullified if people are not kept in the loop…especially during times of change and uncertainty. A lack of communication may unnecessarily heighten insecurity regarding your organizations current state of affairs. Regular communication builds confidence in your leadership.
8. Celebrate successes and milestones in meaningful ways.
Leaders who sincerely acknowledge success and commemorate milestones will also be rewarded by creating stronger workplace relationships. The opportunity to encourage teams to develop a deeper level of commitment and pride in their work is greater when they sense genuine caring and appreciation on the part of management.
9. Listen to innovative ideas, no matter who suggests them.
Have you ever considered the potential goldmine of ideas that are lying beneath the surface of a team brainstorming session? Or, have you promoted receiving innovative ideas from anywhere within your organization? There are communities of innovation advocates in different departments who can contribute directly to the growth of your business, if they are given the opportunity.
10. Don’t nurture the “bad apples†… get rid of them quickly.
The 80/20 rule is commonplace. Leaders often spend 80% of their time dealing with problems and the remaining 20% of their time on productive tasks. One of the most common complaints in organizations is management neglecting to deal with individuals who cause disruption to the workflow. Leaders do not realize the unintended consequences of inaction. Examples of these include low morale, increased turnover and ultimately these realities contribute to talented people thinking twice about staying with an organization.
Conclusion:
“Staying Power†happens when organizations believe in their leaders, who in turn, believe in their people. Leaders who take the lead themselves will avoid the pitfalls associated with costly and time-consuming re-hiring and re-training. Organizations overall could avoid this burden if they realized that much of the “pain†is self-inflicted. While it is true that some aspects of an employee’s decision are outside of an employer’s control, businesses and leaders should never underestimate the opportunities that exist within their own sphere of influence by remaining focussed on what they can control!