Posted on: Monday, November 1, 2004
Good boss, happy workers boost bottom line
By Will Higgins
Indianapolis Star
Bosses are improving.
Sixty percent of American workers are "completely satisfied" with theirs, says an August Gallup Poll. That's up from 54 percent the previous year and way up from 40 percent 15 years ago.
Still, 40 percent of workers aren't completely satisfied. In such cases, who's losing out? Not just workers, but also shareholders.
Whether happy workers breed success or success breeds happy workers is up for debate. Researchers at Rice University and the University of Maryland concluded that such happiness was a result of business success, not its cause.
But other research, including years of Gallup Polls, indicates workers not only feel better but perform better when their bosses care about them.
The companies on Fortune magazine's annual list of the "100 Best Companies to Work For in America," which is weighted heavily on employees' appraisal of bosses, outperform major stock indices, according to the Great Place to Work Institute, the San Francisco-based business-consulting firm that compiles the list for Fortune.
In a workplace where boss and employee exhibit trust, respect and fairness, there's "more productivity, more creativity, because risk-taking is encouraged, and less healthcare costs, because people aren't so stressed," says Jane Weiss, a Great Place senior consultant.
Anji Hubert, who works for Indianapolis-based Nelnet, describes her supervisor as "wonderful" for allowing her flex time so she can spend more time with her kids. The result: "The support and excellent work environment makes me want to truly give 110 percent when I am at work," says Hubert.
An effective manager needs "emotional intelligence, some personal characteristics employees respond to," says Tim Baldwin, an Indiana University management professor who's writing a book, "Developing Skills: What Great Managers Know and Do."
"It must be someone who listens, who has some of (their employees') interests in mind, something that says, 'You're more than a drone to me; I care about you as a human being.' People tell us: 'He sent a note when my dad died; he came to the funeral.' I need to connect at that level if I'm going to get the most out of (employees). It's what the great managers do."
Not every person is motivated by the same thing, says Cherilyn Stephens, a human resources professional with Sallie Mae and membership director for the Human Resource Association of Central Indiana. So it's up to the manager to "learn what motivates his people and then do it," she says.
Money, naturally, motivates most people, but there are other (cheaper) means.
"Some people are motivated by recognition," Stephens says. "Others are motivated by the possibility of career growth, or by flexibility" in their schedules.
Managing people is about more than just being nice to them. It's more important to be fair, which can sometimes mean being tough. Says Baldwin: "One of the worst things in offices: Slackers aren't punished — that drives people insane."
In the same vein, doers need to be rewarded. It all seems so obvious — "common sense," says Baldwin.
"The premise of my book is the fundamental skills of management aren't hard to understand," he says. "They're just hard to do." • • • How to generate success Here are the top 10 management tips from Indiana University professor Timothy Baldwin, author of the forthcoming book “Developing Management Skills: What Great Managers Know And Do”: • Set SMART (specific, measurable, accepted, relevant, time-bound) goals to motivate people. • When giving feedback, focus on behaviors, not traits or labels. • Reward doers: Base rewards on performance, not seniority. • Focus on perceptions of fairness — not happiness. A sense of fairness comes from regular communication and feedback, an opportunity for employees to give input and be heard, and some option for appeal of decisions. • Encourage straight talk and constructive conflict. • Frequently communicate your own goals and what you know of company strategy and initiatives. • Model the way. Tell the truth. People are much more moved by what you do than what you say. One lie or breach of trust, and your credibility is gone. • Enlist employees’ input. Participation is a good way to generate ideas and overcome resistance. • Take an interest in your people outside of work. • Recognize and celebrate employee success every chance you get.
