by Jonathan Jones
It is common for people to let their jobs define them. They associate their self-worth not only with their profession but also with the company they work for and the role they have. The culture of your company has a huge impact on the emotions of the employees, and the leaders in an organization have responsibility for the emotions of the people they lead. So be aware of the emotions created by your culture.
Both negativity and positivity spread in the workplace. The leader must set the tone. To achieve a goal together, give employees something to celebrate. Ideally, the leader must have high expectations for performance and attitude. You get what you expect, and you get what you accept. If you accept poor performance and poor attitudes, chances are you will get them. And when you do, the emotion of the culture becomes draining. Negative emotions reduce productivity and teamwork.
Customers can feel the attitude of your employees. They may be sympathetic to employees who complain, but in the end they would rather work with companies with a positive vibe. Your vibe becomes your reputation in your industry. The poorer the attitude, the weaker your customer satisfaction and customer loyalty.
How people feel about themselves when they go home from work has an impact on how they treat their families. If they do not have a sense of accomplishment or feel successful, chances are they will not be able to share a sense of pride with their families. This leads to reduced employee loyalty.
To develop the culture you desire, your managers must be trained to develop happy employees and inspire performance. You must be aware of the emotion in your culture. Be prepared to take action to create the culture you expect and accept.
Jonathan Jones (Jonathan.jones@vistagechair.com or 314-608-0783) is a CEO peer group chair/coach for Vistage International.
Submitted 6 years 340 days ago