The source of deep loyalty inside of your business.
53% of the people that are in the American workforce say that the company they work for makes them “unhappy.” Think about that, half of the workforce is unhappy the majority of their waking hours.
Considering that work is the place where most people find the fulfillment of their professional careers, it should be a happy place. Or, at the very least, a tolerable place where they can grow as professionals.
To compound the matter, most managers can’t tell you why their people are actually unhappy. In the book, 7 Hidden Reasons Employees Leave, it showed 89% of leaders think that employees leave because of money. In reality, money only represents 12% of the reasons why employees might leave an organization.
What is the #1 reason why employees don’t “love their company”?
It’s because employees don’t think the company loves them!
A Global study revealed that 79% of the people who quit their job sited a “lack of appreciation” for the reason they quit.
This lack of appreciation shows itself in the way people are treated, and the policies the company adopts.
It’s hard for a team member to go above and beyond for the company when the company doesn’t take their needs and circumstances into consideration.
We live in a society where employees want to have the benefits of time off, evenings with their families, and a healthy work environment. Yet, we work in an industry where those things are looked down upon. Team members that want these things are labeled as “negative,” “weak”, “entitled”, or the ever overused “millennial.”
But the truth is, desiring a life doesn’t make you a bad person. It makes you human.
The manager and owner that recognizes this desire and provides the opportunity for a good life builds extreme loyalty with his people. This also expresses love in a way that team-members understand.
How to start loving your people.
Love is an interesting thing.
As we study humans, we learn that people express love differently. We also learn that people like to be shown love differently.
One person may show love by giving a gift, and yet that same person may like to receive love through words of affirmation.
If you have children, then you understand this delicate dance of love that I’m talking about.
When it comes to showing love inside of your company, it’s also a delicate dance. You have to learn how to communicate and express love in ways that are good for everyone, and good for the individual.
This requires significant investment in getting to know your people and what’s important to them. Until you know them, you can’t express love in a real way. I don’t know who first said it, but it reminds me of the old adage:
How do you spell love? “T. I. M. E.”
The last thing I will give you is this; Love is tough! Love requires a lot of hard work, a lot of energy, and a lot of intentionalities. Love always requires compromise, understanding, and a heaping dose of grace!
If love takes so much work, why do it? Why fight so hard to build love inside of your company?
Because being in love is great!
Question: What do you do to build love inside of your company? Send us an email or post your answer on social media.
