Companies cannot flourish on their business plans only; they need a sympathetic and dedicated workforce that operates like a family where top executives act like a parent.
The value of any company in the world, as well as in Pakistan, can be judged by the annual turnover of its employees. If a substantial percentage of workers leave the company, then there is something wrong in the management. Prudent executives do not manage their workforce; they inspire them to get the best out of them by making them happy; as happier employees make for improved collegiality as well as a more congenial workplace. Workers satisfaction is one of the main factors in the success of any organization. Making workers happy is an art which requires prudent approach. The top management has to ensure that all targets are achieved with efficiency and at low cost. The workers should be respected, pampered, appreciated, but not spoiled. There should be no special treatment but fair dealing with all.
Unfortunately, our businessmen and executives take their cue from the feudal culture we live in and many of them believe in bullying workers instead of motivating them. When success comes, they take the entire credit and the accompaning rewards. In case of failure, blame is passed down the line with junior staff being penalized and getting their marching orders. The worker turnover is very high. This, perhaps, is the main cause of lower workers’ productivity in Pakistan. We might have developed some good managers, but not good leaders. Managers just tell the workers what to do, but leaders allow them to do what they are capable of doing within the basic vision of their organization. Business or, for that matter, any leadership is successful if the targeted human resource receives inspiration from them.
Business executives should regard their workers compassionately, looking at the employee as a precious child; only then would they be able to make an impact on their performance. We must understand that parenting is actually all about leadership. Just as we expect parents to nurture and guide precious lives from birth to maturity; business leaders are expected to nurture the talent in people that join their organization, who are prepared to share their capabilities with their employers. A leader by his attitude and deeds inculcates the same trust among employees that they have in their parents. Leaders do not need to pamper their employees, but should apply strict discipline where they go wrong. But the trust of employees should be the same that they have in their parents, whose admonishment they tolerate, knowing well that it was for their own good.
Business leaders should not think of their employees as only accountants, receptionists, engineers or salesman, but someone else’s precious child that needs their stewardship. This individual would be working for the organization for about 40 hours a week and the way that individual is treated will determine the course of his personal life as well as the future of the organization. Timely payment of salaries increases the trust of the employees while irregular payment of workers’ dues creates doubts about the financing standing of the company.
It is the mindset that actually counts. A business leader might be nice to a receptionist as he walks into his office. But if he looks at her as somebody’s precious child it would radically change the way he views her. The vibes coming from the workforce determines the way the organization would go. Successful companies measure their success by the way they touch the lives of their employees. In case of crises, a complete trust in the leadership rallies the employees in the same way as family members rally in a family crisis.
During the recession in 2008-10, many companies reduced their costs by laying off 30-40 percent of their workers. This, in fact, is standard procedure through out the country. But the true leadership showed its humane angle. They expressed concern over the devastating impact on the lives of their workers. They consulted them and explained the intensity of the crisis and then asked how the workers’ families coped in hard times.
The workers readily agreed to share the pain. In some cases, all the employees, including the executives, agreed to cut salaries and perks by 30-40 percent. In others, the employees rotated unpaid leave of one month every quarter, that effectively meant a 33 percent cut. Most companies where the majority of workers were working for over a decade adjusted to the recession by cooperating with their top management. The main reason in this regard was that they trusted the top executives and knew that the day when the turnaround took place, they would be duly rewarded.
Such companies braved recession with the joint efforts of management and workers. These very companies are flourishing now as the businesses slowly recovered and the workers were slowly compensated for the sacrifice they made during the hard times. The fact that the workers made hectic efforts to keep the company going, helped in fast recovery and higher revenues. The companies that removed workers to reduce cost it found hard to operate at full capacities, after the crisis, as rehiring a competent work force was not an easy job. The workers had lost faith in their organization. We should not measure success on the basis of the wealth earned by some, while playing havoc with the lives of their workers. Such success is not long lasting. Success in a real sense is that which touches the lives of people.
Trust exhibited by workers of successful companies in their leaders is essential for a leader’s success. Trust comes through benevolence and competence. An incompetent leader is not capable of guiding a work force. This is the reason that incompetent bosses are not trusted by the workers. Incompetent leaders also tend to be abusive that alienates the workers. The dissatisfaction reduces the willingness of the workers to operate at their full potential. Efficient and people-friendly individuals are trusted as workers believe they care about them, and are likely to put their faith in demonstrably effective bosses, because it reinforces their trust in the company, which, in turn, reassures on the issue of job security.
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