Key Messages
How Caring For Your Employees Can Make Your Business A Huge Success
When it comes to running a successful business, it’s not just about having an idea and working hard; you also have to show your employees that you care.
That means not just providing lip service but actually doing something for them.
With Everybody Matters by Bob Chapman, you’ll learn how one businessman was able to transform and strengthen his company by looking out for the well-being of his employees.
He achieved success by giving them the freedom to innovate and the room to be happy.
If you want your own business to soar, start caring about your employees in real ways and not just with empty promises.
Show them that you’re responsible, give them freedom within reason, and recognize their hard work when they make achievements instead of taking credit for it yourself.
Doing these things will result in positive changes throughout the company culture and will create a joyful atmosphere where everyone can contribute positively to the company’s growth.
Good Leadership Is Key To Achieving Lasting Business Success By Fostering A Healthy Work Environment For Employees
If you want your business to be successful, it’s important to remember to put the needs and well-being of your employees first.
Instead of just looking at profits and product sales, it’s important to create an environment that is conducive to happy and productive employees.
Strong leadership is key in this regard.
Rather than thinking only of managers, think of yourself more as a steward who puts the best interests of those around you ahead of everything else.
Take the time each week to talk with your employees face-to-face and let them know that their hard work is appreciated – this goes a long way towards making them feel secure and valued at work.
This can even benefit their health!
Studies have shown that those who love their jobs require 62% less healthcare than those who hate it.
Employers should check in on their employees regularly with simple questions, like “Do they feel secure? Do they feel fulfilled?”, as these provide very real insights into how happy and healthy their workers are in the workplace.
Crafting An Employee-Centric Company Charter Is Essential To Building Trust
The importance of creating an effective company charter cannot be understated.
It acts as a motivational mission statement for the values and goals of the company, and it can also help to foster trust between employees and management.
This was certainly the case for Bob Chapman, CEO of the manufacturing equipment supplier Barry-Wehmiller.
Chapman recognized that there might be a lack of trust between employees and management so he set out to create an impactful charter that would address these concerns.
He asked everyone for input, actively seeking their opinions in order to understand their concerns better.
He then prominently advocated creating an environment of trust at the top of the charter – but he didn’t just stop there.
He also backed up his words with action by quickly dismantling any company practices that could be viewed as management not trusting employees – such as set break periods and time clocks.
His dedication to listening to employee feedback showed them that he truly cared about their needs, which resulted in a stronger bond of trust between them and management.
This demonstrates just how powerful a company charter crafted with input from employees can be in creating trust in management.
The Power Of Responsible Freedom: How Allowing Employees The Opportunity To Thrive Can Lead To A Vibrant Work Environment
At Barry-Wehmiller, the key to success lies in creating an environment of responsible freedom.
This means that leaders trust their employees and allow them to use their own judgment while they pursue goals and complete tasks.
For example, when it came time for a team of employees to choose a new laser-cutter machine – the biggest purchase in the history of this department – they were trusted with the task.
Not only did they embrace it, but also worked tirelessly on research and overseen installation of the machine!
When a representative visited to teach them about it, he was left surprised as they knew more than him.
This kind of approach doesn’t just cultivate creativity and innovation, but also helps build a sense of trust between higher-ups and lower-downs.
Company staff are inspired to reach their potential as looming orders from above are replaced by employees being allowed to make decisions for themselves.
Visioning: A Pathway To Company Growth And Employee Happiness
If you want your employees to be motivated, happy, and feel a sense of purpose in the workplace, it’s important to have a strong cultural and business vision.
This will provide the necessary direction for your organization to head in that will benefit both you and your employees.
At Design Group, they focused on maintaining an inclusive work environment with their cultural visioning as their main priority.
This ensured that their employees would show up to work feeling inspired every day.
In addition to this, they implemented a powerful business vision in order to create momentum and direction for the company’s growth.
They set a goal of doubling the size of the organization within five years by focusing on where they wanted their business to go and how they wanted it to get there.
How Peer-Recognition Is The Key To A Successful Award Program At Barry-Wehmiller
Celebrating the achievements of your team is an essential part of uniting them.
It’s important that every successful business leader or manager understands this concept.
Recognizing good work isn’t just beneficial in terms of motivation, but it can also help build trust and bring people closer together.
At Barry-Wehmiller, they have come up with a unique solution to recognizing their employees’ efforts.
Rather than awards being handed out from the top-down, their program encourages employees to nominate their peers for recognition.
All nominees are given letters acknowledging their accomplishments – even if they don’t win a prize!
And the letters these employees write are so heartfelt that recipients have said they sometimes appreciate these more than any other award could give them.
Furthermore, rather than compensating with money, Barry-Wehmiller puts a focus on more meaningful incentives like CEO inviting an employee to drive his luxury convertible for a week as an award prize!
They also make sure to involve families in the celebrations – something that can lead to very special moments and long lasting memories on both sides.
It’s clear why this award system has been such a success at Barry-Wehmiller: when recognition is personalized and creative, it carries far more weight than any monetary reward ever could.
In order to bring your team closer together and increase motivation at work, regular ceremonies celebrating everyone’s accomplishments should be encouraged!
Wrap Up
The final message from Everybody Matters is that by taking the time to listen to your employees, show them you care for them as if they were family, and celebrating their achievements, you can transform not only your business but their lives as well.
This book is full of actionable advice on how to create such a culture in your business.
First, make sure you actively listen to your employees and give them 100 percent of your attention.
This important step will help foster an open atmosphere where everyone’s opinion will be heard and valued equally.
With this book, you’ve gained the information and power necessary to build a workplace culture that will empower employees and help them reach their full potential.
