In my 10 years of adult work experience, I often notice how power and money has become the primary challenge. The job itself is not the issue most employees have. The demands to meet productivity have become the downfall of the workforce. In other words, quantity has outweighed quality in many lines of work. Many jobs are understaffed yet the expectations for getting work done have remained the same. There have been increases in job tasks, yet the time given to complete has remained the same.
I work primarily with children and you would think these feelings are fewer. But no, the unrealistic demands are the same. The freedoms that were once there in educating children have now come to teaching by the book of the leaders. Many are micromanaging instead of allowing the worker to do their job, giving constructive criticism later.
So, what are some ways in which the worker can have happiness, while those at the top still have power?
- Acknowledgement for great work: A little message of thanks, good work, or I appreciate your help goes a long way. Even having a pizza party every couple of months can be a great way to acknowledge this.
- Good communication amongst all parties: There should never come a point when all on the team don’t know what’s happening. If I was to bring a major issue to the boss, there is no reason others are clueless.
- Professionalism before Personal: This is a big one. If someone does their job effectively, there should never be any type of personal vendetta brought to the environment. If there is something you don’t like about them personally, let it go. If professionally they are doing their best at the work, that is all that matters. It should never come to the point of finding ways to make their work life miserable.
- Being human: We are all human and have different things going on in our personal lives. As a leader, you are human as well and know sometimes situations happen that we are not in control of. If a worker with children has a sick child, they shouldn’t be forced to choose. Unless there is an abuse of this privilege.
- Community: No one can do their job without the help of another on varying levels. Creating an environment of respect is key. No one person is above another. Creating a great rapport between all, the leader and the staff is important.
The future is unknown, but the power is in our hands. If being a leader of some sort is your job make sure you create a great example. There will always come a point where we each get some type of power at work. It’s our jobs to create a space where people respect each other and work hard.