Gallup has found that lost productivity in US companies as a result of employee disengagement costs businesses more than $300 billion every year. In other words, having unhappy employees isn’t just an issue affecting your company culture; it’s an issue affecting your bottom line.
Employees who are passionate about what they do and satisfied with their contributions to your business are employees who will create the most benefit to your company culture and your financial success. In fact, CNN Money found that people who are satisfied with their jobs actually work longer hours than people who are dissatisfied. Only when people feel truly satisfied in the work that they’re doing do they give their full potential. Here are a few ways you can help your employees be more satisfied with their work and thereby improve your bottom line.
Communicate your vision clearly and consistently.
This is something that we emphasize a lot at Level Up Leadership, but that’s because it’s vitally important. When an employee is given a task without any explanation of why that task is important, chances are they’re not going to do a very good job. Employees work hardest when they have a reason to care about what they’re doing. Avoid giving out busy work at all costs and make sure that the assignments you do give come with a reasonable explanation of why that work is important.
Look for ways to improve company culture.
Changing workplace culture is never a simple task, but if you make it a concerted effort to implement changes that your employees will value, there’s no reason why you can’t achieve real culture change throughout your organization. Start by asking your employees what they value most and look for ways to give them what they want. For example, if your employees feel overly stressed about meeting a strict deadline, look for ways to reward timely work rather than punishing tardiness.
Remember that your employees are people.
This may sound like a no-brainer, but when big corporate goals are on the line, it becomes all too easy for managers and executives to forget that employees are people, too, not just tools for success. Be human with your employees. Show them that you care about their personal growth within your business and their satisfaction with their work. If you have an employee who is lacking motivation, talk to them and find out what it would take to improve their work situation. Figure out what drives your employees to be their best and give them opportunities to impress you. First and foremost, make sure that you’re a manager worthy of their respect so that they feel compelled to do their best work for you.
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