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NICE: It’s How You Treat One Another Jack Mitchell believes it all starts
here – creating a culture at work for your people to feel happy and
motivated. Hire nice people, train them with a mindset for a career with you
rather than a job, know their names and their hobbies, recognize them, have
fun and reinforce the connections you have made by encouraging them to share
information on what matters most to them.
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TRUST: The Most Important Principal of All This is the most important
principal because trust is the foundation of any solid relationship.
Mitchell believes personalized relationships are the cornerstone of every
career. Set expectations but not a long list of stringent rules and
regulations. Give up an authoritarian leadership for one with shared
responsibility. Make your company transparent by sharing sales results and
other measurable goals. Accentuate the positive during performance reviews.
Check in with staff and don’t check up or make them feel like you monitor
them constantly. Resolve conflict between associates quickly and openly. And
finally, educate your employees on how to embrace change when they are
struggling.
PRIDE: The Power of Us All Have a solid, simple, inspiring mission
statement that acknowledges your employees as your greatest asset alongside
customers. Offer them a great working environment, the technology and tools
they need to do their jobs, and the chance for more education. Make the
workplace feel like home -- warm and inviting. Hold parties and invite their
families to attend. Embrace the community where your business is located. Be
generous in recognizing accomplishments by anyone in the organization and
celebrate those big and small moments.
INCLUDE: You Can’t Do It Alone Employees need to be included in company
strategy and decision making. Invite people to participate, particularly if
there is something at hand that plays to their particular talent. Seek input
from everyone, from the bottom to top of the company, on any issues that you
can. Include the people who provided input into important decisions to
actually participate in making them happen. Involve everyone, and everyone
will feel invested in the outcome.
RECOGNIZE: It’s More Than Money Dozens of studies have shown that a
bigger paycheck is NOT the only way to make employees happy. Once you are
paying competitive wages and benefits for their position, you need to think
carefully about how to reward employees. Make rewards personal and long
lasting. Understand that treating everyone fairly doesn’t mean treating them
the same. Support your people when they struggle. Be quick to acknowledge a
hire that isn’t working out and address the issues. Leave the door open to
employees you valued who left and have changed their minds and want to
return. Hire for life and a long term career with everyone who works with
you.
Excerpted from the book
Hug Your People: The Proven Way to Hire, Inspire, and Recognize Your Employees and Achieve Remarkable Results
by Jack
Mitchell. Copyright (c) 2008. Hyperion. Available wherever books are sold.
All Rights Reserved.
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March 2008
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