Uninformed and Out of Touch

A corporate newsletter goes out from the CEO to the workforce, touting the greatness of the company and how it is the market leader.  It talks about revenues being up and expenses being down and the bright future of the company.  If you are working for this company what do you do with the newsletter?  If you are truly working for a great organization you probably share it with your family with a sense of pride.  However, if you are one of the 33% of employees who hate their job and are actively looking for a new one, you probably chuck it in the trash.

Many leaders are so out of touch they think everything is hunky dory.  CEOs and other top executives often do not know what is going on at the ground level of their companies.  One of my favorite television series is Undercover Boss.  The premise of the series is that a top executive goes undercover in his/her own company to see what is really going on in the organization.  Many times it is an eye opening experience.  On one episode a CEO stated in front of his employees, “I thought sitting behind a desk in Michigan I had the right to say we take care of our people, I have learned firsthand that the people take care of this company.”

Unfortunately, I believe there are too many top executives who could care less about how the people in their organization feel about their company or its leadership as long as they are meeting the company’s goals.  Little do they know, there are good employees at risk of quitting or are suffering in silence.

I recently read an article that stated:

• 1/3 of the employees are looking for new jobs.
• Many employees are suffering from low morale.
• Employees are dealing with unrealistic expectations placed on them by their companies.
• Employees are asked to do more with less and for less.

With the costs associated with the acquisition of new employees, companies need to pay more attention to the overall satisfaction of their people.  

If you are a leader in your company and you are looking for ways to improve the overall morale of your employees, consider the following:

• Where feasible, conduct consistent one-on-one meetings with your employees at least monthly.  This check-in lets them know you care about them.  (Important note: let them set the agenda). 
• Set realistic expectations.  Ask for their feedback on what is expected of them.  If this is not done, you will find out pretty quickly whether they are aligned on what you expect.
• Allow them to utilize their strengths.  If not, they end up performing tasks because they must if they want to work, but they hate it.
• Supply them with the tools they need to get their job done.
• Work with your employees to establish goals, both personal and professional, and metrics to help them measure their progress.  Good employees want to know that what they do matters to the company.
• Reward people for performance and hold them accountable for not meeting their commitments.  Rewards are more than just money.  Find out what motivates your employees and, as appropriate, reward accordingly.

Complacent leadership can dramatically impact the profitability and sustainability of your company because it may lead to the loss of great employees.

When you neglect your A+ employees, all you are left with is a bunch of uninspired and unhappy people; however, showing your employees how much you care about their growth and development will result with a highly charged, innovative and committed workforce.

What are you doing as a leader to maintain the morale of the people you lead?