Retail Observer

RETAILOBSERVER.COM APRIL 2018 40 O ver the years, I've spoken with a number of owners and managers about how they viewed their relationships with their staff members. All acknowledged that they needed a good team. Most expressed respect and a sense of responsibility for their employees. At the same time, many said they didn't want to be social workers or therapists for their staffers. They expected team members to come to work, do their jobs, get paid for their efforts and go home. They didn't think about how happy their employees were in their jobs. In fact though, employees who are highly satisfied with their jobs are more effective, efficient and productive. They provide better customer service and add to the bottom line. Happy team members are good for business yet few managers understand what factors add to job satisfaction. After surveying thousands of employees, Christine Porath, a George- town associate professor, and Tony Schwartz, CEO of The Energy Project, identified four characteristics that contribute to happiness at work. • Renewal: Employees who take a break every 90 minutes report a 30% higher level of focus than those who take no or just one break a day. They also report a nearly 50% greater capacity to think creatively and a 46% higher level of health and well-being. Twice a day the entire staff at Steele Furniture and Appliance in Butte, MT stop and have coffee together. Customers coming in get served promptly, but all the other sales associates, office staff, warehouse and delivery crew break together. Not only do employees get a breather, but the informal get-together gives managers opportunities to hear about what's happening on the floor, on the trucks and in the office. • Value: Employees who say they have more supportive supervisors are 1.3 times as likely to stay with the organization and are 67% more engaged. Turnover is expensive. New, untrained associates have lower conversion rates than seasoned ones. Mistakes in product delivery or accounting can be very costly. Few people ever actually have their "dream job" but we can ensure that our team members have meaningful work. They aren't just cogs in our wheels, they make our machines run. We need to show them how important and valued they are. • Focus: Only 20% of respondents said they were able to focus on just one task at a time while at work, but those who could were 50% more engaged. Similarly, only one-third of respondents said they were able to effectively prioritize their tasks, but those who did were 1.6 times better able to focus on one thing at a time. In our speedy high-tech world, we've come to believe that we can all proficiently multi-task. But study after study have proven the opposite to be true. For most of us, doing tasks one at a time is less stressful and more effective. It's easy to give your associates a list of six things they need to do. It's really helpful, though, to list those tasks in order of importance. Give them a realistic time table "If you only get the financial statements done today, that's ok. I want to take them to the bank in the morning." • Purpose: Workers who derive meaning and significance from their jobs were more than three times as likely to stay with their organizations. They also reported 1.7 times higher job satisfaction and were 1.4 times more engaged at work. Every "what" needs a "why." "We take inventory every month so that it's easy to spot shortages quickly. We can also find products that are in the warehouse but not on display. And we look at our scratch and dent merchandise frequently enough that it doesn't build up and crush our open to buy." Your company mission statement should be a good starting point to help your team members understand their purpose in working for you. One example read like this: MISSION AND PHILOSOPHY It is the Company's philosophy to offer our customers a wide selection of the innovative products within the product categories we market. We provide value to our consumers as well as technical expertise and support both at the time of purchase and after the sale. The Company provides opportunities for our employees to profit, acquire new skills and advance within the organization. Through its involvement in various activities, the Company returns to the community some of the profits gained there. Our history, compassion and integrity have been keys to our success. We will continue to maintain our credibility with our suppliers, our consumers and our employees. We will strive for corporate profitability to enable us to grow and expand. No one can really make others around them happy. You can, however, provide a supportive, nurturing environment in which your staff members feel valued, understand the purpose of their jobs, can do their best work, and are renewed, not burned out. Elly Valas is an author, speaker and retail consultant. She can be reached at elly@ellyvalas.com or 303-316-7568. Elly Valas Retail Views RO IT PAYS TO HAVE HAPPY TEAM MEMBERS

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