Do You Care…How?

Most leaders will agree that to be successful in any industry you need employees that are motivated. High morale has shown to drive productivity, creativity, and ultimately the bottom line. So what do you do to ensure an engaged and motivated team?
You probably recognize your team with awards and bonuses. Maybe you offer meals. More than likely you seek their input on initiatives and policies. There are 101 ways to recognize and motivate your team. But there is only one that truly counts—you care for them!

Most professors teach and many books discuss ways to recognize and appreciate your staff. These initiatives focus on awards and material gifts. Don’t get me wrong, these are good and should be done, but without truly caring for each and every employee you will limit the benefits of those initiatives. If you think back about what made you feel great at your job as well as what bothered you, you may recognize that the root feeling was being cared for or the lack of. We all want to be cared for. We want to know deep in our hearts that we matter, that we offer value to our boss, team, and organization. So how do we ensure that our employees feel cared for?

I can assure you that it’s not by giving our employees material things. I recently had a friend tell me about his wife coming home with a coffee mug that was given to her by her organization. She made a comment as she showed it to my friend that, “now I’m really going to be motivated. Boy do I feel valued…” Material items are nice, but they don’t address internal needs whether we’re aware of them or not. Internal needs such as being looked in the eye when listened to, or not being distracted with emails, phone, or clock when speaking to an employee. Another example is body language that portrays engagement or simply stopping what you’re doing to make sure you acknowledge your employees when you see them. Another critical one is following through on things you said you will do versus dismissing them as if your conversation never happened. Caring for your team means sincerely investing in them with your time, focus, and heart.

If you naturally care for people, your actions will shine through. If you don’t, your actions will shine through. From the perspective of the employee…why else would you not communicate back with them when you said you would? Why else would you be reading your email when they’re talking to you? Why else would you not consider employee issues at home when discussing their performance? Because you don’t care, at least that’s what they will walk away with. This is the point you do a little soul searching—do I care about people or not? If not, may I suggest looking for a position where employees no longer report to you? This will help them and make your life better as well. You will no longer have to try and figure out why your team is not responding to you.

If you do sincerely care about your team members then make them a priority over everything else. You checking off tasks, meeting deadlines, responding to an email will not ensure your success or the success of your organization. Your people are the only ones that can make you, your department, or organization a success—so treat them as your number one priority!