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Happywork TV Episode 12: Owners, Take Your Arguments Behind Closed Doors

Posted on November 11, 2014 // 1 Comment

In Episode 12 of Happywork TV, I introduce yet another commitment contained in the work code of conduct I’ve created called “The Happywork Agreement.” (which is in the book!)

Here it is: “I promise to take arguments between owners, or between owners and upper management, behind closed doors. Employees do not need to see or hear such things. Often, such strife can hurt employee morale, and can even make employees fear for their future. I need to keep that in mind.”

When upper management and owners fight among themselves out in the open, it’s just an ugly scene, and you’re adversely affecting employee morale. When you guys fight, we’re scared for our jobs. We live in fear when we work in such situations. If two or three owners aren’t getting along, which is bound to happen, take it behind closed doors. Or take it offsite. Don’t fight in front of us. Yes, disagree with each other, but do not be disagreeable. It unnecessarily adds stress to the workplace (unnecessarily being the operative word there).

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Watch Episode 11 here!

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Happywork is available for pre-order on Amazon – HERE!

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Happywork TV Episode 11: Don’t Keep Dead Weight Around

Posted on November 10, 2014 // 1 Comment

In Episode 11 of Happywork TV, I introduce the next commitment in my work code of conduct, “The Happywork Agreement.”

Here it is: “I will not keep dead weight around … One should not have to pick up the slack for underperforming employees … And we’re not going to use Jack Welch-style stack rankings. Annually firing 10% of one’s workforce is an apathetic, lackadaisical way to build a team.”

When running a company, there’s the fun stuff – plotting and executing strategy, making big sales, opening new locations, notable PR breakthroughs, and such and such. What’s not fun? Firing people. Even if they deserve it because they’re big jerks, it’s not fun. Sometimes you have to fire a nice person because they aren’t performing, and that’s even less fun.

So you know what happens? Sometimes, those people don’t get fired. They stick around … for years. And you have great employees who get to work with these under-performers, and that’s arguably unfair. In fact, I’ve noticed that the good workers sometimes get more work assigned to them, because their managers know they’re so good at what they do, they’ll get it done. Those high performers will eventually leave, because no one wants to be overworked because under-performing employees aren’t pulling their weight.

So yes, managers and owners – please build us a strong workforce, and don’t keep dead weight around. As mean and cutthroat as that sounds, it’s actually the fairest way to build a great team.

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Watch Episode 10 here!

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Happywork is available for pre-order on Amazon – HERE!

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Happywork TV Episode 10: Hire People Smarter Than You

Posted on November 6, 2014 // 1 Comment

In Episode 10 of Happywork TV, I discuss commitment 8 in the list of 46 commitments in my book Happywork. Here it is: I implore you, Mr. Manager and Miss Owner, to hire people smarter than you! As I say in the video, it’s the sign of a great owner and a confident manager.

Reasons why this doesn’t happen more often? Control and ego, I think. Ego = for some entrepreneurs and leaders, it’s difficult to fathom that anyone is more talented than them. It’s this bravado that might allow them to take the risk of starting a business in the first place. Control = in certain situations, you don’t want to bring in someone who could challenge you for control of a situation, or worse, control of a company. It would be like LeBron and Kobe on the same team – they’d win tons of games! Or would they? Who’s the alpha dog? Who’s more talented?

We enjoy when ESPN pundits get into such sports discussions, but you may not have realized that this same situation happens (perhaps on a slightly smaller scale) in businesses every day! It’s not just about accomplishment as a team. It’s WHO accomplished it. Some of us are constantly scratching and clawing for recognition – we don’t want to merely succeed. We want the credit for the success of the business. And we absolutely do NOT want anyone else getting ANY credit for stuff we did. So, to avoid this, we consciously or subconsciously ensure that such situations do not rear their ugly heads – we don’t bring talented people who could challenge us for supremacy.

So that’s my take on this. However, guys, this is the episode I need some comments on! I can speculate as to why a person in power wouldn’t want to bring in someone of similar ability and intellect, but WHY would that person decide not to do so?

(By the way, at the beginning at this video, I explain something that I probably should have already explained. I keep referring to these commitments and this “work code of conduct.” Without giving too much away, this work code of conduct is used to fix Vunorri Inc., the incredibly broken company in my story. My two main characters write the code of conduct, and they call it “The Happywork Agreement.” My book was almost titled “The Happywork Agreement,” but we decided on Happywork instead.)

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Watch Episode 9 here!

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Happywork is available for pre-order on Amazon – HERE!

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Happywork TV Episode 6: Give Your Employees a Chance to Improve and Succeed

Posted on October 23, 2014 // Leave a Comment

In Episode 6 of Happywork TV, I discuss the fourth of 46 work commitments in my new book, “Happywork.”

Here it is: “I will provide my employees the tools and training they need to have a chance to succeed … I will remember that it’s not just the business owner who comes to work everyday to achieve great things. Employees want to get better at what they do without having to leave our organization.”

How often have you or someone you know left a job because, “There was no room for advancement?” True, not all companies are large enough to offer robust options for promotions, pay increases, and advancement. However, too many companies have owners and managers who don’t take their employees’ careers into account AT ALL. It is inefficient to have great people leave your employ. If you have an HR department, it keeps them unnecessarily busy. If you don’t have an HR department, who is working to hire new people to come in and replace these great employees?

You might think most employees just want to do their jobs, but I would submit to you that most of them also want to achieve great things at work. It is only the hardest soul whose heart wouldn’t be warmed by a huge success at work.

Owners and managers, give your peeps the tools they need to get the job done, and take a genuine interest in their careers and lives.

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Click here to watch Episode 5!

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Happywork is available for pre-order on Amazon – HERE!

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