Page 61 - Anne Bruce - Building A HIgh Morale Workplace (2002)

Keeping the People Who Keep Your Business in Business 41

Create New Jobs
Levi Strauss veteran Thomas Kasten helped create a “Talent
Inventory” for the company that contained the name of every employ-
ee and his or her skills and interests.The database was then used,
when the time was right, to help managers create new jobs for their
employees based on those skills and interests.The advantages of keep-
ing the most valuable people outweighed the inconvenience and cost
of changing the organizational chart.

is to organize lots of after-work get-togethers and celebrations. By

getting to know your employees, you’ll be creating a climate of
trust and gaining insights into your people—and that can be very
valuable for any manager.

Mentor everyone. Forget the org charts. Let employees see how
things really work firsthand. New employees want to see people

in action, socializing, and interacting with each other in meet-
ings or during lunch. Establish a buddy system and give new
hires a sense of communi-
ty and belonging as soon Don’t Expect

as they enter the new envi- Every Player to Be
ronment. a Cheerleader
Buddy systems can Managers must be sensitive to the
diverse personalities of their employ-
also work well when help-
ees.Take time to get to know your
ing someone get quickly
people.Ask them how they’d like to
acclimated to a new task.
be treated and then respect their
The buddy can demon- wishes. Remember: not all your
strate how the job is done, employees are cheerleaders, nor do
answer questions, coach, they want to be.That doesn’t mean

and help the person to those people don’t have high morale
become more confident. and feel enthusiastic about their work.
It just means that they express their
Don’t just have fun—be happiness and motivation differently.
fun! All work and no
play…. Well, you get the picture. At Levi Strauss, managers are

encouraged to orchestrate employee outings, like attending San
Francisco Giants baseball games or taking tours of Napa wine
country. Fun in the workplace creates a culture of spontaneity