What's the secret to keeping my employees happy?
I had something in my life that was truly incredible. I got extreme enjoyment from it at times, and at other times it was the most antagonizing thing I had ever known. The benefits from this thing are far greater than any of its' flaws, but like most fine things, it retired.
I learned patience from it and through this I acquired a sense of calm. It is a nice feeling. I learned that I cannot control other people, and that I cannot be controlled. All within reason of course as we all can be anything if we allow it. I learned that we teach people how to treat us by showing them our boundaries (or lack thereof). I learned the joy of laughter and the cleansing of tears. I learned that there is not a great difference between respecting and being respected. One is just as important as the other. I learned that the golden rule is wrong. If I treat people the way I want to be treated, then I am not listening to them. They are different than me and want to be treated differently than I do. I am ready to listen and more importantly, I want to listen.
I believe that listening is vital. Listen to your parents, listen to your friends. Hear what they are saying. Listen to your boss and co workers...to your employees. Know that when people are speaking, it is for a reason. I think that it is a key element if you are going to be managing anything (let it be a family or a business) to have good human relation skills.
I used to work for McDonalds and what an incredible "people" company that is. They used to promote, "People, people, people!". They believed that if you keep your employees happy, then you will have happy customers. They might be on to something - after all, McDonalds is one of the top multi-national businesses in the world.
Good human relations are not just for the workplace. Practice them when you stop at Starbucks for your morning coffee, just by smiling and thanking the barista. Practice them with your spouse and appreciate the efforts of one another. Acknowledge where each other is coming from. It takes some thinking, but exercise the sponge that is your brain. Think about the people you encounter then take a moment, breathe and realize the majority of conflict is derived from impatience and the inability to listen.
I learned patience from it and through this I acquired a sense of calm. It is a nice feeling. I learned that I cannot control other people, and that I cannot be controlled. All within reason of course as we all can be anything if we allow it. I learned that we teach people how to treat us by showing them our boundaries (or lack thereof). I learned the joy of laughter and the cleansing of tears. I learned that there is not a great difference between respecting and being respected. One is just as important as the other. I learned that the golden rule is wrong. If I treat people the way I want to be treated, then I am not listening to them. They are different than me and want to be treated differently than I do. I am ready to listen and more importantly, I want to listen.
I believe that listening is vital. Listen to your parents, listen to your friends. Hear what they are saying. Listen to your boss and co workers...to your employees. Know that when people are speaking, it is for a reason. I think that it is a key element if you are going to be managing anything (let it be a family or a business) to have good human relation skills.
I used to work for McDonalds and what an incredible "people" company that is. They used to promote, "People, people, people!". They believed that if you keep your employees happy, then you will have happy customers. They might be on to something - after all, McDonalds is one of the top multi-national businesses in the world.
Good human relations are not just for the workplace. Practice them when you stop at Starbucks for your morning coffee, just by smiling and thanking the barista. Practice them with your spouse and appreciate the efforts of one another. Acknowledge where each other is coming from. It takes some thinking, but exercise the sponge that is your brain. Think about the people you encounter then take a moment, breathe and realize the majority of conflict is derived from impatience and the inability to listen.
