Four words – invest in your people.
Your people are the most valuable asset of your company. Not only do they do the work that clients pay for, but they can also be the most effective brand evangelists you can have next to loyal and happy customers. And by the way, they can also lead to more of those.
It’s not a myth – the happier your people are, the better they will perform. And happiness comes in many forms.
Being appreciated is a vital component to keeping employees happy, and appreciation can (and should) take many forms.
- Money – pay them what your competitor would pay them to take them from you
- Respect – encourage their ideas and be open minded enough to try some of them
- Be second – to their family; letting them put family first is not only healthy, but endearing
- Invest in them – with training; give them the opportunity to learn, to grow and to continuously produce better results
One of the best ways you can show your employees that they matter, is to invest in training for them. Of course, when most people think of training they shrink from the idea of poorly produced videos or “trainers” that are slightly better than… blah. When it comes to choosing a trainer, don’t skimp. The quality of the training experience greatly determines both retention and implementation of the material.
When you empower your people with the skills and knowledge they need to be more successful, and reward their efforts and growth, they become invested in the causex. And human nature can attest, we will always fight harder for MY cause, than someone else’s.
