Years ago I was speaking to a group of business leaders, assuredly underscoring the importance of demonstrating to employees that you care about them, when a gentleman in the audience put up his hand.
He claimed he was, indeed, asking on his own behalf, then added something about “I don’t agree that we need to be coddling our employees.”
It is no mystery to most of us that the leadership population is filled with human beings who are there because they were the highest performing individual contributors at the time a leadership opportunity became available. And yet the skills needed to crank out work and deliver results has almost no relationship to generating results through others.
The most effective way to get work done through employees is to both maximize accountability for results and create an environment of care and inspiration.
Caring about your people involves holding them to high standards. Perhaps surprisingly, all of these things, while driving accountability for outcomes and results, also underscore your care for employees. People want to be a part of a winning team.
I am comfortable going on record to say that most underdeveloped leaders do not sufficiently execute the five things I’ve just mentioned. Instead they sit back and simply wonder why their employees are not approaching work the way they always have—independently, assertively, and in an over-achieving manner.
Most leaders are among the top 10% of performers. Since only 10% of employees can comprise that most high-performing level, 90% are destined to disappoint. Rather than sit back and wish that everyone could be like them, leaders need to take the time and make the commitment to execute on these five accountability drivers. This is the first step in demonstrating to your employees that you care.
It’s common for leaders to label this as the motivation side of the relationship. Often, when we ask leaders what they struggle with in their role, they share, “I don’t know how to motivate people.”
This opens a door to the debate between self-motivation and influenced motivation. Instead of getting tangled up in this conversation, let’s shift gears and talk about the care of employees.
How can you demonstrate to your employees that you care about them? After all, when people feel cared about, they are happier, more engaged, more productive and more loyal.
Perhaps you’ve heard the adage, “I don’t care how much you know. I want to know how much you care.” I once had a conversation with a dissatisfied employee in which she said, “I want to go to work at a place each day where I know one person even cares about me.” A fundamental need.
Below, I’ll share five ways you can demonstrate to your employees that you care about them. Some may feel trite to you. That’s okay. Keep in mind, however, that it doesn’t make the concept wrong. Let’s just say it doesn’t resonate with you. We know from experience, however, that each one of these ideas does, in fact, have a positive effect on employee productivity, inspiration and retention.
What do they want you to know about their workplace preferences? How do they like to work? What do they want from a leader? What kind of work do they enjoy or not enjoy?
Show them that you care about what matters to them….and, most importantly, that you’ll honor it when and where you can.
You can pay attention to the degree to which each employee likes to share about their personal lives, and then follow their lead. Your conversations need to be more influenced by them than by you.
If you don’t care a lick about the personal lives of your people….well, that doesn’t matter. What matters is the degree to which a personal connection is important to them.
At Living As A Leader, we have a Monday Morning Stand-Up Meeting every week. It’s a lightning round sharing of what we did over the weekend, along with the priorities for the coming work week. In a steady-progress-over-time fashion, we’ve learned wonderful things about our team members.
“What do you think?” “What would you do if I weren’t here?” “If you could choose, what would you do?” “Can I run something past you and get your thoughts?” “Would you prefer Option A or Option B?” “How would you do it?” “What happened?”
Questions like this show your employees not only that you care about them but also that you value them. Conversations involving questions go a long way in fostering productivity, fulfillment and loyalty.
What if everything didn’t have to be your way? What about different approaches that arrive at similar outcomes? What would happen if you gave up some of the control for greater outcomes from your employees?
I’ve always loved the phrase, “An idea imposed is an idea opposed.” Rather than impose your ideas, can you honor their’s?”
I get it that some employees are moderate to low performers. Regardless of high, medium or low performing, all of your employees deserve to start their conversation with you with the opportunity to share their perspective.
What are they up against? What is getting in their way of progress? What is making things difficult?
What you’re ultimately looking for is the outcome and for the agreement moving forward. These conversations should always include a phrase like, “Thank you for sharing that with me. It’s helpful to know.” Then you can shift gears to the accountability piece.
Patience, curiosity and understanding are not meant to trump accountability. These things are simply part of the equation. “I understand….now, let’s shift gears and talk about what you can do to advance this and prevent it from happening again.” Oh, and….”Where do you need my help?” This is asked at the end of the conversation.
There are many more ways that you can show your employees that you care about them, and this is a good start. Though, I should add a simple, no brainer one to our list….
