Photo by Benis Arapovic
While it’s true there are companies that are aware that good morale among employees propels profits, many businesses are missing opportunities for growth.
It’s not because of marketing. It has to do with internal issues. Why? There’s been a wide gap between what managers and workers think about trust.
Symptoms include:
The gap occurs because employees don’t easily understand the decisions, methods or reasoning of their bosses. Employees engage bosses less. They’re demoralized when they see impersonal layoffs. They’re less productive or even quit.
Typically, only a handful of workers trust their bosses “to a great extent.” Many employees trust managers less than they have in previous years.
Managers believe employee trust is vital, but too employees rate their level of trust in their leaders as moderate at best.
Most managers believe they’re great at apologizing for their mistakes, but probably one in five employees agree.
Employees aren’t always right but neither are managers.
Employees typically accuse leaders of making nine mistakes:
1. Being inconsistent
2. Decisions without employee input
3. Lying/lacking transparency
4. Lacking leadership skills
5. Taking undue credit/passing blame
6. Talking behind employees’ backs
7. Not “walking the talk”
8. Poor communication/interpersonal skills
9. Fear of computer and communication surveillance
Impact of employees’ low trust in bosses:
1. Increased turnover
2. Reduced performance
3. Cultural erosion
Employees’ advice for bosses:
1. Act with integrity
2. Listen/demonstrate care
3. “Walk the talk”
4. Demonstrate trust and empowerment
5. Encourage/recognize hard work
6. Provide clear and consistent messages/vision
7. Give constructive feedback/coaching
Biz Coach advice for employers to rebuild trust
1. Be consistently transparent in communication with employees regarding business changes and performance
2. Instead of constantly looking over the shoulders of employees, focus on evaluating their final output
3. Don’t micromanage team leads and managers
4. Be an active listener to employee concerns and establsh feedback discussions
5. Be empathetic and respectful and compassionate of employees
Good luck!
From the Coach’s Corner, more HR management solutions:
15 HR Strategies to Improve Your Business Performance — Studies show many employees are dissatisfied in their workplaces. Employee dissatisfaction, of course, will adversely affect a company’s performance. A lack of employee engagement means: Higher costly turnover; less focus on customer service; less productivity; and weak profits. The dissatisfaction is global and the trend is likely to continue unless businesses improve their approach.
Profit Drivers – How and Why to Partner with Your Employees — If you want maximum profit, consider partnering with your employees. “Key employees – in fact, all employees – will be more valuable to a company if they understand what drives profit and improves cash flow for the business,” says leading financial consultant Roni Fischer.
Secrets in Motivating Employees to Offer Profitable Ideas — Savvy employers know how to profit from their human capital. Such knowledge is a powerful weapon for high performance in a competitive marketplace. Furthermore, there’s a correlation among excellent sales, happy customers, and high employee morale. Proverbially speaking, employees are where the tire meets the road. They daily experience firsthand a wide variety of problems – including dysfunction from vendors, shortcomings of software, aggravations of customers, poor intra-company communication and dangers facing your company.
Tips for Marketing Your HR-Policy Changes to Employees — So you’ve identified workplace policies that need to be updated. But you want your policies to be accepted and followed by your employees. Employees are often uncomfortable with change even if it’s necessary for a business turnaround. Remember high morale among employees propels profits. You might recall the hysteria over Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer’s telecommuting ban.
Easy Ways to Boost Your Employees’ Morale — Employee morale affects performance. Study after study shows a significant percentage of worker morale is mediocre, at best. That’s often the case even for companies that are able to pay competitive wages and benefits. As you might guess, it’s a bigger quandary for business owners that don’t have enough cash flow for raises. There are strategies you can implement.
Strategies: If a Valued Employee Wants a Raise, and Money’s Tight — In this economy, whether you operate a large or small company, trepidation of higher payroll expenses can turn your hands cold with perspiration. That’s especially true when talented employees suddenly ask for a raise. Talented workers are an asset – your human capital. Many companies don’t have a compensation policy. And your company might be like the majority of small businesses or nonprofits in this uncertain economy – having difficulty funding even merit raises.
“The best morale exist when you never hear the word mentioned. When you hear a lot of talk about it, it’s usually lousy.”
-Dwight D. Eisenhower
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