The Greatest Boss in the World
September 28, 2009
All of us are familiar with the expression, “Behind every great man is a great woman” . . . well the same holds true for company leaders. Behind every great boss are great employees. Those employees who innately exude energy and passion every day are often consequently those who work for the greatest boss in the world. Their attitudes affect both their efforts and perspective.
We all want to work for the greatest boss in the world . . . but where do we start? Whether you are new or have been on the job for 20 years, you need to draw from a couple of your core qualities in order to contribute to your “boss’ success.” What qualities? Passion, energy, and attitude! It is imperative that you work each day with the same passion and energy that got you your job in the first place.
What would it would be like if every employee in your organization, at every level, walked in tomorrow morning as if it were their first day on the job? I’m talking about people showing up ready to impress someone, ready to make a difference – with the passion and energy it takes to make something good happen. You would notice the difference right away. There would be excitement! Nobody would schlep in, plop down into their chair with a heavy sigh and begin the drudgery. It would be like the excitement you used to feel on the first day of school when you thought to yourself, “I’m going to make all A’s this year!” Everyone would be trying to make a good impression and looking for the opportunity to make their mark and stand out.
While this sounds simple, it’s not. This market downturn has impacted the way that many people think and perform. Have you noticed this in your place of work? Like baseball players who run into hitting slumps, we all hit periods which test our resolve. We are independently responsible for getting ourselves out of those slumps. Those of us that find the passion to fuel our search for the next hot streak make it through the tough times. Anyone that lets negative thoughts take over misses out and loses their spot on the team or their job because their attitude impacts the team as a whole. We all draw in either positive or negative energy through our choices as individuals. While being a cheerleader isn’t a requirement, being a doomsdayer is deadly and sure to provide the lumber for caskets to carry out the fallen.
Right now your boss either thinks you are an asset to the company and are going to be a mainstay, that you are in a funk and hopefully will get out of it, or that you are done and will need replaced as soon as they have headcount approval. Where do you stand? If you have made it this far in the recession, you can give yourself a pat on the back. Your employer has seen enough value in your contribution to keep you on in a tough economy, and that’s a good sign. However, recovery is on the way, and when it speeds up, there will be rampant change. Employers are continually evaluating their teams to see who will carry them best into the recovery. You must show up with first day excitement, passion, and energy to be seen as one of the people that are going to be a keeper.
The reality is that unemployment is now at 7- 10 percent nationwide. There are top-tier people who would wait in line for your job. If you are one of those in a slump, you can change your present status in the minds of the people around you, leadership and peers, in a matter of a few weeks. If you want to stay where you are, then you need to seize the opportunity that you have right in front of you and make it happen. What personal job goals have stayed in your head waiting for an outlet? Go for it! What is stopping you? I can guarantee you that your employer wants to see that fire come out. I can guarantee you that your employer needs that fire to come out.
The real question is: What is holding you back? One of my favorite favorite scenes in the movie The Bucket List takes place in Egypt. Carter Chambers (Morgan Freeman) and Edward Cole (Jack Nicholson) are terminal cancer patients who are working through a list of items they would like to complete before they “kick the bucket.” Inspired by the Egyptian grandeur around them, they begin to talk about “the afterlife.” Carter tells Edward that the Egyptians believed that when your soul gets to the entrance of heaven, the gods would ask you two questions: 1. Have you found joy in your life? 2. Have you brought joy to others? Your work life could be dismal from this point forward, or joyful. It is up to you. Make the environment yours, make the success yours, and make a difference. Now is the time for you to take the responsibility to be the best employee in the world, and soon, you will have the best boss in the world.
Don Crawford is President and CEO of Delta Dallas. Reach him at 972-788-2300 or dcrawford@deltadallas.com.
Engaging and Retaining Top Tier Talent
July 27, 2009
Stop what you are doing right now. Take a look around you. Look at the people who are sitting next to you. How do they look? I don’t mean what they are wearing . . . take a look at their expressions. Are they happy? Sad? Focused? Stressed? Delirious?
