Maybe.
We hear a lot about happiness in the workplace and how happy employees lead to happy customers. Well not so fast. Before you start on an initiative to make employees happy in the workplace, let’s think for a moment about what we mean by a happy employee.
What makes an employee happy? Here’s some common things we hear:
- My compensation is good (and usually desired/expected greater than what it is)
- Flexibility in schedule – I can come in when I want and leave when I want
- My boss doesn’t micromanage me
- I have time for personal calls, email and social media use
- I can do whatever I want to make the customer happy
- I can reach my highest personal potential (yes, it is usually that vague)
Our point here is that happiness is a difficult thing to gauge in employees. Happiness can be an elusive concept.
Tony Hsieh, Zappos CEO, wrote a best selling book: Delivering Happiness, A Path to Profits, Passion and Purpose. And there’s little doubt that Zappos is a great business with loyal and happy employees and customers.
In 2001 Michael Hammer and James Champy wrote a best seller: Reengineering the Corporation: A Manifesto for Business Revolution. They provided examples of how reengineering dramatically improved performance. What happened after that?: poor results from reengineering projects and the rise of a new term for reducing the workforce – reengineering.
Our point is that too often a success in one business (using an interesting and often intriguing idea) does not necessarily transfer into a success in other businesses. And sometimes its intent is grossly misunderstood and therefore poorly and unsuitable applied.
Our focus and our challenge to you is to look deeply at your business. Assess the satisfaction level of your employees. Understand what you, as the employer, need to do to make a more satisfied workforce. And a basic though excellent way to start is simply to ask them (verses assume or apply general ideas from other businesses). When was the last time you sincerely asked your employees how they are doing? What’s working for them; what’s not? What else they need to perform their function and ideas for improvement for them and ultimately, the customers?
Do we believe that satisfied employees lead to satisfied customers? We do. We just stop short of using the elusive term – happy.
For more information on business growth, see our blogs, free articles, white papers and videos at: www.kubicalaforestconsulting.com
Copyright 2011 Kubica LaForest Consulting
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