Everybody is always looking for a little “something more.” How can I improve the bottom line? What if we tried it this way instead of that? Could we be more efficient if we changed this? It's a never ending quest.
One of the best things you can do, both in terms of boosting the morale of your employees, and in terms of their productivity, which of course directly impacts your bottom line, is to give them a say. Empower them, not in name only - not in some cheesy, barely relevant way, but give them real, meaningful power over their jobs and in your company. Then stand back and watch what happens.
I can already tell you that eight out of ten people reading this piece will do no such thing. It's scary to give up control, and it's your company. Your fear of what might happen if you surrender even the tiniest shred of control will keep you from even trying. For the two in ten who do, congratulations. You can start buying up the other eight when you're ready, because it really does make that big a difference. Here are some ideas to get you started:
Let Your Employees “Fire” Customers
There's an exclusive resort in Colorado where the guests are always on their best behavior, and the staff is always willing to go the extra mile, even though they're as underpaid as everybody else in the hospitality industry. The secret? Management has committed themselves to standing behind their employees, and they've given their employees actual power. Anyone, from a maid to a janitor, may permanently ban any guest for any reason, no questions asked. If an employee feels he or she is being mistreated by a rude guest, that's it. The guest is gone. Forever. As I said, it's a really nice place, and the guests don't want to be banned from it, so they tend to mind their P's and Q's, the employee turnover rate is the lowest in the industry, and the resort consistently gets stellar marks for service.
Free Time
Do you have any idea the raw creativity you'd unleash if you gave your employees, say, an hour a day to do whatever they wanted? Work related, of course. One hour every day to work on any project that caught their attention. If they fancied themselves a product development person, they could spend an hour a day in the workshop. If they wanted to learn more about the company's accounting system, they could wander there and find people ready and willing to teach them. Anything. No limits, no questions asked.
Companies that have done this sort of thing immediately see their retention rates climb, and they find that their employees are so much more productive in the remaining hours of the day that it more than makes up for the hour “lost.” I put “lost” in quotes because of course, you're not really losing that hour at all. You are, in fact, gaining an incredibly flexible and motivated workforce, where everyone is capable of wearing several hats inside your company. That's powerful.
Employee Defined Metrics
There are some metrics that are non-negotiable, but the bottom line is that the people who are doing the work probably know more about the work than you do, and that's okay. In fact, you should be worried if that's not the case, so why not let them tell you how to best go about it?
Why not let them tell you what metrics are most critical, and have a hand in designing, and periodically updating the standards they'll be assessed against? This is a small thing. A simple thing, but it's incredibly empowering, and the simple knowledge that you trust your employees enough to do that job and do it well will make an enormous difference in how they work, and how they perceive the company they're doing the work for. Not only will you be a hero, but your employees will work harder than ever before for you. It's hard not to love that.