If you’re struggling with any of this care stuff, put yourself in the shoes of your employees and ask yourself if you’d like your boss to demonstrate these five things for you.
Taking care of your employees should be a top priority for any business. Happy, healthy employees are more engaged, motivated and productive. Here are 15 tips for employers on how to take care of your team:
1. Provide a Safe and Clean Work Environment
Ensure your workplace follows all safety guidelines and is kept clean and well-maintained. Provide proper protective gear, equipment training, and first aid resources. Conduct safety drills and address any hazards promptly.
2. Offer Competitive Benefits
From health insurance to retirement plans, generous benefits show employees you care. Offer plans that fit their needs and budgets. Consider perks like gym discounts, tuition reimbursement and flexible work options.
3. Recognize Hard Work
Notice everyday achievements and milestones. Praise good work in team meetings one-on-one and through written notes. Give out employee awards and rewards to motivate staff.
4. Encourage Open Communication
Foster a culture where employees feel comfortable sharing ideas, concerns and feedback. Maintain an open-door policy and set regular check-ins. Welcome all communication.
5. Support Career Growth
Invest in professional development through training, mentoring programs and learning stipends. Offer to help build skills for advancement and provide promotion opportunities.
6. Respect Work-Life Balance
Don’t expect excessive overtime hours Allow flexible schedules when possible and generous vacation time, Discourage after-hours work communications Lead by example,
7. Pay Competitive Wages
Provide fair pay that reflects employee value and is on par with industry standards. Consider bonuses, raises and profit sharing. Review wages annually.
8. Schedule Social Events
Plan periodic teambuilding activities, parties, lunches or volunteer days. Bonding opportunities boost morale, relationships and collaboration.
9. Check In on Well-Being
Regularly ask how employees are doing and feeling. Be understanding about mental health or challenging circumstances. Offer counseling benefits.
10. Show Appreciation
Give frequent, sincere recognition. Send thank you notes and small gifts on birthdays or work anniversaries. Celebrate accomplishments.
11. Get Input on Decisions
Invite employees to share perspectives that inform decisions impacting them. Take feedback seriously and act on great ideas.
12. Offer Snacks and Breaks
Keep the office kitchen stocked with healthy snacks and beverages. Allow sufficient breaks to recharge. Make the space somewhere employees enjoy spending time.
13. Promote Team Building
Facilitate activities, meetings and programs that help employees connect. Shared goals and experiences build workplace bonds and cooperation.
14. Listen Without Judgement
Be approachable and understanding. Don’t interrupt or immediately probem-solve when employees vent or share grievances. Validate their feelings.
15. Demonstrate You Care
Check in about family, weekend plans, hobbies, etc. Get to know each person. Offer personal time off when needed. Show you view them as whole people, not just workers.
The culture you foster through care and support empowers exceptional teams. When you invest in employees and meet their needs, they will repay your business with engagement, loyalty and success.
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About the Author
Principal and Co-Founder, Living As A Leader®
Aleta Norris is an expert leadership coach and trainer with 30 years of experience developing leaders. She is also a highly sought-after speaker for annual meetings, keynote engagements, panel discussions and networking groups.
3 ways to create a work culture that brings out the best in employees | Chris White | TEDxAtlanta
Why should you take care of your employees?
Most employees want to feel like their managers and supervisors value them as individuals. It motivates them to work hard and contributes to job satisfaction and retention. As a company leader, you can take steps to take care of your employees and improve morale and productivity in your department or organization.
How do you care for your employees?
Have conversations with your employees when things are not on track Caring about your people involves holding them to high standards. Perhaps surprisingly, all of these things, while driving accountability for outcomes and results, also underscore your care for employees. People want to be a part of a winning team.
How do you care about your employees’ well-being & work environment?
These steps show you care about your employees’ well-being and work environment. Make sure your employees know they can talk to their supervisors any time to share ideas or discuss challenges. Ask team managers to have open-door policies and to check in with employees regularly to offer encouragement, praise or advice.
What are the benefits of taking good employee care?
Taking good employee care has a significant advantage, such as: Increase in productivity and creativity. Optimistic employees. Job fulfillment. A pleasant ambiance. Excellent client service. Devoted and loyal staff. Coworkers and bosses become part of their social network since they spend hours at work.
