Four key strategies on getting your employees to care

1. Make every employees job the most important.

All employers must help their employees see how important their position is within the company, most businesses miss this important factor. Some may think that the high flying sales reps are the most important within an organisation however this is not necessarily true, even the people who develop and make the products and keep the company running smoothly behind the scenes are just as important.

Take a vending machine company for example although sales reps are driving the business forward getting their vending machines into the big companies like football grounds and large office buildings it is the operators whose job it is to fill the vending machine up every day to hold on to that business by providing a smooth, professional service to their clients. They are not just the people who fill up vending machines they are the heart of the company just like everyone else.

All great leaders help every employee see the importance of their role in the larger mission of their organization.

2. Remind yourself daily of your mission

While wrapped up in the hustle and bustle in a work place one can usually forget why they are there and what is there mission.

For example a maternity nurse is there to deliver babies, a sales person is there to sell, a police officer is there to ensure rules don’t get broken.

A simple reminder to put in play could help you and workers realise why they are there, whether it is a lullaby that plays when a child is born, or notification to the whole company when a deal is closed.

3. Flatten the Playing Field

As the expression states “flatten the playing field” or in other words eliminate authority titles, let everyone be their own bosses, lay down the rules but let the workforce work how they work best. Y eliminating authority titles that are only important to power hungry individuals you will gain respect from your employees and trust as doing this shows you trust them to work their best how they want to work, in an environment that’s fun and exciting and at the same time motivated. The other reason to do this is because with no bosses controlling how work gets done people adapt to their situations and take it on board to be self-sufficient and competitive with themselves always trying to outdo themselves, this give employees a sense of ownership of the company and they want to work hard to make a difference.

4. Make it ok to experiment and fail

It’s ok to fail as long as you learn from your mistakes. Not everyone has this attitude and working in a environment where people are afraid to make mistakes is not healthy, it becomes stressful, and also doesn’t give the opportunity to experiment and learn, new, innovative, better ways in doing things To make employees take ownership they need to be able to experiment on the odd occasion, and if they fail they will learn, if they don’t everyone benefits. Not being afraid to fail is the journey to success.

This does not apply to those working in an environment whereby failing would cause injury or cost a life.

This article was contributed by Michael Adams of Employment Law Answered. Michael has been working in employment law for many years and also consults on employee training, customer service and more. For further information please visit his website.