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"A leader is best when people
barely know that they exist, Not
so good when people obey and acclaim
them, Worse when they despise
them.
When a leader fails to honour
people, People fail to honour
them.
But, of a good leader who talks
little and listens well, When
their work is done and goals are
fulfilled, People will all say,
we did it ourselves"
Loa – Tzy.
I believe that most employees
at their core are very similar.
Regardless of race, gender, age
or religion, most have certain
things in common. If we are to
be a successful manager, it is
imperative that we understand
the human elements that allow
us as managers to stay “on top
of our game”. That is, understanding
how people want to be treated
by their manager. Here is a list
of things that I believe all employees
have in common when it comes to
how they want to be treated.
1. Employees want to be valued.
Over fifty percent of all working
Canadians that leave their jobs
do so because they feel that they
are not valued. Have you ever
been told that you provide little
or no value to the organization,
been humiliated for making the
wrong decision or been told that
you are a liability to the company.
If so, then you understand how
important it is to be valued.
Valuing people because they are
human beings and the foundation
of our company is reason enough
to be ethical in our approach
with people.
2. Employees want to be treated
with respect.
Author Arnold Glasow said, “ The
respect of those you respect is
worth more than the applause of
the multitude”. Many employees
desire the respect of the people
they work for. Respect is oxygen
for the soul and when managers
give it freely, it creates a positive
work environment. Respecting employees
gives them the freedom to perform
at a high level and the incentive
to work with excellence.
3. Employees want to be trusted.
My dad once told me that to be
trusted is a greater compliment
than to be loved. Although we
as managers cannot control if
employees trust us, we can control
our actions toward them and we
can give them our trust. While
it is true that we can be taken
advantage of, it is also true
that trust creates the foundation
of a strong relationship with
our people because it allows for
open communication, maintains
confidences and focuses on shared
goals.
4. Employees want to be appreciated.
Employees want to be appreciated
for the skill and effort that
they bring to the work place.
Letting employees know that they
matter builds their self confidence
and self esteem to the point that
they make decisions and take action
because, they know it is right
and needs to be done. As a manager,
let people know that you appreciate
their efforts. Publicly thank
them at every opportunity and
give them the credit that they
deserve. As one of my mentors
Warren Brent Carroll once told
me, “people need to walk in the
sunshine and not in the shadows”.
5. Employees want to be understood.
A great inventor by the name of
Charles Kettering once said, “there
is a great difference between
knowing and understanding. You
can know a lot about something
and not really understand it.
The same is true about people.”
As managers we can be quick to
find fault with employees who
don’t conform to our thought process
or patterns that we know work.
Sometimes our employees act differently
because they have not had the
advantages that we have had. As
managers we ought to consider
extending ourselves to them on
their level and showing flexibility
in our thought process. Our employees
are creatures of emotions, just
like us.
Author and co-author of several
professional articles, Nick Pollice's
expertise is in Sales Management
Courses, Sales Seminars and Operations
Management.
http://www.cmctraining.org
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