The Ideal Workplace

The ideal workplace would have the ideal employee and ideal manager. Words like motivation, self esteem, ability, achievement, competency, attainment, completion, capability, realization, fulfillment, fruition, performance, respect, honor, and admiration might describe the ideal workplace. But, we all know the ideal workplace, the ideal employee, and the ideal manager do not exist together at the same time all the time in a community association.

So, what is the ideal work place? How does the ideal employee feel? What does the ideal manager do?

An ideal work place would include:
· Adequate pay
· Job security
· Safe, drug free environment
· Advancement potential
· Regular training
· Rewards and recognition programs
· Fair and consistent discipline
· Involvement in planning

While there are many good organizations that provide an almost ideal workplace, it is easy to tell from the detached looks on employees' faces or the lack of attention to detail or poor customer/resident service that many employees are unhappy with their jobs or their work environment. It is easy to tell from the lack of smiles, the missing "thank you, have a nice day" comments, and "may I help you" questions that many employees are not happy. Just sit in the waiting room of a busy office and watch the actions and the faces, listen to their conversations. They are not happy.

Managers might say they have poor employees when they actually have unhappy employees. Unhappy employees:

· Are set in their ways and resistant to change
· Are unwilling to accept responsibility for their own actions
· Argue with other employees and residents
· Gossip and grumble
· Feel their job is too menial
· Have no self motivation or self discipline
· Bring personal problems to work

A happy, productive, good employee would have the opposite characteristics.

It would seem important for managers to find ways to turn unhappy, unproductive, poor employees into happy, productive, good ones. Turning an unhappy employee into a happy one begins a positive domino effect.

Happy employee = better job performance = higher morale = open communications = ownership and loyalty = improved employee relations = intentional customer/resident service = ideal workplace

Proactive managers have learned to:

· identify troubling issues by encouraging input from employees
· seek to agree on a solution and reinforce the solutions
· establish reasonable goals and reward success
· follow through with promises
· keep employees informed and involved
· act timely on disputes in a fair and consistent manner
· encourage loyalty by rewarding positive behavior
· conduct regular performance reviews
· create a positive environment by showing respect for employees
· demonstrate an open door policy for employee concerns

Paul Sousa, PCAM, Lost Tree Village, North Palm Beach, Florida, says when developing a great staff "give them as complete a piece of the job as you feel they can handle, then stand aside and let them do it, but close enough to catch them if they falter."

Ted Ruta, Horizon Resorts, Inc., New Smyrna Beach, Florida, says when developing a great staff "that upset residents deal directly with him, not a staff member." In that way, he "protects" his staff from the unkind remarks of disgruntled guests and owners and they know the "buck stops" with him.

Barney Barber, Bluegreen Resorts Management, Inc., Boca Raton, Florida, says when developing a great staff "inclusion in (the) business plan, operating goals, customer service standards and expectations and constant monitoring on achievement of hitting our targets" is his number one rule.

Chris Miller, Spring Run Golf Club Community Association, Bonita Springs, Florida, says her number one rule for developing a great staff is to "hire individuals that compliment your (her) weaker points."

Good managers like these have learned to delegate responsibility, protect from hurtful residents, include staff in planning, and balance opposite skills.

Following is a checklist for dealing with employees. But, pay attention, this checklist could also be used with your spouse, children, and friends!

1. Treat the other with respect
Never talk down to them as if they were stupid.
Correct privately, not publicly.

2. Reward progress
Progress is a moving target. Reward any forward progress.
Some personality types need affirmation and encouragement along the way, not just at the end of an assignment.
Don't wait until it is 100% correct or complete to affirm or encourage or reward.

3. Practice empathetic listening
Listen for the motive and attitude, not just the words.
Have a sincere desire to understand.
Be quick to listen, slow to speak.

4. Be aware of the workload
Don't overload your best worker.
Just because someone can do the job doesn't mean he/she is the right person for the assignment.
If too much work is left undone, you (the manager) have a time management problem, not an employee problem.

5. Provide adequate, ongoing training
Practice does not make perfect.
Correct practice makes perfect.
Training them one time is not enough.
Train, retrain, and review constantly.

6. Be generous with honest praise.
Find something to praise every week. Tell them.
Praise does not lead to complacency.

7. Encourage teamwork and practice teambuilding
Ask for ideas or suggestions.
Create an open forum for brainstorming new ideas.
Implement the feasible ideas and changes.
Communicate and explain changes as much as possible.
Find out what motivates each person.
Create ways to reward that are specific to the motivations.

Managers have a big responsibility to create the ideal workplace. Having to create that in a community association is an even greater challenge. But many have done it and so can you.