Combat Misery at Work
Understanding the Problem of Anonymity
Imagine your first day on a job. With equal measures of expectation and dread, you head to work, not sure yet what you face – much less who you'll be working with. Now, imagine waking up to go to work a year later, and all you feel is the dread. You feel like no one would miss you much if you didn't show up, and you certainly wouldn't miss the job, but you can't afford to lose it. So you go in each day and do what's required. But you spend hours in your lonely workspace just waiting to go home.
This isn't what you thought you were signing on for. On top of that, there's no one you can share your frustrations with. And if another opportunity presented itself, you'd be the first to jump ship and leave.
Sounds miserable, doesn't it?
What would you do if you were the employer in this situation, with this miserable worker on your watch? Their attitude and work ethic is lackluster to say the least. Worse, it seems to be rubbing off on the rest of your team. Morale is low, productivity is at a minimum, and you aren't sure what to do. After all, people are in control of their own attitudes, right? You find yourself slipping into apathy, resigning yourself to the idea that you're powerless to change the situation. Or are you?
The truth is, there is an answer to your problem. And it's easier than you might think. What you're dealing with is the problem of anonymity – when an employee feels that no one sees or cares about them at work. According to Patrick Lencioni, author of The Three Signs of a Miserable Job, solving the problem of anonymity is one of the three keys to fostering fulfilled, valuable, and passionate employees – no matter what your industry or market.
The Problem with Anonymity
So, why does anonymity create job misery? It all boils down to this one fact: People want to be treated like people. All the time. Everywhere. Even at work. This means that they need to be seen, heard, and known. Why is this important? For one, people spend a lot of time at work. And when they're miserable on the job, that misery easily creeps into other facets of life. Miserable jobs create miserable people, and that vicious cycle is tough to escape.
There's another reason it's important to tackle anonymity at work: "People who see themselves as invisible, generic, or anonymous cannot love their jobs, no matter what they are doing," Lencioni says. And people don't thrive – or stay for long – at jobs they hate. On the other hand, when people feel acknowledged at work, they are more apt to be loyal, motivated, and productive.
The Solution to Anonymity
So if anonymity is such a problem, how can you cure it? Again, the answer is clear and simple – by personally investing time into building relationships. This will look different for every leader. But it's important that it starts from the top, with anyone who manages people. That's because the relationship between an employee and their direct supervisor is the No. 1 indicator of job satisfaction. In fact, poor or nonexistent relationships are the top reason most dissatisfied workers leave companies. And the costs of turnover and job dissatisfaction are high – they drain time, resources, and money out of companies everywhere, every day.
That's why top priority for every manager should be the fine art of managing – people, that is. Though it may seem impossible to fit anything else into an already tight schedule of meetings, reports, and budgets, every moment you invest in building relationships will pay back in dividends.
Not sure where to start? Keep reading for five ideas you can use to start building relationships with your employees today.
Stop Workplace Anonymity in its Tracks
5 Ideas for Building Relationships
Relationship building takes time. It requires sincere, often concerted effort. But it's not as challenging as it might sound. Basically, it's all about taking a personal interest in someone. Here are five ideas to jumpstart relationship building with your team.
1. Master the art of small talk.
Whether or not you're already a master at small talk, make sure that you're actively using this skill to bond with your team. You may think that asking about weekend plans or checking in on family updates is a waste of time, but you couldn't be further from the truth. Taking time to ask employees about their lives is the first step to building dynamic relationships.
2. Establish a friendly environment.
Though your goal is to improve your relationships directly with employees, don't underestimate the power of a friendly work environment. People desire the ability to connect with one another, so take the time to bond with employees as a team. Encourage co-worker friendships, and set the standard for employee relationships – keep them professional, but be authentic.
3. Bond over lunch.
Authentic relationships occur naturally, on a daily basis. But sometimes it's important to go out of your way and make a special effort to get to know your employees. Consider treating one employee to lunch each week until everyone's had some one-on-one time. Keep the conversation light, and remember that your top objective for this time is to get to know people better, not to solve burning business issues. That can be done back at the office.
4. Have a true open door policy.
Always make time to listen to employees. Provide feedback depending on their needs. Realize your unique relationship with them can do more than make them feel better about work, it can help them become better at their jobs as well.
5. Create a mentoring program.
Mentoring programs are a great way to foster relationships in the workplace. By matching experienced employees with those who could benefit from direction or guidance, you're not only helping create meaningful relationships among employees, you're empowering both to grow in their careers.
