The One Thing all Managers Should Do

10-24-2013 12-08-02 PM

Not all people enjoy their work, how many? A whopping 70% of the workforce in America. A recent Gallup survey estimates that employees who are “actively disengaged” cost the United States as much as $550 billion in economic activity every year. Only 30% are “highly engaged” with their work, these are the people who care about what they do and are highly committed in the workplace.

Now why start this article with this gloomy statistic? Well, just to point out that not everybody loves their job. A lot of factors play into this such as being unhappy with pay, not feeling valued, and not being challenged enough. Another reason is the fact that most jobs are boring because they involve low-level work like sending faxes, working in retail, call center jobs and a lot more. These types of work that involves the 9-5, five times a week will eventually make you lose your interest and drive.

But ask people what the number one reason why they really hate their job and usually they’ll answer “because my boss sucks.”

If employees are disengaged with their work, it’s most likely that the management has a problem. There can also be a lot of reasons why managers aren’t effective in their jobs. Some managers are ignorant, which makes employees feel more dominant than their supervisor. When this case happens, workers don’t respect their boss and lose the willingness to work for their superior. Persons in charge can also be indifferent and callous. They’re so focused on getting the job done that they forget they’re handling human beings. Impotence can also be rampant in managers who aren’t born as leaders. They know a lot about the job but they don’t have the commanding presence or the confidence to handle a team. This drains motivation and enthusiasm on the part of the employees.

From a businessperson’s perspective, money is lost because of disengaged employees. Some reasons that I’ve shared can be augmented, some cannot, but if you really want to have motivated employees then start with the management. And you don’t need to do anything fancy, the one thing all managers should do is care for their employees and that’s it.

Workers are people who want to feel that they are valued. They want to know that their bosses care about them. When employees know that managers care, they’ll do anything that they want. They will feel motivated, go the extra mile. No matter how unchallenging the work, like arranging chairs and sending e-mails, they will willingly do it.

There you have it, the single thing all managers need. It’s just a four letter word but it means a lot. It can change how your martial arts school is run. If you’re having problems with your employees being disengaged then give caring a try. It’s really simple, you can start with a “how are you?” and actually listening. You’ll be surprised how much your small effort can drastically change a person’s mood. That small gesture can boost your employee to work harder and better for the rest of the day.

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