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"Take time to stop and smell the roses along the way."
Last weekend, I took three days off from my business to play in an annual golf tournament on the course where I grew up and learned to play golf. Four of us (see the picture above) have played in tournaments together for many years and we have a great time. It is one of the few times we can get together each year and the camaraderie and fellowship has some great benefits.
I work ten to twelve hours a day, sometimes much longer, because I truly enjoy what I'm doing at my company, MDE Enterprises. Even so, it is important to find the time to "remove yourself" from the business and just get away for a few days.
We all need to "recharge" our bodies and minds at times to keep ourselves positioned for maximum performance. All work and no play will ultimately become a burden and when that happens we start losing interest, our focus isn't as good, and ultimately our productivity and results of our work are diminished.
It is vitally important for each of us to take some time to have fun in life if we are to be solid contributors over a long stretch of time. I must admit that it is easier for me to say this than to practice it at times. My office is in my home and unless I'm out on a consulting project or teaching one of my classes, I'm usually in the office developing new content or taking care of business.
Having my office in my home has many benefits (no commute, flexibility, etc), but it also has some drawbacks as well (the work is always right there). Unless I force the issue, you might find me in my office for days without ever leaving because I literally get so involved in what I'm doing. My wife jokes with me at times and suggests that she sees me less now than when I used to commute to an office every day. I'm fairly certain she is exaggerating, but I do tent to put in a lot of hours.
Enough about me, but I hope you are starting to pick up the essence of my message.
There are two things I always try to do when managing a staff of technology people:
1. Require people to take at least two weeks off every year and get them out of the office.
2. Create a "fun" atmosphere at work.
Getting people's productivity to a high level is dependent upon them enjoying their work to a certain extent and definitely in their being able to enjoy their work environment. Create an unhappy, miserable work environment and productivity is going to be low.
Creating an enjoyable work environment doesn't mean that you require less of your staff. It's about how you go about the work, showing appreciation for individual and team efforts, and staying focused on issues that make a real difference for your company. Winning organizations do certain things very well:
1. Succeed in their objectives.
2. Work as a team.
3. Maintain positive attitudes.
4. Deliver high levels of client service.
An unhappy staff does not stay focused nor will they give "above the call of duty" client service action. A staff that is not motivated and does not work as a team essentially does only what it takes to get by. That type of attitude is a cancer that eats away at your team's productivity and true potential.
In looking back at my 30-plus years of working in a technology environment, I can tell you that my fondest memories are when I was part of a winning team. Every one of those teams were focused and had fun together. Winning is contagious and helps promote teamwork and more successes.
The journey is just as important as reaching the destination. What I mean by this is that when you can create a fun environment where people enjoy what they are doing, the process of achieving the result makes it much more worthwhile. It also creates a self sustaining environment where you position your team for more successes.
As you get older, you begin looking closer at the "quality of life" you have. At some point, most of us will simply not work in an environment if we don't enjoy it. Life is simply too short to be miserable in our job, , , so we look elsewhere.
What can you do to create a "fun" environment?
1. Define your targets - Your employees need to know what the objectives are just as much as your clients need it.
2. Communicate with your staff - Your IT staff yearns to know what's going on, how they are doing, and they look to their manager to keep them informed. Take every opportunity to communicate regularly with your employees. I use several methods and recommend all of them for you to use:
A. Monthly staff meetings
B. Team meetings
C. Project meetings
D. Individual coaching sessions
E. Employee performance planning and review sessions
F. Walking around and "visiting" your employees in their area
Not only will these sessions motivate your staff and gain their loyalty, it gives you such a great opportunity to stay abreast of what's going on in the organization and with your employees.
3. Invest in your employees - Technical people want to learn more and develop their skills. This is the strongest motivator you have, even more so than salary. Most of our technical employees respond well when they know you are investing in developing their skills to help improve their capabilities.
4. Coach employees for better performance - Help your employees achieve more success by coaching them on what it takes to be more successful. Be positive and constructive, never criticizing.
5. Reward positive behavior - Rewarding the behavior that leads to success will cause other employees to follow that lead. We all want to succeed and when we see what gets rewarded, we will try to make it happen for ourselves.
6. Be a positive force - Employees watch our actions and attitudes. Maintaining a positive outlook even under difficult circumstances helps your team stay positive.
7. Appreciate your staff - Be genuine in your appreciation of your IT staff's efforts. They can sense whether you are sincere or not. Caring for people and their success is a strong element in creating loyalty. Loyal employees will go the extra mile for you and the team, but it's a two-way street. Give true appreciation and you will receive much better efforts.
8. Initiate "fun" activities - Do things to break up the day to day grind and routine. One of the fun things I always liked to do was to bring in boxes of ice cream sandwiches or popsicles and pass them out in the afternoon. Little things like this are inexpensive, easy to do, and show that you care about your employees, , , plus if you like ice cream like I do it really is fun.
9. Take your vacation and require employees to do the same - Getting away recharges you and helps you maintain a positive focus. It is important for everyone to have time away from the office and the pressures of the job.
10. Be your team's advocate - Telling others about the successes of your team and the progress the IT organization is making is vitally important. Employees appreciate a manager that promotes what they are doing and who works to see that others realize the hard work and effort that's being put forth.
11. Remind your team of their successes - It's very easy to forget the accomplishments and to focus on the problems. Positive things happen throughout the year. Track them and remind your employees of these successes. Remember, small successes lead to bigger successes. Positive reinforcement is one of the best ways to create the right kind of momentum.
Working in an IT organization can be tough work and stressful for all of us at times. Help reduce the stress of your organization by making the environment more fun for your employees. Productivity will increase and everyone will enjoy the work more. It will also help you retain your good employees and will create loyalty among your staff like you've never seen before.
Best of success, , , and have some fun along the way.
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