These are just a few ideas to get you going. The sky – or perhaps your imagination – is the limit to ideas of how you can build relationships. The process will look different for every leader. But by embracing the power of relationship building to meet the needs of your workplace, you'll tackle anonymity at work head-on.
Keep in mind, though, that solving the problem of anonymity may not cure all that ills your workplace. There are two other roots of workplace misery that even the friendliest of employers often miss. Don't miss next month's feature on dealing with the problem of irrelevance at work.
HR Tip of the Month
Can Flexible Schedules Work for Your Business?
The topic of flexible schedules is growing increasingly popular these days. They have been championed by HR departments as a way employers can enhance work/life balance and job satisfaction of employees. And the idea of a more flexible schedule has a lot of appeal with workers. What you might not realize is that flexible work schedules do more than just help satisfy workers. They can also benefit employers.
In fact, as gas prices have doubled over the past year, and operations costs have skyrocketed, many organizations, colleges, and even governments have switched to a four-day work week to help compensate. The results? They can be dramatic. Time.com recently reported on one university's savings over a summer term – nearly $300,000 in energy costs over the short period. But that's not all. Other surprising findings emerged from the university's experiment, including a 44% drop in turnover and a 50% drop in sick day use. All of which translates to a great big positive for the bottom line.
But in reality, all organizations have different demands, and shutting down operations one day a week is not an option for most businesses. But that doesn't mean your workplace can't benefit from flexible work schedules. Here's an overview of the top five flexible work options. Which ones work best for your workplace?
Flexible Week
The four-day work week falls into this category. Flexible week schedules include condensed and expanded schedules. For example, some employees may prefer to work three 12-hour days while others would put in their 40 hours over six days. It's up to employers to select what works best. Some allow employees to select from different schedule options to account for personal needs or preference. Others switch their entire workforce to an alternative schedule. In a recent poll on the Express Job Blog, 56% of nearly 650 respondents said that if it came down to it, they'd trade in a few vacation days if it meant they could have a 4-day work week, and 31% said they'd trade other benefits for the option of putting in longer hours in fewer days.
Flextime
With flextime options, employers give employees flexibility on when to start and end their eight-hour workday. Typically, flextime options occur in work settings with standard full-time work schedules. Most flextime policies have windows of flexibility to ensure that there is a part of the workday where everyone is onsite at the same time. The most popular of flexible options, flextime does not require much oversight, is basically free, and is relatively easy to manage. A recent SHRM report showed that 80% of companies with 50 or more employees now allow at least some employees to change arrival and departure times. Flextime offerings at businesses have jumped 16% in the last decade.
Telecommuting
Telecommuting is also a popular concept with employees who face rising gas prices. Essentially, it allows workers whose job functions can be performed offsite to work out of the office at least one day a week. Telecommuting is a great recruiting tool, and studies show it can actually increase productivity, reduce sick time, and decrease turnover. Experts say employees who telecommute are often motivated to work harder because they don't want to lose the benefit. Cisco Systems reported that telecommuters increased productivity by about 25%.
Part-Time and Temporary Work
As workplace demographics continue to shift, part-time and temporary work is becoming more en vogue, with retired workers leading the charge. Many mature workers may retire from one job and seek a part-time or temporary one either to keep them busy or to supplement their income. In fact, 16% of the Baby Boomer workforce is currently seeking a part-time job, and 42% will only consider jobs that allow them chunks of time off to pursue personal interests, a Merrill-Lynch study found. Part-time and temporary schedules also appeal to students and those with family responsibilities that can prevent a full-time schedule. They also have great appeal with workers who want to keep their skills sharp until they have time to return to the workforce full-time.
Job Sharing
Basically, job sharing splits one full-time job between two people. They may split up days they work or have one take the morning shift and the other take the afternoon shift. The appeal of a job share is that though it pays half a full-time salary, employers typically offer some benefits and promotion opportunities that may not be available with part-time work. It's a great option for employees who have family needs or temporary circumstances that mean they don't have full-time hours to invest in a job. Many working moms, for example, are more than happy to take a cut in pay and benefits if it means they get to remain in the workforce. As with telecommuting, job sharing employees also demonstrate sharp increases in productivity and talent retention.
Depending on factors like your organization's industry, model, size, and market, the types of options that will work may vary. But that doesn't mean a dose of flexibility wouldn't do a world of good for your workplace.
Exchange is a publication of Express Services, Inc., Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Copyright 2008.