Motivating people: the power of being nice

You may have read in one of the old postings some reflections from my partner Carlos on his experiences on employees and his view on how the relationship between management and employees should. I have a very different view, which my friend and my former #2 guy in CZech NAcho Arrizabalaga described as "tough on facts (he called toughest on my case), soft on people". I do agree with that view. I may have said that with time I have grown to appreciate Carlos view because I understand much better now where he comes from and sometimes I feel temporaly the same way

However wanted to share with you some of the reflections that Jack Mitchell (a famour taylor in the US and CEO of a very successful family business) have written in terms of employee management. His book is called "hug your employees" and well you may guess his opinions

An except from his website http://www.hugyourpeople.com/

“Motivating the workforce and employee retention are huge global challenges no matter what business you’re in.” writes Jack, “Business leaders are eager for a detailed yet easy to follow blueprint that shows them how to assemble a happy and effective workforce that doesn’t desert them the minute the business across the street offers $10 more a week and an extra vacation day. As he says, “An engaged, enthusiastic workforce who work well together engages repeat customers.” Jack offers exactly that in an easy-to-read and take-away format using five core principals:

Nice - How you treat one another at work is the basis for how you will treat your customers. Make it a practice to know something about each of the people you work with, their likes or dislikes, so your interaction with them has a personal component.

Trust - Having faith in your employee’s ability is one of the most important factors in building relationships. Trust your employees and they will bring that confidence into every interaction with their customers or clients.

Pride – When people’s welfare and well being is implicit in the company’s mission statement and they have the environment, tools and education they need to do their jobs well, the result is company pride and employees who have pride in themselves.

Include - Reach out to your employees for input on business decisions in areas where they are particularly gifted or experienced. Take their suggestions into account when making changes or starting new initiatives. It’s important your people feel listened to.

Recognize - Take the time to celebrate victories, big and small, by your staff or team and find out how they’d best like to be recognized – whether it’s a congratulation at a staff meeting, a delivered vase of flowers or tickets to a local show. Taking time to personalize rewards is a thoughtful and meaningful gesture—it means you really care. And that’s the best kind of HUG there is!

Jack’s principles are based on fifty successful years of daily use in real-life leadership. When used throughout an organization, they help attract and keep talent, lower marketing costs, maintain high gross margins, build long-term revenue and attract new business. More than that, it makes for a great workplace where people look forward to being everyday.

And that’s a HUG for everyone!