Loyalty,
Motivation And Work-Life Balance
by: Barry Maher
Managers who aren't loyal to their people can't
expect loyalty in return. Companies that complain about employee
loyalty have usually done nothing to earn loyalty, often routinely
lying to employees, demanding sacrifices that are never rewarded,
shunting them aside and casting them off in the name of good business.
I know of one organization that routinely takes top performing managers
and sticks them in problem markets. Fair enough. What isn't fair
is that these managers are paid on an inflexible bonus and override
system. Which means that their reward for doing a superior job and
for helping the company out is a massive cut in pay. And frequently
a poor evaluation if they fail to turn the market around quickly
enough.
And upper management can not understand the lack of loyalty throughout
the company. Or why they have the highest turnover rate of in their
industry.
Teams and Teamwork
During the Civil War, a reporter asked General Grant how
long it would take him to reach Richmond. "I will agree to
be there in about four days," Grant answered. "That is,
if General Lee becomes a party to the agreement. But if he objects,
the trip will undoubtedly be prolonged."
When supposed teammates aren't really teammates, the journey toward
the goal will undoubtedly be prolonged.
Sidney Harman was chairman of Harman International, maker of high-end
sound systems like JBL and Infinity. "We attract people who
over time become persuaded that this company is their company and
they are going to give it their all," he said. "When people
determine to give it their all, the levels of productivity you see
will blow your mind."
To motivate employees to see the company as their company, Harman
International does everything possible to avoid layoffs. When demand
is down, the company keeps production workers busy in security or
maintenance or landscaping rather than downsizing them. They're
paid their normal wages. Employees benefit and Harman International
retains its highly trained, loyal, motivated workforce.
To keep the channels of communication open between management and
labor, every single executive spends time every month on the production
line. Top management also discourages the use of temps. And there's
no such thing as a permanent temp. If they stay past a certain point,
they become regular workers with full benefits.
Nowadays this may seem like radical, outside the box thinking. Or
maybe it's inside a box so out of fashion that few other companies
ever both to look inside. Either way it's turned Harman International
into an industry leader, a company with $1.4 billion in annual sales.
Ed Boyd, Senior VP of Manufacturing, says, "I've worked for
four corporations on three continents and this is by far the most
motivated group of individuals I've ever been associated with."
That's a team.
Speaking of Motivation: Work-Life Balance
One recent study found that "management recognition of the
importance of personal and family life" was the most important
factor in creating employee loyalty. It also found that employees
who were allowed to spend a moderate amount of time on personal
matters during work time-even if it was merely making a few personal
phone calls-were more committed to their employers than those who
weren't.
Yet in a recent survey of CEOs by the Conference Board, only one
percent cited "helping employees achieve work-life balance"
as their top concern. Well, it might not be number one, but it better
be up there. In still another study-this one done by the Families
and Work Institute and funded by corporations like AT&T, Xerox,
Allstate, American Express and IBM-thirty-eight percent of workers
said employees who put personal or family needs ahead of their jobs
were not looked upon favorably by their employer.
Tip: Any manager who expects his people to put the company's needs
ahead of their own needs and the needs of their loved ones is not
bright enough to be a manager. How many managers put company needs
ahead of their own?
Tip: Too many.
According to the Associated Press, the Families and Work Institute
study "paints a portrait of a hard worker who feels burned
out from balancing work and family life yet cares intensely about
performing well on the job."
In the words of AT&T spokesman, Burke Stinson, "the study
validates what we'd believed for a long while." When employees
get more freedom to take care of their family priorities, productivity
does not suffer, just the opposite. "Employees who feel as
if they're being treated fairly will treat their employers at least
as fairly in return."
And factors like employment security, flexible scheduling and supportive
work relationships reduce burnout, increase loyalty and generate
greater effort.
Of course whenever studies like these are done, the question some
always ask is, Why do employers have to fund studies to discover
what their employers are thinking?
Barry Maher speaks, writes and consults on management,
motivation, communication and sales. Contact him and/or sign up
for his free email newsletter at http://www.barrymaher.com.
Check out his highly-acclaimed books, including Filling the Glass,
"[One of] The Seven Essential Popular Businss Books" according
to Today's Librarian magazine at http://www.barrymaher.com/books.htm.
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