HOW TO BOOST EMPLOYEE HAPPINESS WITHOUT
SPENDING ANY MONEY
by: Bhavin Parikh
from: Fast Company
You know the saying "Money can’t buy
happiness." You get it. But startup founders and CEOs still don’t seem to
understand.
When CEOs find out that their employees are
unhappy, they throw money at the problem: They buy better furniture and give
away fat bonuses. These tactics may help in the short term, like a caffeine
boost, but they don’t solve the underlying problem.
You don’t need sleek new computers and
hundreds of swagged-out items to make your employees happy. In fact, when I
started my company, all we had were some cheap Ikea desks, and I had to ask
everyone to bring their own computers. But even back then, I had everything I
needed to keep my team happy. And we’re still going strong today.
Here are six things you can give your own
team (for free) to achieve genuine happiness in your office.
THE
FREEDOM TO SET (AND ACHIEVE) THEIR OWN GOALS
Don’t you love the feeling of ownership? That
moment when you can point to something, swelling with pride, and say, "I
did that"? So do your employees. Give them ownership over projects—from
inception all the way to completion.
Set clear company goals, both small quarterly
ones and large three-year plans. Tell your team what needs to be accomplished
and when. Here’s the kicker: Let them figure out how to get there. Don’t
nitpick; don’t hover. Remember, you decided this person was a good fit for your
team and mission. Set a destination and trust her to find the path.
CLARITY AND PURPOSE
People deliver better results when they have
a clear idea of what’s expected of them. They’re happier when they feel their
work is part of a greater picture.
A Gallup poll found that only half of people are clear
about what’s expected of them at work. Only half! If that’s the case in your
office, fix it now. Jim Harter, Gallup’s
chief scientist of workplace management, said that "it comes down to
showing people how their work and contributions impact the success of the
entire firm. Disengagement starts with having a confusing job."
To avoid that confusion and subsequent
disengagement, have a definitive mission. Ours is that everyone should have
access to convenient, effective, and enjoyable ways to learn. My team knows
this by heart, and I often remind them of their role within that mission.
OPPORTUNITIES
TO TACKLE NEW CHALLENGES AND GROW
It’s on management to help employees identify
and take on projects that will help them grow. Challenge your employees to work
outside their comfort zones—even outside their job descriptions. For example,
our graphic designer Mark recently played an integral role in selecting a
design and development agency for our site redesign. It’s a job he never
thought he’d have, but it helped him grow within the company and his own role.
Autonomy is great. But if you’re owning the
same projects over and over again, you get bored. Boredom is just another path
to disengagement and unhappiness.
MENTORSHIP
AND SUPPORT
Take a moment to accept the fact that you’re
not perfect and neither are your employees. Everyone is going to make mistakes
and that’s okay. That’s why a feeling of support is crucial for employee
happiness. CEOs and managers should not only help set goals, but should also
listen to employees, offer advice, lend a hand, and act as coaches to help them
finish each project.
A PLACE TO
SHARE IDEAS AND EVEN COMPLAIN
No, really. Set up in-office platforms where
your team can suggest ideas and share their thoughts (all of them). At Magoosh,
we use Asana to keep track of current projects. There, anyone is welcome,
regardless of level or department, to suggest new projects and join in on
conversations happening all over the office.
We also use TINYpulse, an anonymous feedback
app, to collect a weekly happiness pulse. If someone is unhappy, he or she can
speak up about it without being identified. It’s then on the leadership to
address it. Don’t make your employees talk into the wind. Make real changes
based on feedback.
A TEAM
THEY CAN RELY ON
Hire carefully. Fill your team with people
you can trust not only to carry your vision forward, but also to work well with
others.
You want your employees to feel confident
that they could trust their own projects with any member of the team. In
building your company, remember you’re also deciding whom your team members
collaborate with, so make wise choices. Your team will be happier for it.
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