This article throws light upon the top ten ways that will help you to improve the quality of work life. The ways are: 1. Reward and Recognition 2. Growth Opportunities 3. Respect and Boosting Self Esteem 4. Vision and Get Supported 5. Mutual Commitment 6. Good Working Environment 7. Empowerment 8. Hiring the Right People 9. Work/Life Balance 10. Out of the Way Help.
Way # 1. Reward and Recognition:
There should be a reward and recognition system that includes both material as well as psychological rewards. Reward begets commitment and the bottom-line for any employee to work is to earn proper reward and recognition. This is the main reason why everyone works and once this is given to an employee, he will be motivated to invest more time and energy in his job.
Way # 2. Growth Opportunities:
Another powerful measure which can cause commitment among employees is growth opportunities provided by the company. Growth and development is an inborn need of human beings and everyone desires to achieve growth. There are many ways which a company can adopt to help its employees grow.
Providing opportunities for greater responsibility, promotion, value-added jobs, meaningful and worthwhile job, and learning culture enable employees to grow and develop. Once they recognize that growth of the company will result in their growth, they will put in committed efforts.
Way # 3. Respect and Boosting Self Esteem:
Whatever the status, people equally need respect. A good manager respects people at all levels. In turn, they will always try to prove him right by doing whatever is necessary. In 1989, a pacemaker manufacturing company had initiated a major organisational improvement programme involving quality teams.
In one of the meetings while talking to the factory workers who were involved as teams, the general manager addressed them and said “We are very lucky to have you in this factory paying only for your two hands, and using, your brains for free. You are very capable people because each one of you has this excellent asset. We would highly appreciate if from today onwards in addition to your hands you also used this greatest asset for bringing new ideas and suggestions on how we could improve our performance”.
The workers felt great and respected. As a result, they committed with their hearts and souls and made the project a total success. The company achieved enormous results. Thus, when people are respected, they do their best to attain success for any project or company plan.
Way # 4. Vision and Get Supported:
Commitment cannot be achieved if people do not know “Commitment towards what”. Organisations and its leaders must provide a compelling vision of the future to the employees. People will act if they can visualize what they are supposed to achieve. An effective leader will motivate people by giving them a vision of what they can become and how they can transform their organisations. People are vision directed.
As such, every organisation must provide clear vision to its people. Additionally, employees must be helped to align their actions towards achievement of the vision. A good vision should be challenging, meaning something worth the extra effort and sacrifice. Challenging the employees to create new standards of excellence produces powerful and positive results.
Vision is a group effort and it must be communicated, shared and supported by everyone in the company. A good manager will make the company vision compatible with the employees’ individual visions and dreams in life. It can be done by showing employees how achievement of the organisation will contribute to their lives in the form of good salaries, better working conditions, career advancement or share holdings. People will give their best if they are clear about rewards as ‘people work for their reasons, not ours.’
Way # 5. Mutual Commitment:
In order to get support from employees, employers should initiate it in terms of leadership by example or self-commitment. They should provide proper tools and equipment; adequate training and other inputs needed by the people for successfully performing their jobs.
Way # 6. Good Working Environment:
Today, most of the working people spend their major portion of time at work. One major factor which employees would highly appreciate is the congenial working environment, where they are happy to work with others. Teamwork, cooperation, friendship with colleagues and bosses and mutual respect are the signs of a good working environment which attract employees and retain them to stay longer with a company.
In contrast, too much politicking, back biting and other negative practices discourage people to work with a company unless they have no other place to work in. As such, good working environment binds employees amongst themselves and with the organization.
Way # 7. Empowerment:
Empowerment means giving people the power, authority, freedom and responsibility to carry out their jobs. This give them a sense of control over their work and makes them feel worthy of doing things on their own. Empowerment leads to greater job satisfaction and sense of control, which can result in better commitment and loyalty.
Empowerment is an important motivational tool that makes employees independent by giving them the means, ability and authority to do the work.
It helps employees:
a. Achieve mastery over their job.
b. Have control over their work.
c. Perform successful roles in the organisation
d. Reduce stress at work through social recognition and assistance at work.
Empowerment at work is no more an option. It is a necessity.
An employee feels empowered when he feels:
i. His task will make some difference in the organisational work (Impact).
ii. He has the ability, skills and knowledge to perform the task (competence).
iii. He feels that the task he is performing is worth while and not mere work (meaningfulness).
iv. He has autonomy to take decisions and make choices at his own will (choice).
Way # 8. Hiring the Right People:
One of the worst mistakes companies can make is hiring wrong people with negative attitudes, low job competence, who do not meet the requirements of the jobs they are hired for. To sustain a good pool of committed employees, companies need to hire right people with desired skills and capabilities.
Way # 9. Work/Life Balance:
Helping employees to achieve balance between the work and personal lives encourages people to stay with the organisation. Many studies have revealed that work life balance is one of the main concerns of employees. Organisations which enable employees to balance work and family responsibilities have positive impact on employees’ decision to stay with them.
Way # 10. Out of the Way Help:
One of the highly appreciated things especially in eastern culture is out of the way help people receive from their employers and managers. Depending on situations, things like visiting employees when they are sick, attending their relatives’ weddings or support through depression are some of the out of the way things which managers can do for their employees. These gestures are normally reciprocated by employees in the form of commitment to their employers.