Page 123 - Anne Bruce - Building A HIgh Morale Workplace (2002)

Hard-Core Morale Cases 103

Managers Who Get It

And then there are those managers who just seem to get it.

They figure out creative ways to bolster morale for every posi-
tion they supervise. They instill a sense of meaning and value
for each person at every level, not just the top dogs. These
managers appreciate that a job might seem less desirable to
one person but would interest another, who may want to take it

on and could be happy and satisfied doing it well. These same
managers realize that every worker defines his or her level of
success differently and they respect those differences. They
acknowledge that not everyone wants to be in a position of

greater responsibility. Some employees like what they’re doing,
no matter how tough the job or conditions, and they take great
pride in doing it to the best of their ability. But an awful lot
hinges on whether or not that person feels valued and appreci-
ated by management.

This chapter examines the significant differences a manager
can make in building better employee morale in the face of
what some may consider the least desirable of jobs or the
toughest of morale cases. This chapter answers the questions:

Who’s doing it right? How do effective managers compensate
for some of the more difficult workplace scenarios? And more
important, when it comes to creating a high morale workplace,
which organizations really get it?

Four Seasons Hotel Gets It!

While on a business trip in Austin, Texas, I stayed at the Four
Seasons Hotel. I walked into my room mid-morning to find the
room attendant (housekeeper) on her hands and knees scrub-

bing the bathroom floor. I apologized for catching her off guard
and let her know I was just popping in to grab a file. At that
moment, she not only turned around to face me, but she stood
up to greet me with a big smile. This was a first. How often does

a room attendant who’s in the middle of scrubbing the bath-
room floor stand to greet a guest and then smile warmly to
boot? The answer is practically never.