A/C on… Ice cold glass of water, check… fan on high… Happy May everyone! As I sat down to write this month’s newsletter, I began to think of all the wonderful aspects of summer (that only summer) can bring. A few of my favorites came to mind: refreshing lemonade, days at the lake with my daughter, BBQ’s with the family. Although only three months out of the year (six if you’re from the Valley), summers can bring excitement in us that makes us feel like a kid again. Then I began to wonder, if summer makes me feel this way… do I feel the same way about my work and as a leader, how do my employees feel?
Employee motivation is one of the most complex areas of study. Unmotivated employees can have a negative effect on productivity, absenteeism, and turnover. There are a variety of factors that determine one’s motivation and we must remember that not every employee is the same, nor do their efforts all reflect the same feelings. One can be motivated to complete a task to receive praise from leadership, and one can also be motivated by the kind of work they are doing. It is important that as leaders in our industry, we focus on what increases employee drive, and how to maintain it.
I believe that to do this, we must understand the significance in observing how and where our employees thrive. Does Sally enjoy learning new skills every month or does she, like Paul, prefer her standard handful of tasks? Eric might enjoy being involved in management decisions, so that he feels important and noticed by leadership in the organization. I encourage you to ask your employees periodically if there is anything you could do to make their job more rewarding. Maybe its increased autonomy, higher skill variety, or more employee involvement. You just never know, until you ask.
So as the summer excitement increases, take a moment and reflect on if your employees feel the same about coming to work every day. Just a few changes can bring more smiles and positivity to the workplace.
Speaking of smiles, I would like to say Happy Mother’s Day to all of the amazing Mom’s! Enjoy your special day!
Jan Harrold
Chapter President
