Page 207 - Build a Culture of Employee Engagement with the Principles

178 Carrots and Sticks Don’t Work

with you; it is presumptuous and inconsiderate. Instead, say,
“I wanted to talk with you about X for Y minutes. Is this a
good time, or should we schedule another time?”
14. Flexible schedule. Look for ways to provide flex-
ibility in your employees’ work schedule, including working
from home. Other than those employees whose jobs require
their physical presence, for example, receptionists, security
guards, manual laborers, and sales clerks, employees should
be able to schedule at least 20 percent of their work on their
time. The more flextime employers offer their employees, the
more respected they will feel.
15. Communicate. Especially in times of stress, overcom-
municate. Don’t let employees hear news from others if you
can share it with them first. Direct, honest communication
is the only antidote for gossip, and nothing kills productivity
like gossip.
16. Sincere greeting. I find it terribly insincere when some-
one says, “How are you doing?” or “How was your weekend?”
Make it a habit each Friday to ask employees what they are
doing over the weekend. If you don’t trust your memory, write
down the responses. At some point before the afternoon on
Monday, ask employees how that part of their weekend went.
You will be amazed by how much people appreciate such a
personal touch.
17. In the news. Cut out a newspaper or magazine article on
a subject of personal interest to one of your employees and
leave it on his or her desk with a yellow sticky, “Thought you
might find this interesting.”
18. “Some game!” Even if you are not a sports fan, watch
highlights of the local sports teams so you know who won
and lost and can engage in casual conversation with the
sports fans in your office.