Strategies for Keeping Employees Happy, Healthy, & Productive!

As times change, and we continually become more integrated with technology and the digital revolution, it is imperative that business leaders remain open to change and adjust their leadership styles, interpersonal dynamics, and wellness training to change with the times.

As business people today continue to substitute “old school” face-to-face communication with email, instant messaging, and blackberries, it is important to note how easily it has become for us all to lose touch of the importance of professional business relationships and taking care of the people who take care of us.

With face-to-face meetings quickly becoming an antiquated notion, many business leaders today are losing touch of important training and development needs – not because they are disinterested in these concerns, but simply because there are not as many opportunities to solicit feedback on what employees want and need with respect to job happiness and satisfaction.

Please consider the following reminders when working to keep your employees happy, healthy, and productive:

>Communicate and resolve potential conflicts with
your employees before problems arise!
By not ignoring the “elephant in the room” and responding to concerns immediately as they emerge, employees will feel more secure in your leadership style, experience far less anxiety, and ultimately gain the confidence needed that they truly are important pieces to the overall success of the organization.

>Empower employees by providing opportunities
for their insights, observations, and ideas.
Most people I know have terrific ideas to share – but often do not share their ideas simply because they do not feel as though they would be met with interest or enthusiasm. Create dialogue with employees by using open-ended questions for feedback (i.e. “What ideas do you have for our company to improve?”) and assure them their ideas will be considered unconditionally, regardless of their current job title or position. As a leader, an authoritative approach (democratic in nature) is almost always preferred over an authoritarian approach (a dictator style) when it comes to increasing team cohesion and team success

>Work to instill intrinsic, not extrinsic, motivation in your employees.
As people we almost always initiate action and sustain effort toward a goal if we feel attached to the overall value of the goal (and that we have something to do with the likelihood of achieving the goal). When we are intrinsically motivated to do something, the task is not viewed as “work,” but instead a valued interest that has meaning far beyond simply task completion. Extrinsic motivation, on the other hand, is doing something only for a reward or recognition – and is usually the type of motivation that is short-lived and less intense.

>Create stress breaks!
Burnout and fatigue are huge concerns for many workers today, and it is often difficult to take time off the clock for downtime without feeling guilty (or that the work will never get done!). A fatigued, stressed-out worker is not a good thing! In fact, countless studies show that when people become mentally exhausted, they inevitably run the risk of making more mistakes, becoming angry and hostile towards others, and are more at-risk for substance use and abuse. The good news is that an ounce of prevention truly will result in a pound of cure!

Think about ways that you can get employees off the clock – without fear or guilt – and create opportunities for fun and blowing off steam! It really doesn’t matter what you decide to do, as long as you genuinely offer these much needed breaks your employees will truly appreciate your efforts!

Related to creating stress-breaks, keep in mind many physical aches, pains, and illnesses (and associated employer costs) are related to mental anguish, exhaustion, and feelings of hopelessness. In order to keep people fresh, constantly look for ways to change routines and allow employees to try new things and develop new skill sets. When people feel as though their efforts are not recognized (or valued), or that their work duties are never-ending, quite often feelings of despair trigger physical reactions within the body that will lead to physical pain and illness. Fortunately, many of these problems can be minimized by simply increasing awareness and communication with your staffs needs.