A dozen employees of a Chinese cosmetics company were ordered to “belly-crawl,” around a 23-acre lagoon during a national holiday last week because they failed to meet their sales goals, The DailyMail.com reports. At least one employee was seen crying by the side of the road during the ordeal, which was photographed by curious passersby.
We can probably all agree that’s an extreme and obvious DON’T when it comes to employee motivation, right?
What are some other, less extreme DON’TS?
- Micromanaging. (It leads to a feeling of uselessness.)
- Focusing on mistakes. If something goes wrong, consider what to do next.
- Dismissing ideas. Let your employees have a voice in making decisions.
- Not keeping your word or making empty promises.
- Holding useless meetings.
And 3 important DO’S:
Take a genuine interest in your employee’s career path by mentoring, coaching and training. Continuing education says to employees: “I value you and want to invest in you.”
Consider your staff’s work-life balance. The staff at Kelly Mitchell Fine Jewelry in suburban Dallas all have children at home. But flexibility makes it work. “We talk a lot about how we will back up someone,” Mitchell explains. “I try not to have such a strict ruling that someone has to do something hour-wise. You try to run your business on a real-life basis.”
Offer positive feedback. Brian McCall of Midwest Jewelers and Estate Buyers in Zionsville, IN, says nothing is more effective than looking someone in the eye and telling them what a great job they are doing and how important they are.