I recently came across this quote from John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods: “If you are lucky enough to be someone’s employer, then you have a moral obligation to make sure people do look forward to coming to work in the morning.”
In contrast, I noticed the controversy about the “toxic workplace” of a well-known Hollywood television star. Read more here if you’re interested.
I subscribe to Mr. Mackey’s view of employees, which inspired this week’s leadership tip.
Leadership Tip
Create an environment in which people look forward to coming to work every day.
Here’s a three-step game plan to flush out ideas for creating a welcoming environment.
• Take inventory of all the reasons people look forward to coming to your place of business. To do that, you can:
(1).List what you think, observe, or know for a fact.
(2). Ask your employees (formally or informally).
• Using the same approach, take inventory of all the reasons people do not look forward to coming to work. Then implement changes to address their concerns and improve the situation.
• Research the top companies named in publications as the “best place to work.” Identify what they’re doing that makes them a best place to work. Then compare that with what you’re not doing (but could and should do). Here is a good place to start.
With many people working from home, looking forward to the workday becomes more critical than ever. So challenge yourself to address this question: “What are two or three novel ways I can help my employees look forward to their working day?”
Our people are our greatest asset. Exceptional leaders find awesome ways to give them something to look forward to every day. What will you do?
