Inspired by years of experience of a mom, turned nurse, turned manager who has worn many hats, uniforms, stethoscopes and a superhero cape.
By: Jenny Haynes
May 19. 2023
1. Go to work
This may seem like a moot point. I get it. We work hard and we need time off. Many of us struggle with work/life balance and our family has already accepted our job owns half our life. We are always on the phone or picking up an extra shift because one of our employees decides to call out last minute.
I certainly am not saying that you should not take your much needed time off for that well deserved vacation that you have earned.
What I am saying is that employees are intently watching managers, aka “leaders” and will follow that standard. The leader has the responsibility of “leading” employees and that goes much further than setting policies and procedures. They are watching you daily like a stay-at-home mom watches a vintage soap opera and they probably are discussing you with each other just as much. If you are making it a habit of leaving early or not coming it at all, expect your employees to follow your lead.
Get to work and employees will be inspired to work.
2. Work Beside of Staff
Yep. If you want people to work, you gotta work too. I don’t mean work, as in working at your job. I mean work, as in doing their job. Employees want to see you work. Preferably, work and sweat doing the exact same job they are doing.
There is just something raw about a manager who is highly qualified and perhaps even highly educated, getting out in the field and working their behind off.
If you are a nurse manager, work the cart and change a soiled brief. This is not an option, and it must be done often enough that employees know you care enough to help and to sample the work they do- to gain an appreciation of the level of work they are performing for the company.
Work beside of them, and employees will be inspired to work.
3. Know Staff Names
If you have 10 employees, you should be able to recall each of their names within the first few days of their employment. If you have 150 employees, you should be able to recall all of their names within the first few days of their employment. If you have 200 employees…….I think you know what I am going to say here. The point is this: you need to form a relationship with who works for you, and that relationship begins with being able to remember their name. I have ways to remember peoples names, but even if I don’t remember them in the first few days of employment, I make it a point to try to remember as soon as I can.
People love to hear their names. And when managers use their name during a conversation, it says to them: “I care about you enough to remember your name, because you matter to me”
Staff feel inspired to work when managers know their name.
4. Spend Time With Staff
This doesn’t mean hang out with them after their shift, or even ever. This means call them in your office and chit chat. Or even better yet, find ways to talk to them in the hall. This goes for each and every employee. You certainly should not be picking and choosing who you will be spending time with. When you see them, stop. Make eye contact with them and smile. What do you talk to them about? Maybe start by asking them if they are okay and if they need anything. And let that be just the beginning of the conversation. Ask them about their family, or their husband, their hobby that you heard them talking about, or anything else. It doesn’t have to be meaningful conversation. But it does need to happen in order for them to feel inspired to work.
5.Inspect their work
Employees want you to go behind them and look at their work. Otherwise, work gets boring. If their manager is stuck in their office day after day, how will they ever see that the work being performed ever-so-meticulously by staff is praiseworthy? The answer is that they won’t know. They can’t know. If they can’t know, they can’t praise the staff for a job well done. That results in staff feeling unappreciated and unmotivated.
Employees are inspired to work when they’re work is inspected, and the job done well was noticed and praised.