#employers #employees #ToxicWorkEnvironments #BullyEmployers #WorkingOurOfFear #ServantLeaders
Certain employers believe fear is the best motivator.
If you are afraid to come to work, or if you fear doing something in your job that would upset your boss(es), can you really work like that?
In the employer’s mind, they can dominate people who are afraid.
In non-employment parlance, that’s called bullying.
Employers would be better served, and get more from employees, if they created a work environment that was not only relatively free of fear and toxic behavior, but also inspiring and protective of employees.
Employers who believe their employees are their best and most valuable resources will protect those employees.
Certainly, with any job, there will be chores that an employee does not love to do.
But, those chores should be few and well distributed among employees.
Mostly, though, employees – even if they don’t necessarily look forward to coming to work – should feel they will be well treated at work.
They should feel that their contributions are not only valuable but cherished.
If they feel that way, they will give the employee all their efforts, perhaps even more than the employer is paying for.
In short, employers should serve their clients AND their employees.
How does a bully employer expect his or her employees to perform under duress?
How does such an employer expect employees to perform with chaos in the workplace?
How does such an employer expect employees to perform in a toxic work environment, in which they are harassed or taken advantage of?
Remember, employees are people. They are indeed valuable tools, but they are people first.
They expect to be treated with dignity and respect.
Remember, as an employer, you don’t know everything. You may know a lot, but you don’t know everything. Employees, more often than not, know things that you don’t.
As an employer, you are not the only one with valid ideas. Some of your employees will think of things that you did not.
So, as an employer, don’t be a bully. Instead, be a servant leader.
If you want people to work hard for you, you have to work hard for them.
You may not be able to give them everything they want, or even everything they need. But you have to show that you are giving them as much as you are able.
If you do, people will want to work for you.
If you don’t, you’ll continue to be chronically short of staff, and your company will not perform for your clients the way the clients expect.
Serve your employees, and they will serve you to a much greater degree.
Peter