| I cannot stress enough how important it is to | | | | affordable way to provide them with some form |
| know what it means to be a great and effective | | | | of health care or medical insurance boosts their |
| manager and to act on that knowledge for your | | | | overall morale. |
| success. | | | | Love/Belonging: This is an area where I have |
| This is the first part in my multiple part series of | | | | seen many leaders struggle. Employees want to |
| writing about effective management and | | | | feel they are in a place of belonging. This trait |
| employee leadership. | | | | deals with friendship, family, and intimacy.o If |
| Abraham Maslow was a noted and prominent | | | | applicable, have employees work together on |
| American psychologist who created a method to | | | | projects instead of isolating them.o Host a |
| determine positive mental health. It became | | | | business gathering or function, such as a company |
| known as "Maslows Hierarchy of Needs". It looks | | | | picnic or even some kind of game, be it baseball |
| much like the USDA's Food Pyramid, but instead | | | | or another sport. This gets employees' to come |
| of food, it lists the needs that an individual must | | | | together and build bonds and effectively eliminate |
| satisfy in order to be happy. | | | | a feeling of not belonging in the company. |
| A person needs to satisfy the requirements | | | | Esteem: Deep down everybody has a desire of |
| starting from the bottom and working up. The | | | | being respected and feeling achievement. Esteem |
| higher you go on the pyramid, the more difficult it | | | | deals with the self-esteem, confidence, and |
| is to satisfy each need. | | | | respect of the individual employee.o Compliment |
| I fervently believe that this can be effectively | | | | an employee when they have performed well in |
| applied to an employee and as a manager; you | | | | some job function. (Remember to also show |
| have the opportunity to affect these | | | | disappointment when they perform poorly.) Be |
| psychological needs to improve your employees. | | | | careful, because if you only show them a positive |
| It is no secret that a low morale affects the | | | | spirit, it will become insincere.o A good employee |
| quality of the employee and how well they get | | | | will desire the respect of their superior, otherwise |
| their work done. | | | | they do not respect their superior. If you feel |
| What I am going to do for you is simple. I will | | | | that you have a great employee, don't be afraid |
| identify each of the four steps and show how | | | | to let them know that.o Provide support to an |
| managers can improve their employees' morale. | | | | employee when they are struggling. If it is |
| Psychological: This is the basest of needs and | | | | something you can help them with, don't say "I |
| includes breathing, food, water, and sleep. It is | | | | hired you so you can do that job, not me." A little |
| actually more difficult to restrict these functions | | | | help and support goes a long way in building their |
| than to allow them | | | | confidence. |
| Some ways to ensure this need is met:o Allow an | | | | Self-Actualization: This is the toughest need to |
| adequate lunch break and intermittent breakso Do | | | | satisfy and it mostly rests in the hands of the |
| not overwork your employees! It is important to | | | | employee, although the manager can definitely |
| apply stress to get them to work harder and | | | | help them in achieving this need. This deals with |
| faster, but overdoing can blow their engine. It is | | | | the creativity and independence of the employee. |
| like running a car for so long you run it out of gas. | | | | It is an advanced form of achievement in that |
| Then you are stuck with a non-performing asset! | | | | employees want to be able to solve problems.o |
| Safety: This need deals with the security of the | | | | Allow for an environment that promotes individual |
| employee, such as their physical safety, job | | | | initiative. If an employee has an idea for how to |
| security, and ability to provide for their family. A | | | | solve a problem, such as meeting a sales quota |
| fearful and worrisome employee is not good for | | | | and settling a customer service complaint then let |
| business. They can make poor decisions.o Provide | | | | them pitch their idea to you.o Once an employee |
| a clean and safe working environment. This is | | | | is out of the training phase for their job, let them |
| actually important since it is a requirement from | | | | do their work autonomously. Do NOT |
| OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health | | | | micromanage something if they feel confident |
| Administration.)o Provide a competitive salary and | | | | enough to do this. It will only aggravate them and |
| benefits. Only the most desperate employees | | | | make them feel disrespected and unappreciated. |
| take a job beneath the industry average | | | | Read my article on Situational Leadership where I |
| compensation. Those same employees usually | | | | address how to treat an employee based on their |
| aren't the best you can get.o Employees want to | | | | competence. |
| feel safe about their long-term health. Finding an | | | | |