Page 78 - Anne Bruce - Building A HIgh Morale Workplace (2002)

58 Building a High Morale Workplace

plaints, develop solutions,
Ben & Jerry’s
Social Mission and manage customer
The following is the social relationships—all great
part of the Ben & Jerry’s Statement of ways to establish closer
Mission: customer ties and get
To operate the Company in a way valuable feedback for the
that actively recognizes the central company, not to mention
role that business plays in the struc-
developing a more varied
ture of society by initiating innovative
ways to improve the quality of life of skill set.
a broad community—local, national, Give them freedom to care
and international. and to grow. Liberate your
employees from manage-

ment’s authority whenever possible. Redesign jobs to build in
greater independence and autonomy. Let common sense and
good judgment be the cornerstones of decision-making. When
employees take on personal responsibility, they become more
accountable and more interested in their jobs. But when they’re

stifled and micromanaged, their spirit for the job slowly dies.

Enrich the Environment with Creative Benefits

Another way to reshape or enrich the environment is to
enhance the benefits of working there. The days when benefits

packages included nothing more than a health plan and dental
coverage are—yawn—over. Managers are getting more and
more creative in providing their employees with perks uniquely
their own that contribute to an ever-changing, exciting, and high

morale work environment.

Perks That Reshape and Enrich World-Class Companies

Here are a few examples:

Goldman Sachs, New York—When employees work late into
the night, the Wall Street firm sends them home in a limo at
no cost.

Valassis Communications, Livonia, Michigan—The company
gives employees “wheels on loan” if their car is in the shop,