Good Morning Folks,
Someone once said, “each new day is a blank page in the
diary of your life. The secret of success is in turning that diary into the
best story you possibly can.” I believe the key to doing so is to keep company
only with people who uplift you, whose presence calls forth your best. That’s
the culture we are building at FSO.
I have a great day every day because I love the people I
work with and am in a sense a product of those I work with. And I am heartened
that people who work for FSO seem genuinely pleased with their job, and pleased
with the organization that supports them.
==> My Secret:
Define Your Values. Then Become Them.
==> We are family.
We treat our teammates like we would our own family-with
care, integrity and respect. We share
knowledge, ask for advice, recognize great efforts and lead by example every
day.
==> Be generous with praise.
Everyone wants it and it's one of the easiest things to
give. Praise
every improvement that you see your team members make. Once you're comfortable
delivering praise one-on-one to an employee, try praising them in front of
others.
==> Get rid of layers of managers.
Allowing people to work together as a team, on an equal
level with their co-workers, will often produce better projects faster. People
will come in early, stay late, and devote more of their energy to solving
problems.
==> Make your ideas theirs.
People hate being told what to do. Instead of telling people
what you want done; ask them in a way that will make them feel like they came
up with the idea. "I'd like you to do it this way" turns into
"Do you think it's a good idea if we do it this way?"
==> Never criticize or
correct.
No one, and I mean no one, wants to hear that they did
something wrong. If you're looking for a de-motivator, this is it. Try an
indirect approach to get people to improve, learn from their mistakes, and fix
them. Ask, "Was that the best way to approach the problem? Why not? Have
any ideas on what you could have done differently?" Then you're having a
conversation and talking through solutions, not pointing a finger.
==> Make everyone a leader.
Highlight your top performers' strengths and let them know
that because of their excellence, you want them to be the example for others.
You'll set the bar high and they'll be motivated to live up to their reputation
as a leader.
==> Take an employee to lunch once a week.
Surprise them. Don't make an announcement that you're
establishing a new policy. Literally walk up to one of your employees, and
invite them to lunch with you. It's an easy way to remind them that you notice
and appreciate their work.
==> Give recognition and small
rewards.
These two things come in many forms: Give a shout out to
someone in a company meeting for what she has accomplished. Run contests or
internal games and keep track of the results on a whiteboard that everyone can
see. Tangible awards that don't break the bank can work too. Try things like
dinner, trophies, spa services, and plaques.
==> Throw company parties.
Doing things as a group can go a long way. Have a company
picnic. Organize birthday parties. Hold a happy hour. Don't just wait until the
holidays to do a company activity; organize events throughout the year to
remind your staff that you're all in it together.
==> Share the rewards-and the
pain.
When your company does well, celebrate. This is the best
time to let everyone know that you're thankful for their hard work. Go out of
your way to show how far you will go when people help your company succeed. If
there are disappointments, share those too.
Caring about the human being helping people move along in
their life is easy for me because I love what I do and love the people I work
with. I believe that no mater how good you are, everyone has a chance to grow,
that no one person has all the right or perfect answers in changing tines.
It’s in these changing times that we all must change with
the times or get left behind. Many of our employees came to us from employers who
didn’t care about them, where they were just a number.
That doesn’t happen here. As other companies cut back on
recognition and rewards, we add programs. Because we know that or core business
is our employees themselves, that they have to become special, and we have to
help develop them into the diamonds they are capable of being.
It’s simply impossible to come to work here everyday and not
be excited about what you are doing.
I look forward to sharing more of the recipe for how we do
it, right here as I wish you a GREAT day!
Mitchell D. Weiner
Chief Happiness Officer
Learn more about what DIFFERENTIATES FSO here
