We spend approximately 1/3 of our entire adult lives at work. The bottom line is that if it isn’t something you enjoy doing at some level, it’s a lose-lose for the employer and employee.
The employee will suffer burnout, be more prone to illness, and miss more work.
The employer has a team that does less work, less often, less well.
Lose-lose.
To turn that lose-lose culture into a win-win, it’s imperative to foster an environment of communication and support for all parties. Here are three key levels to do that.
1 Personal Level (this is the easy part)
If employees are treated like nothing more than an inanimate cog in someone else’s machine, they’re not going to feel insignificant. And some recognition programs will basically make it a KPI for managers to connect with their team, but when you walk back to your desk to find a sticky Post-It affixed to a generic gift card, you’re pretty sure their just checking boxes and likely don’t even know your name.
No person is just a drone at work. That part of you that is an artist or athlete, avid cook or hobbyist is there at work as well. To better understand those employees, find out who they are beyond their work function. Because if you don’t, that aspect of them will always be there but, just invisible to you.
Make it a point to get to know your team at some level.
2 Professional Level (more involved and important)
Acknowledgment for work well done gives the a form of reinforcement with obvious benefits.
It encourages the employee, leading to more good work and recognition. On the other hand, if employees work hard, do great work, but feel like they’re invisible, it creates a disincentive that makes them less likely to work as hard for excellence.
One simple way to do this is with some form of a worksite “wall of fame”. If you showcase positive mentions, actions, and awards, the positive impact echoes throughout your workplace. Peers see that “people like me” are doing good work, getting recognition, and are more likely to up their game as well.
3 Organizational Level (this is ideal)
Creating an environment where employees can feel appreciated for who they are (step 1) and what they do (step 2) leads to the 3rd step, putting their contribution in the context of the entire team.
Recognition for a job well done is good, but their actions aren’t done in a vacuum. When recognizing employees, relate their contribution to the overall company goals. This provides meaningful context, showing how their positive actions benefit, their team, division, and the company overall.
This creates a culture of pride in their contribution, and of playing a meaningful part a team.
These 3 steps can help turn a lose-lose culture into a clear win-win at the Personal, Professional, and Organizational levels. Have I missed any?
