Empowering your employees
A culture hole in the attitude and the way we work has developed and it has become a serious problem both for employers and employees alike.
Once upon a time in Hollywood companies invested heavily in their actors. They took young people and trained and motivated and molded them into highly skilled actors. They fed them, schooled them, mentored them. They created a team environment of loyalty, pride and dedication producing excellent results. Mega stars as well as solid field of supporting actors and a company with blockbuster financial success was born. This practice of investing in employees was common in most corporations. But then along came the 80’s and 90’s and significant changes took place. The ultimate goal of the almighty dollar and gutting companies via employee benefits and retirement funds was the tip of the ice burg where attitude toward employees shifted and employees became marginalized and expendable. The days of recognition that employees were a valuable asset were downsizing away. The attitude that a company was not just about production but about bettering people’s lives with a strong and caring company to add to the value of the community had drifted away.
Fast forward to today. Keeping good employees has become a serious problem. We have transient employee workforces. No longer do people expect to stay put with one employer for decades. And no longer do people expect to start a new job and spend a year or two learning the fine points of their jobs. It’s rare to find new hires expecting to earn respect of coworkers by demonstrating merit or pay their dues and earn over time choice shifts and the premium jobs. There are many holes in our cultural that have contributed to our current work expectations and ethics. One is that the days of young people learning how to work via part time or summer jobs or working at home as part of family responsibilities is rarely found. Families and strong neighborhood communities today are frequently fragmented and the days of aunts and uncles and neighbors being strong role models of hard work, responsibility and loyalty are no longer there to teach by example.
This culture hole presents today’s corporate world with a challenge and an opportunity, to be innovative and make a significant difference in how business is conducted. We need a win-win attitude from both sides. We need todays corporations to lead the way, as well as a work force willing to step up and be part of the solution. In today’s world people often spend more time with coworkers then they do with family. It’s time employees and employers alike adopt a work ethic attitude of being a healthy family in our community again.
Where there is a problem, there exists the opportunity to grow, to fix, to solve, to do it better.
So, let’s deal with reality and teach people how to communicate. How to work as much on “listening” skills as they do “speaking”. Critical assessment skills need strengthened along with giving and receiving constructive criticism. Let’s teach people how diversity and complimentary skills can reduce fatigue, stress and job burnout. Teaching positive skill sets for success starting with attitude, would help people be happier and healthier personally and professionally. Good for the individual. Good for the company.
The Medical approach to health teaches exercising to make strong muscles and a healthy heart. Companies generally support employee time spent in gym, they promote company team sporting events. It’s time we recognize that we need to train the mind just as we train the body. Mindfulness and meditation are the exercises for the mind. Learning to constructively use the breath to influence both emotional reactions as well as developing increasing alertness and clarity are beneficial to the mind as well as the body. These are all disciplines that can be taught and are highly beneficial to individuals as well as the body of the work force. Companies are in unique position to support programs of yoga, mindfulness and meditation that would greatly benefit both the company and the individual employee. Developing good personal skills leads to ability to deal with change, to deal with stress. Empower your employees with communication training coupled with encouraging kindness and acts of compassion. These changes will develop a supportive environment in the workplace. All of this leads to resiliency within the individual personally and professionally.
Resilience is about healthy adjustment to changing times.
Resiliency is about adaption. Learning from mistakes and moving forward. Employees need to work in an environment where they feel valued as well as an environment where when problems arise the individual gets assistance and support to grow and learn from mistakes. So much is invested in initial training it is time to invest in ongoing development program. Sometimes when all avenues have been exhausted there is no choice but to fire an employee. But more often an employee just needs support to work thru the problems thereby becoming stronger, more seasoned and knowledgeable asset to the company. Training a skilled employee is a huge investment, it’s time to constructively weather a problem and build a more valuable asset. Employees empowered with strong personal skills are more resilient, less likely to disintegrate under duress. Resiliency empowers employees to adapt, to grow stronger. Morale goes up when coworkers see problems are dealt with in a constructive way. With improved morale comes satisfaction and dedication to their jobs, and loyalty to the company. Companies have the opportunity to step in and nurture the individuals of the company as once Hollywood groomed their actors. It’s time to strengthen the employee, the individual links of the company. Teach employees how to strengthen their minds, deal with their emotions, handle stress and communicate effectively with accuracy, honesty and respect.
It’s time for everyone to step up to the plate and be part of the solution. If we want a better world, we need to be part of the solution. It’s time for all of us to be part of the solution. That means corporations exercising true leadership within the community in which the company resides. And it’s time for employees to willingly participate in company programs that teach personal communication and stress management skills. It’s time for each party to take an active attitude in working together for mutual benefit rather than the me only attitude. Together we can achieve personal and professional success.