There is no doubt about it. Companies need motivated, engaged employees who show up ready to contribute every day. This is especially true during these economic times. When you think about it, the success of any facet of your business can almost always be traced back to motivated, engaged, dedicated employees. Unfortunately, motivating people is far from an exact science, and sadly, there is no secret formula.
Right now, companies are struggling to survive. In the shuffle of economic difficulty, it is understandable that emphasis on employee retention and satisfaction may become a secondary concern. It may seem, in this job-starved economy that just having a job would be motivation enough to keep someone engaged in their work. Not so. Quality suffers when employees lack motivation. One more thing . . . Take a look at those faces again. You could be looking at a preview of things to come when the economic recovery begins. Employee retention could be a problem when the economy improves if employees have a bad taste in their mouths right now. Are you prepared to spend turnover and training dollars just as the recovery begins? Wouldn’t that money be better spent in other areas of your company?
From productivity and profitability to recruiting and retention, hardworking and happy employees lead to triumph.
As Vice President for Delta Dallas, I make an effort to motivate our employees each day. It is important to me that our employees stay engaged and feel motivated to reach their goals. Here are a few things you can do to ensure that your employees stay focused:
Start with YOU
Attitude is king. It’s amazing how, if you start the day with a negative attitude, it seems like everyone else does, too. If you are very stressed out, it seems like everyone else is, too. On the other hand, enthusiasm is contagious. If you’re enthusiastic about your job, it’s much easier for others to be, too. If you’re doing a good job of taking care of yourself and your own job, you’ll have much clearer perspective on how others are doing in theirs.
A great place to start learning about motivation is to start understanding your own motivations. Think about how your job is configured to support your own motivations, and what can you do to better motivate yourself? The key to helping to motivate your employees is to understand what motivates them, so what motivates you?
ASK
Each person is motivated by different things. You can find out what motivates your employees by asking them, listening to them and observing them.
Create a check list of possible motivators. Fill out the list yourself and then pass it on to each of your employees. Let them know that their answers are important to you and that you really want to know what they find valuable in a work situation. When you are done, compare your answers to theirs. Recognize the differences between your motivators and theirs. After the check list has been completed by everyone, meet with each of your employees to better understand their points of view. Lastly, take some time alone to write down how you will modify your approaches with each employee to ensure their motivational factors are being met.
• Time Off
• Rewards, recognition
• Flextime
• Working from home
• Consider, for example, time with family, recognition, a job well done, service, learning, etc.
• Moving physical location of office/cube
• New job title
Goals
Establish goals that are SMART: Specific Measurable Acceptable Realistic Timely
Clearly convey how employee results contribute to organizational results. Employees want to know that what they are doing does make a difference. This realization often requires clear communication about organizational goals, employee progress toward those goals and celebration when the goals are met.
Recognition
When employees have done a good job, particularly when they’ve succeeded in a challenging assignment, nearly all want to be recognized for doing so. When this doesn’t occur, the result often is discouragement and disengagement. But, when honestly and genuinely offered by supervisors and other management, praise and recognition can be one of the greatest motivators.
Have Fun
The reality is that too few people are having fun at work. And there is plenty of evidence that suggests employees who have fun at work make more money for their employers, miss less work, are more creative, and ultimately have increased job satisfaction. Find a way to help your employees enjoy the time they spend at work each day. Yes, we are all at work to contribute to our company’s goals, but we can do it with a sense of enjoyment. Take the time, every once in a while, to bring fun into the atmosphere. Be creative and let your employees know that it is alright to have a good time at work. When they see you having fun, they will join in! Fun brings a sense of camaraderie and cohesiveness through shared (fun) experiences.
Okay, so one more time, take a look around. The people around you, the ones that have survived at your company during this down economy, are probably some of your most valued employees. A lot of the people around you right now are probably worth keeping . . . and will be leaders when the economy recovers and new hires are brought in. Let these top-tier players know that they are valued. Let them know that the extra efforts that they are making while staff is low will be remembered. They will return the favor in production, retention and loyalty.
MICHELLE COOK, CPC, CTS, is vice president with Delta Dallas. Reach her at mcook@deltadallas.com or 972-788-2300.
