Inspiring Tips for Business Leaders
Author: Irma Gonzalez

Author David Dibble tells us in his latest book, The New Agreements in the Workplace, to adopt a new agreement to love, grow and serve your people. To talk about love in the workplace is in many cases extreme and most would say it is just not accepted.

I first heard of the concept of loving your employees, back in the late 80’s in a very different situation. Our office had gathered for a staff meeting where performance awards would be given.

It was the first time I had attended one of these ‘award meetings’. To my surprise it seemed that in this firm performance awards were given only to those who had sacrificed their own time for the company. Those who had spent countless hours in the office without getting paid for the extra time. Honorable? Not sure…let’s hear more..

I was even more surprised as I heard the office manager speak, this was a man who was clearly someone disconnected from his family and who practically lived in the office. He praised one employee as someone who was the last one to leave the office every night and the one in charge of ‘turning of the lights’.

Each of the department managers took turns to praise their chosen employee, someone they had watched closely and made sure they had been giving the ‘company’ their own time. There was some mention of merit but not much, there didn’t seem to be a way to measure how effective the people really were and no explanation as to why were they spending so much time in the office.

As the meeting progressed and everyone seemed to be sitting on the edge not really knowing who would be called next. I figured this was the only way anyone in this organization would earn some extra money at the end of the year, that is getting an award.

Finally a manager who years later was abruptly fired after been found out to be an extremely abusive mean, got up and praised his only employee. At the end of his speech which was quite lengthy, he chocked when saying this employee was so good, he felt he even loved him!

That was something we had not heard from anybody else and have to say even I chuckled to hear him say that! A couple of years later, I was quite surprised to hear the real stories about the actual relationship of this manager with his employee.

As it turns out the manager was an extremely abusive man in his dealings with this employee. This employee had to work crazy hours redoing work, all on the employee’s own time, and all caused by the mis-management of his boss.

All these problems were kept secret until the day the employee exploded and threaten to quit. Fortunately the manager was fired, since bigger problems had already been discovered by upper management and the employee’s position was saved.

I always wondered why did this employee stayed quiet for so long? Did he really complain to anybody about the treatment he was receiving?

Or perhaps he was just following in a culture that rewarded those who stay late in the office, working over time without getting paid but appearing to work harder than the rest?

A good friend and colleague once told me, that she thought the people in this office were competing with each other to prove who worked harder. She stayed late in the office one evening and noticed that that it appeared the rest of the employees in her hallway were all trying so hard to be the last one to leave the office.

It seemed this behavior had turned into a competition to show the boss they were dedicated, hard working and committed. And the boss would reward them, because he behaved the same way, without regard to how effective they really were.

Why do we believe that when a person works late, long hours and does not get paid for those hours they are getting more done?

Why do we believe that when a person stays after hours they are being more effective? Why do we reward and turn into heroes those who are the last to leave the office and turn off the lights?

Actually, I would like to know why don’t we question their behavior and perhaps offer some counseling to find out what is really going on. A person who works late night after night will be affected emotionally in their personal life.

It has been shown time after time that a person who works excessive hours is not being more effective. They are actually much more prone to make mistakes and on their way to burning out.

And I am not talking about the occasional day when a deadline has to be met and we have to stay late to meet that deadline. (in which case I would question how come they did not start early enough to finish on time and without pressure..?).

What I am questioning is the pattern of work-holism that invades our workplaces today and specially workplaces that have schedules tied to deadlines.

If we do what David Dibble suggest in his book, to love, grow and serve your people, the first place to look at is how many extra hours are people really working and why.

When your employees have full and balanced lives they will be more productive, they will be more effective. Study after study has shown that satisfied employees will mean satisfied clients and higher profits for your business.

Employees who are overworked are not satisfied people!

My suggestion to you, is first stop rewarding your employees on the basis of who stays later in the office. Reward your people on the basis of who is producing and being more effective with their time.

Talk and coach your employees who continue to overwork and spend excessive time in the office to find out what really is going on and help them make changes that will be long lasting. A pretty good way to help your employees become top performers, be happier and be more effective, wouldn’t you say?






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Irma Gonzalez is a Business and Career Coach, writer, seminar leader and speaker. She inspires leaders to see the connection and presence in all beings. Reach her at Irma@IrmaGonzalez.com and www.IrmaGonzalez.com

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