I was just wondering if you (everyone and anyone) can offer suggestions on how employers can better keep employees happy and thus productive. I have to tell you, though, that money is not always the issue. Years ago, when I was promoted to supervisor at the last job I worked before becoming disabled; I learned that there are many other things that keep people happy besides wages. It is these ideas and the why that I am looking for.

nuttyjoe wrote:That's commendable...

What, you forgot already?

I like to keep my mind active.

That's a good point, Winston. Challenge the employee! Another thing I practiced was what I liked to refer to as employee "empowerment". I always believed taking input from the employees actually doing the jobs that I supervised would always make me a better supervisor; even though I know there are thosein mid- to upper- level management positions whom have the attitude "Do this job because I say and don't ask questions". I've just never found this attitude to be productive. I think it demeans and degrades employees.

Clear paths for advancement.

Opportunities to perform tasks to completion - recognization of jobs well done.

Opportunities to trial advanced positions to help recognize if these are goals one would like to achieve.

Seeing the 'finished' product and observing customer satisfaction or complaints.

Now, all of these ideas are excellent. The first and second points, although seemingly mundane; are very important. I had the "luck" of overhearing once from a conversation from employees in a totally different department than mine back then one woman telling another, "I know the boss can't just hand out raises like Christmas candy- but you'd think he could at least say "thank you " for all the overtime we put in over the holidays to make sure everyone got their vacations in".
I especially like the idea concerning trial advanced positions. I only wish I had thought of that myself years ago- it would have been, and still is a great employee motivation tool.

There are some things that can be done which will lose an employee's interest and leave him dissatisfied with the company and/or employer. Issues that can lose motivation for your employees.


Practice what you preach. If you demand a lot of hours out of the day from your subordinates, and then put in only a fraction of that yourself, the employees are going to notice. If you make a promise, make sure to stick to it or have a pretty good reason why you can't.

Stay consistent. Be able to communicate and STICK TO work priorities.
I have seen some bosses jump from one "priority" to the next due to their lack of fore-sight and a poor management of what their boss wanted. At one time stating, "This is a priority #1 item. Ignore everything else." The next day approaching and asking why "something else" didn't get done.

Don't make an overt show of doing things "just for show". One captain while I was in the Navy refused to let sailors go until at least a certain time because he didn't want people seeing his men leave the boat "early". As if something was not getting done. If your priorities include sacrificing your employees' time for your gain, that's going to get noticed. Typically by both people below and above you...

If your priorities as a boss are primarily your paycheck and your hours, your employees are going to notice and it will be hard to persuade them to have different priorities.

Don't sell out your employees. If a project starts becoming late or more expensive with higher focus, pointing the finger at the person below will get back to the people below you. "The buck stops here" was a good slogan for a variety of reasons.

Another good point. Sometimes employers seem to forget that poor planning by management is a definite turn off to their employees.That leads to a respect issue- and people (no matter what occupation we may be talking about) do not perform well for people they don't respect.