Business survival is a top priority right now, but you can’t thrive or even survive without motivated, engaged employees. If misery is on the menu, the recipe for happy, productive workers can make a difference.
Start by watching for the three signs of job misery:
- People feel ignored, unappreciated, and/or dismissed. They see themselves as invisible and insignificant.
- People feel like their jobs and/or the work they do doesn’t matter. They don’t see how what they do positively impacts others or the organization as a whole.
- Non-measurement. People don’t have a way to gauge the value of their contributions.
You can overcome these by:
- Getting to know workers as individuals. This requires empathy and curiosity about what motivates each person.
- Helping employees see why their work matters. Explain how their efforts impact others and what would happen if they weren’t there to do their job. Share positive feedback from other employees, clients/customers, and others.
- Establishing realistic, effective goals and measures that employees can track. Give them the skills and training they need to meet these successfully. Recognize them when they meet or exceed expectations.
