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Jewish World Review May 17, 2005 / 8 Iyar, 5765 Employees are Seeds, Not Candles By Marty Nemko
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
In most workplaces, the pressure is on: faster, harder, more. In the
process, employees are too often treated like a candle: ignored until
burned out.
But employees aren't work modules; they're human beings. Each person,
deep down, wants to do a good job and be praised for it. Each person has
hopes and dreams: one wants to get promoted, another to have a baby,
another to live by the ocean, another is furious about reverse
discrimination. But none are work modules.
Whether you're a clerk or a CEO, you can do a lot to humanize your
workplace without it costing a dime. And not only will that increase
employee satisfaction, it will likely improve the bottom line because
employee turnover will decline and employees will be more motivated to
give fully.
Here are my favorite ways to humanize a workplace:
It needn't be for huge things: "Bill, good question at the meeting!" "Mary, clear memo." Even,"Pat, great shoes!" Even better, put your praise in writing. My wife,
Barbara Nemko, the Napa County Superintendent of Schools, makes a point
of writing lots of hand-written attaboys/girls. You don't think the
recipients are glad to get those? You don't think they get passed around
the dinner table?
Many bosses are deliberately stingy with praise because they fear it
will make employees more likely to ask for a raise. Probably so, and if
you are a boss who can afford it and an employee deserves a raise, you
should grant it. But if you can't, employees are more likely to accept
your no without disgruntlement if you've previously treated them like
human beings.
Visit your supervisees at their workstation and ask, "How are you?" After the usual, "Fine," follow up with, "Really?" You'll be surprised at how often that results in the employee revealing a problem. If so, then ask, "How can I help?" That simple
approach, used regularly, will probably be more effective than formal
evaluations in improving your supervisees' work— and it will certainly
make your employees feel better about you.
When you're not sure what to do or could use feedback on a draft, ask a co-worker, "What do you think?" Most people will be flattered you've asked and find it fun to give an opinion. It makes them feel like a valued human being.
When you must terminate someone, write them a thank-you letter recounting the things you appreciated about them. Also send a kind rejection letter— personal if possible— to everyone who applies for a job working for you. Candidates would much prefer a rejection to being ignored and remaining in doubt.
That may not sound like a humanizing principle, but I believe it is. When Jack Welch was still CEO of GE, I asked him how he felt about being called "Neutron Jack," for firing more employees than his peer companies did. He said something like, "Replacing the weakest 10 percent is a kindness to the 90 percent who are good enough
to be GE. It helps that 90 percent do a better job, make better, more
cost-effective products, which keeps us in business and our jobs secure,
and allows us to pay our people better. That policy also makes every GE
employee proud to know he or she really deserves to work for a
world-class company. It even helps the 10 percent we let go. They
probably will be more successful in a less demanding environment."
When I spoke with cadets at the Air Force Academy, a number of them made the
same point. They said that part of what makes them so proud to be in the
Academy is that it was hard to get in, and after getting in, only 70
percent make it to graduation. Setting high standards ultimately is
humanizing.
Employees should be viewed not as candles to be burned out but as seeds:
After having been carefully selected as the best cultivar available,
they need to be nurtured so they can grow, come into bloom, and bear
fruit. They'll benefit and so will you.
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400+ of Dr. Nemko's published writings are on www.martynemko.com. Comment by clicking here. © 2005, Dr. Marty Nemko |
Arnold Ahlert | |||||||||||
