The cost of being boss – Management’s first goal should be creation of a superior work force

American business has seen major changes in recent years – from the Internet bubble burst to corporate scandals to war. As a result, many businesses have simply tried to survive in these rapidly changing times. Thriving, for most, was out of the question.

By Len Martinez

http://www.insidedenver.com/drmn/business_columnists/article/0,1299,DRMN_82_3240932,00.html

One of the most talked- about changes of the last decade was the loss of loyalty between companies and employees – the responsibility for which fell on both sides.

Now, as a fragile economic stability appears to be re- emerging, many businesses want to re-create a bond with their employees, and for good reason. They’ve learned that retaining talented employees results in higher productivity, greater efficiency, more innovation and lower operating costs – particularly in recruiting, training and indoctrination.

Whether a company is transforming an existing work force, in the midst of a downsizing or simply needs to reinvigorate employees – all of which our team faced when we were charged with decommissioning Rocky Flats – management can and should strive to create a superior work force, one that stays through the good and not so good times:

• Create a cohesive culture. Maintaining a cohesive workplace culture with buy-in into a shared vision and mission is paramount. Foster an "ownership stake" in the mission by discussing it with employees, not handing the mission down from on high. Then consistently communicate and demonstrate the vision, expectations and performance measures.

• Set achievable "small-picture" goals. Today’s successes, if they’re the right ones, lead to tomorrow’s and next week’s and next month’s, until eventually, big-picture goals are met.

The role of management is to get "stuff" out of the way and create paths to early and continued success. This helps keep employees engaged and excited and contributes to cohesiveness.

• Provide avenues for personal and professional growth. Because times are still tight, it’s easy to look at professional development, training and education programs for employees as frills rather than necessities. They’re just the opposite.

Providing these opportunities can be a significant investment for an employer that will yield a tenfold return via a more educated, motivated, productive and efficient, highly skilled work force. Achievement of personal and professional goals, after all, dovetails with accomplishment in the workplace.

Employees recognize when the company cares, not just about what it can get from them today, but about their futures as well. Knowing someone is looking out for them helps keep them focused and less worried about their futures – both of which play favorably into the cycle of productivity.

• Make it easy to stay and hard to leave. If you want employees to stick with you through the ups and downs, create an environment that makes them want to hang in there with you and do a good job. But how do you do that?

Though money isn’t everything, it is a motivator and, as such, the more a company needs key workers to stay, the more important it is to budget for monetary incentives. More than that though, instill that sense of ownership and pride in achieving overarching goals with a personal touch. Take time to pat someone on the back and say "great job." Arrange small celebrations as symbolic "thank yous" for a team that goes above and beyond. And, who hasn’t secretly gotten a boost by being called out in front of co-workers for a job well done? Then tie those personal comments and recognition to big-picture goals. The more employees see their part in meeting overall company goals, the more ownership they feel and the more investment they’re willing to make.

Those simple gestures can be key to whether employees stay – or go down the street where the money is almost as good and they hear people are treated better.

• Model loyalty. Gone are the days when companies had "lifers" who came in as inexperienced twentysomethings and stayed through retirement. In today’s world, that kind of loyalty is almost unheard of. But, what if we could recapture even just some of it?

Employees are skeptical, often doing their job as they wait for higher-ups to drop the next bomb. Whether the threat is real or perceived, the onus is on management to bring loyalty and trust back into the workplace.

The simplest place to start is treating employees as you’d have them treat the company – with respect. Make openness, honesty and two-way dialogue part of your core values – and walk the talk. Engage employees in discussion. If any concern is raised, go out and do something about it ASAP.

Along with this, it’s critical for senior management to become and remain visible and available to the work force. Break down the barriers of the "us/them" culture by getting to know your employees personally and getting to know what daily life and work are like for them.

Workers need to believe that management genuinely cares. Don’t just pay them lip service. Back up your words with genuine action. Then watch what happens.

• Help employees transition, should a project or business come to an end. We all wish the good work could go on forever. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work out that way. One of the toughest things about being in management is making it through "the end."

A rarely seen, yet highly effective way to get through, is to help employees prepare for life after their current position. Whether it’s a downsizing or the end of a project or whole company, employees are often struck with fear of the unknown. In these instances, current employers can help prepare their work force for life’s next chapter, rather than simply showing their people the door.

Many times employers know in advance that a transition is on the horizon. If that’s the case, create predictability and downsize with compassion. Give employees as much notice as possible and then show them what else is out there. Offer career counseling, connect them with businesses that could use their skills and help them get in the door. Give them keys to control their future and ownership of the outcomes.

Simply doing so can help them be productive personally – and professionally – throughout their transition. In all likelihood each and every one of them will leave saying, "the company did everything it could to help me find and successfully transition into my next opportunity." After all, you never know when you might run into that person again.

As employers, it’s a privilege to have good people working for and with us. And, it’s our responsibility to ensure that each one is given every opportunity not just to survive, but to thrive in the workplace today and into the future. That’s the essence of work force development.

Len Martinez is vice president, director of administration and CFO for Kaiser-Hill. Among his responsibilities for financial and human resources, he is overseeing the Rocky Flats Workforce Transition Program.