As leaders, we all want happy employees. We supply insurance, paid time off, retirement plans…and those are only the “standard” today. Some companies go so far as to provide weekly catered lunches, onsite workout classes, free beer Fridays (?), and various other benefits in hopes that employees will be content with their jobs and stay forever.
Some leaders even think they have to give certain things up, including their vision, to simply make their employees happy. They don’t. Here are just a few ways to keep your employees happy without breaking the bank:
- Start with trusting employees to do the job they were hired to do. When you do this, they become part of the vision. Your goal should be to discover a shared vision with them – talking with them about what WE are trying to achieve gives them a sense of purpose and helps to create a positive culture within the walls of your organization.
- Examine role clarity and create clear expectations for each and every employee. They don’t want to come to work every day in a fog not knowing what to expect, so why not clear the clouds for them?
- Define accountability for all of you and each of your commitments to honor these agreements. Check in often to see where you are all at on the accountability scale.
By starting with these initiatives, your employees might not mind that you don’t offer “Free Beer Fridays” in the office!
