Beyond Liability: Get Employees In S.H.A.P.E.
What are you providing employees in exchange for their time and service? The answer many managers and supervisors probably would give is “a regular paycheck; insurance.” Unfortunately, most employees probably would give the same answer. Managers who want more from employees should consider what more they are doing (or should be doing) for employees, every day.
Managers and supervisors should view their roles as providing value to employees above and beyond monetary compensation. In many ways, a supervisor is a coach whose function is to get employees in optimal SHAPE to benefit the company and themselves. A good supervisor builds the following in each employee:
Skills: job skills are a true source of economic value and personal pride
Habits: good working habits allow employees to succeed in their current roles and beyond
Attributes: a healthy culture can help each employee develop valuable character traits
Purpose: a strong sense of mission is the foundation of accomplishment
Energy: constructive motivation provides intangible benefits on and off the job
With the right mindset, any supervisor can significantly improve employee engagement without necessarily increasing costs for the company. There are many ways to accomplish this, but it should start with a mindset of mutual exchange: “Ask not (only) what your employees can do for you, ask what you can do for your employees.