The year is 2016. We have found ourselves in the digital age and on the forefront of an incredible technology boom. The world is starting to see the most amazing advancements in tech that we have ever seen. It has become unprecedented, with a seemingly exponential growth in the amount we can accomplish.
3-d technology is becoming a household name, we have grown synthetic body parts that could replace non-functioning body parts, we have created technology that allows people born without sight to see again, we are developing engines that literally use no fuel (something thought not even possible before). We have become the culture that defies the laws of physics, laughing in the face of the so-called “physical reality” with only belief on our side. We conquer this universe, unparalleled in our quest for understanding. Soon enough we might even be living on other planets. Who knows, the universe is vast and the human race is hungry to explore it.
Yet.
We live in the age where there is more disconnect than ever. We have created computers that fit in the palm of your hand, that allow people from around the world to connect with each other and talk whenever they see fit.
Yet.
We don’t talk to each other. More often than not we prefer to stay disengaged, completely enamored by more and more pointless videos meant to entertain rather than teach us about each other. The newest generation knows how to use a tablet before they know how to read and write. With all the incredible advancements we have made, we have also fallen a few steps behind and forgot what it means to have a COMMUNITY.
This directly translates to business as a whole and it is up to the small business owners to make a push to return our community to what it used to be. This comes down to putting the pressure back onto our domestic business owners to start making a change in their culture. The days of working a lifetime for a company to be paid off via pension after retirement are over. Today’s culture prompts for workers to look for the best possible option that will align with their monetary goals. Despite what we may think (you should work for the love of the job) a paycheck will forever be the key factor in determining whether not someone will work for you. It takes money to make money and employees are the biggest investment that any company can make.
Is money really the key factor?
In a way it is, but there’s also another option. Autonomy.
Truly what any person is looking for when working is that they want to know that they are respected. The human mind is a tricky thing with many factors coming into play when thinking about anything and ultimately determining someone’s perspective on an issue. This idea is exactly where the belief in culture must come from. Employees want to know that they are family, that they are apart of a community that respects and values their input. This represents a crucial junction in retaining employees, especially if they’re worth keeping.
It has been said that the number one reason employees quit is due to management. Generally, it has to do with the fact that they are not given the respect level that they have deemed appropriate. Think about it. If you are competent and are good at what you do then why would you stay at a place where your intelligence is constantly questioned and undermined because a manager wants to prove their the alpha (again, there’s lots of other reasons but it will boil down to a scenario like this many times.) This means the responsibility is up to management to take a step back and really review what they are doing to help their team feel fulfilled. You could even go as so far to say that it’s not so much the money that would determine retaining good employees, rather, its the care that you put into someone when they want to express their independence at any given work place. It’s not say that incentivization is not an important part to it, but throwing a heap load of money at someone is never going to change the feeling of being disrespected or not feeling AUTONOMOUS. Development of that family feeling at work has proven to be all too important now-a-days being that are no real guarantees of being taken care of after retirement any more so we have to change how people may think about us by creating a culture at work that puts value on caring for employees feelings and problems. This is not to say that all problems should be freely expressed at work on a constant basis, there is a line that needs to be drawn but simply taking a few minutes to see how someone is doing (especially if you value them) can prove to be an important measure in someone staying on because they now feel like they are apart of a family rather than a cog in the machine.
By developing a corporate culture in a way the makes employees feel respected will directly translate to how they treat customers. It goes without saying that any given business lives or dies on having good relationships with clientele, meaning what you put into your employees and how they are treated can effect your business as a whole. Being that there is no guarantee of long term care from an employer this stresses the importance of building your culture.
Make them feel welcome. Let them know they are respected and their ideas are important. This will determine your direct success as an owner/manager. Especially if an employees worth it and doesn’t need to be told how to do things.
Your customers will inherently understand the family feel of your culture, responding to it whether they may know it or not. Let them feel the good energy you have from the biggest investment you’re going to make in your career.
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