Gregory Smith

Business Columnist

The German poet, Goethe, said, "Treat people as though they were what they ought to be and you will help them become what they are capable of being."

Motivated and trained employees are more capable and willing to assume more control over their jobs. They need less supervision, which frees management for other tasks.

Employees are more capable to take care of customers, which builds stronger customer loyalty. All this leads to better management-employee relationships.

It doesn't take a tremendous amount of money and elaborate fitness centers to provide a positive and attractive work environment.

Take for example Rodger McAlister who owns Bobcat of Kentucky, a construction equipment dealership in Louisville, KY. His turnover is almost nonexistent. This is quite an accomplishment in an industry that is over 60,000 technicians short.

His employees and six service technicians share a profit-sharing plan that could possibly mean $700,000 upon retirement.

They are eligible to participate after one year and become fully vested after six years. Bob adds, that he hasn't lost anyone after they become vested.

To help his employees, he brings in a financial advisor to help the employees pick stocks, plan for retirement or how get advice on how to go about buying a house.

Other benefits:

· Family members receive 100% of the health insurance after the spouse is on the job for five years.

· Every year employees celebrate their work anniversary with a cake and receive $100.00 for each year employed made out in a check to the Snap-On Tool Company.

· Bob's wife thought of this idea. Twice a year employees children receive a $50 savings bond when they bring in their "all A's" report card.

· They reward employee's safety record with what they call, "Safety Bonus Program." Each employee's driving record is screened twice a year. Anyone who has a citation during the year is removed from the program. At the end of the year the ones who remain get to split $2000.00.

· To minimize the we-they syndrome, every Friday employees rotate jobs for one hour. The person in the Parts Department gets to be a service technician and visa versa. This builds a stronger team and improves communication within the company.

Another way to keep and motivate your workers is to hire the right person in the first place. Hiring the wrong person spells havoc for everyone. Therefore, if you become more careful with whom you hire then you also need to evaluate why good people leave your company.

Tampa, Florida is a very competitive job market. Tom Daraude, the Regional Senior Vice President of USAA insurance company in Tampa has a good policy. He conducts an exit interview with each and every employee who leaves his 1700 person company. He tells them three things

· He sincerely thanks them for working at USAA

· He tells them they are always welcome to come back, no questions asked and then,

· He asks them why they are leaving

Daraude says, his second statement brings tears of thankfulness to some employee's eyes. Many employees actually do return when they realize that the grass is not greener on the other side.

Many employees do not realize how good they have it. It is important for employer's to constantly make their people aware of their own benefits. This action could help reduce job-hopping because based on false perceptions of what other companies offer.

Winston Churchill said, America always does the right thing, after they try everything else first." Today is clearly not the way it was yesterday. The magic of keeping and motivating good people today isn't about magic and it isn't just about money.

Today's leaders have to be environmentalists. They have to create a work environment where people enjoy what they do, have a purpose and feel they are reaching their potential. It requires more time, more skills and managers who care about people. . . true leadership.

Gregory P. Smith speaks at conferences on team-building, change, leadership and customer service. He is the author of the book, The New Leader: Bringing Creativity and Innovation to the Workplace. More information and articles are available at http://www.chartcourse.com