Bad, GOOD, or just A Miserable Job

Great question, Jim... and a tough one to answer. As a life-long cog in other people's machines, I think I might be able to give some insight, though.

I have worked for the US government, huge companies of tens of thousands of employees, 2-man consultancies, startups, VC-funded dotcoms, publishers, military contractors, and just about everything in between.

An employee needs to know that they are making a difference, and that it is appreciated. Generally speaking, I think that has more to do with "the little stuff" than with a big annual bonus.

For example, if a great worker sits at their desk every day, all day, offer them a really nice chair. This will make a material difference to their work experience every single day, and will remind them that they are valued.

A bonus may give someone a momentary spike in their happiness quotient, but that chair will make an immediate impression as well as raise their baseline happiness level over time.

Does that give you some insight?

How do you keep a good employee? Create the right environment.

Along with the great suggestions by Christian, an employer needs to build a culture that encourages respectfulness, collaboration and communication, even when things get tough.

Best advice? Be fair. Fair means each person is heard and gets what he or she needs to succeed, not necessarily what they want or what others get. Sounds counterintuitive and counterproductive because our cultural standard for fair is equal, but it works.

Everyone wants to be seen, heard, and celebrated -- especially during tough times.

When in doubt, find meaningful ways to celebrate the contributions that team members add to the success equation.

Some want public praise. Others want written praise posted to the personnel file. Find out what YOUR employees crave in this regard and make a commitment to deliver it in an authentic way.

Sunny Kobe Cook wrote a great book called Common Wisdom/Uncommon Ways that offers a lot of good ideas in this regard. She maintains you don't have to spend a bundle to create a top performing, loyal workforce. That is a very relevant message, now more than ever. It's a good read.

Nancy

Jim,

I work with a crew of "independent artists" who assist me when I blow glass. They all are talented and very skilled artists, showing their own work in galleries around the country.

I communicate with them as we begin, the vision I have for the vessels we will attempt that day. The more specific I can communicate my ideas without seeming to micro manage, the more successful the day will be. If the day goes badly, it is all on me, and I thank them for their hard work. Likewise, when we have great days, which is almost always, I thank them all for the great work they did that day. Without them, I would not be able to bring my ideas into reality.

Communication and respect for the people who work for you will take you a long, long way towards success.

Mike

Taking care of employees is like crossing the street: Stop, Look, Listen.

Make time to pay attention. Observe. Chat. Not to become buddies, but to have something of a relationship.

Give evidence that you have looked and listened. The chair that Christian mentions, or the equivalent. Be frugal, but not chintzy--decent coffee; box lunches sometimes; plenty of the tools and supplies needed for the job; little surprise gifts now and again, especially if they show you've been paying attention (my favorite chocolate, or hand lotion, or some little tool I can use on that remodel project I've got going on).

It costs an enormous amount to replace an employee; spend that to keep one, instead.

And, yep, let me know how I'm doing. Including when I screw up--don't just fix it, show me how you want it done. Even good employees want to improve.