The first step in making your employees happy is to build a conducive business environment. FILE PHOTO | NMG
I recently did a business presentation to a senior manager and I
could tell from his facial expression that I am getting the deal. The
he dropped the bombshell. “What’s in it for me?”
I was caught unawares. I was only prepared to present what’s in it for his company.
As
I reflected on those words, I recalled the question that Peter asked
his master, Jesus Christ, as the latter talked about the herculean task
of inheriting the kingdom of heaven, which apparently the former hoped
to sail into smoothly.
He asked, “We have left
everything to follow you!” Jesus quickly assured them, “...and I assure
that anyone who leaves home or wife or brothers or parents or children
for the sake of the kingdom of God will receive much more in this
present age and eternal life in the age to come.”
Peter’s
question is very important as it exposes the nature of human being. It
is a question that every leader whether in business, politics, family or
community must answer in order to get full support of their followers.
It should not be looked from the perspective of soliciting
favours or bribe for doing what one should rightly do. It is about
meeting the needs of all parties concerned in a win-win situation.
Most
business leaders have been misled to believe that customer is king and
that employees are a necessary evil. They value the customers more than
the employee simply because customers brings in money and employees take
out money.
Employees are as important as customers if
not more. If you want quality and happy customers get quality and happy
employees and treat them better than customers.
The
renown British serial entrepreneur Richard Branson said, “By putting the
employee first, the customer effectively comes first by default, and in
the end, the shareholder comes first by default as well.”
Employees
too need to know what’s in it for them. You cannot talk of great
success and the great vision you have for your company and expect
cooperation of employee unless you tell them what they will get in
return for sacrificing their family, time and sometimes health for the
sake of your kingdom.
When starting a business or
trying to turnaround an ailing enterprise, the first step is to find way
of engaging and making your employees happy and hopeful first. Once
your employees are happy and have their present and future assured, they
will have a strong reason for coming to work every day and giving their
best, customers will be happier by default.
The first
step in making your employees happy is to build a conducive business
environment where every employee feels valued and secure. Create a team
that every employee feels part of.
Invest in training
for professional and personal development that guarantee your employees a
bright future whether they are in or out of your enterprise. Once you
have done this give them the right tools and you will be surprised by
their productivity.
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