by Ian Buchanan

Created on: January 20, 2011

“Don’t be a jerk”. If there is one reason employees stop giving their all to the job it’s a boss who can be a real jerk. Stupid little insensitive moves or comments generally highlight someone with poor people skills and a “my way or the highway” attitude toward the workforce. A jerk can find fault in the most trivial thing and make a mountain out of it. Rather than encourage and help an employee overcome a difficulty a jerk will belittle a staff member and humiliate that person, turning them right off. Don’t be a jerk.

“Involve us in the work”. Most workers really do care about the tasks they perform, and their experience is invaluable in doing it better. The more employees know about the work they do the more likely defects will be minimized. If a machinist knows the parts he is making are part of a delicate MRI scanner rather than a photocopier, the more care the employee will show and the quality measures will be higher.

“Institute a suggestion program”. Nobody knows the work procedures better than the people who perform them on a regular basis, and nobody can see a better way to do the work than these same people. There’s a classic tale in the work simplification world of a worker on the assembly line in an automobile plant. His task was simply to drill a hole in an endless stream of parts: had to be a really boring job. One day he asked why the hole was necessary, and on investigation nobody in the company knew. Eliminating that task saved a huge amount of money, some of which was awarded to the employee. A suggestion program can tie a company in knots if it isn’t properly thought through, but done well it can be rewarding all around.

“Create an employee assistance plan”. An EAP, properly run, is much more than a drug and alcohol program. Employee welfare covers not only health matters, but other aspects of life that can detract staff from the job. Some companies maintain a list of referrals to help with financial matters, personal relationships, although the firm has no responsibility in any of these areas. It is simply evidence that an employer is aware of distractions to work performance, and that it cares for the person as well as the job. Care for the whole employee.

“Hold Town Hall meetings”. Undercover Boss is a popular television program in which a company CEO literally spends a week on the line. It is enlightening to see how these bosses quickly learn about life at the sharp end. At the end of each show there is a Company Town Hall meeting where the boss reveals what has been learned during the week. There can be no doubt that these meetings increase transparency and become fulcrum points in corporate mentality. But don’t just have one meeting, hold at least two a year, rain or shine.

This takes us back to the beginning: “Don’t be a jerk”.

Learn more about this author, Ian Buchanan.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.