Mark the appropriate letter – I love my job:
A) Never
B) Sometimes
C) Always
D) Only during the Holidays when I’m home and not working.
If you marked A or D -maybe find another job? If you marked C then you are one of the lucky few, and you should thank your lucky stars. If you marked B you’re the winner – I wrote this article just for you.
There are countless ways to boost the energy and morale of a business, so I will focus on just 2 things that will have maximum impact.
First, the best business lesson I ever learned -- Everyone has a customer. From the CEO to the janitor. Know who your customer is! One of my first “real” jobs was a bank teller when I was 19 years old. I worked for Florida National Bank, an institution that really got it. I was so well-trained before being assigned to a branch that by the time I worked with my first customer I already knew what I was doing.
One of the things they taught me was that the president of the bank had a very important customer: ME! Yep, that’s right. I was told that his job was to make me happy. Why? Because as a teller I was the face of the establishment. To the vast majority of their customers, I was the one they saw and visited with, the one who handled their money (with a smile of course), the one they came to know and trust.
Most customers didn’t know or care who the president was -- they cared about who they were personally dealing with on a daily basis. And that was me. So the bank kept me happy so that I in turn would make the customer happy.
How did they do that? They treated me like I mattered – they included me in some of their meetings, they offered me a monthly bonus (along with a spotlight in the monthly newsletter) if my teller drawer was balanced for 30 consecutive days, and they even gave me co-access to the vault and to the building itself.
As a result I was a happily conscientious employee. By the way, I balanced my drawer every day that I worked there – incentive pays off. Oh, and guess what else – teller turnover was pretty non-existent, as everyone loved their jobs. One teller had already been there 15 years when I was hired. This principle works best from the top down, as management sets the tone for everyone to follow.
Secondly, be someone who can be relied upon. Have integrity. Whether you are on the management end of things or the new entry-level employee, be honest. Employees, make an extra effort to be on time!
Maybe you don’t realize the frustration caused by consistent tardiness, but it truly causes distress to others.
Also, be willing to go the extra mile when another responsibility needs to be covered. Remember that everything you do affects someone else. And managers, presidents, CEOs – Please ask yourself this tough question: is your primary motive money, prestige, and power? If it is, realize that you are selling your integrity and your good name. Ouch, sorry, that’s harsh. But realize that your reputation will be carried through the generations and remembered long after you are gone. So unless you want to change your name to Ebeneezer Scrooge or Ima Grinch, honestly assess your priorities and values, then re-assess them until they align with a character in which you can be pleased to leave as a valued legacy. Wealth is great, but not at the expense of your integrity. We receive through honest giving.
There are so many ways to improve the energy in your workplace. Remember that it always begins with YOU. If you are delightful to be around, the whole office will catch your fun energy. If you take the lead as a hard worker, others will follow your example. Don’t be a Scrooge, never a Grinch. Give more than you take.
