Employees Have Dreams Too
Roberta Matuson
Strategic Advisor on Talent | Global Executive Coach | Public Speaker I Brand Ambassador | HBR Contributor I Helping organizations attract & retain the best people.
Who could forget Martin Luther King, Jr's., "I Have A Dream" speech? Yet everyday, we forget that employees have dreams as well. Here are but a few of the dreams that employees everywhere are having.
A better life. Who doesn't dream of having a better life? Yet as I look at the world of work from the other side, I see that for many this dream has become a nightmare. Demanding bosses, 24/7 scheduling and little care for the human side of business has resulted in a life that few would describe as better.
A boss that doesn't micromanage. In my executive coaching practice, micromanagement is one of the biggest complaints I hear from my clients. Ironically, my clients are many times the biggest offenders. It would be a dream come true for many, if those in management roles would allow the people they hire to do their jobs with little interference.
To enjoy time outside of work. I did something very strange this weekend. I didn't do any work all weekend. And guess what? Life as I knew it got a heck of a lot better. I gave my mind some much needed time off and focused on having fun. Sadly, many workers don't feel they have the luxury of completely ignoring work and enjoying themselves when they leave the workplace. Their dreams of having a balanced life feel out of reach to most.
Interesting work. No one dreams of landing a boring job, yet often times that's exactly what happens. I've worked some really boring jobs in my lifetime, yet some great managers made these jobs a lot of fun. Think about what you can do to add some joy back into the workplace, so your employees can once again dream.
To be paid what they are worth. Companies are using the wrong metrics when it comes to pay. They are looking at what they are currently paying people rather than what people are currently worth. Pay people based on the value they contribute to the organization, even if this means adjusting their salaries upwards or downwards annually.
Respect. Employees everywhere dream of being respected, yet there appears to be a shortage of respect. That's the only reason I can think of as to why you wouldn't give respect to the people that work for you.
Here's to dreaming of a better workplace for all.
? Matuson Consulting, 2019.
What hopes and dreams do your employees have for themselves and the organization? Don't know? Let's find out. Reach out to me at [email protected] and let's start a conversation.
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Clinical Practice Administrator
5 年Everyone has a dream..? It is? company 's downfall when management don't invest time and know their employees hidden strengths.?
Advogado | Resolu??o de Conflitos | Mitiga??o de Riscos Judiciais | Negocia??o | Contencioso Cível e Ambiental
5 年Great article, it really opened my mind. Each person should be valued individually as a key part of their team.
Database Associate at a Cincinnati Nonprofit
5 年"A better life." "To enjoy time outside of work." "Interesting work." "To be paid what they are worth." These are all reasons I went to college after growing up in a neighborhood that wasn't the best because my mother didn't have a lot of money. I went to college to have a better life as an adult than the one I had growing up, I wanted to make enough money to enjoy time outside of work, I knew that the jobs you get with a college degree were more interesting than the ones you could get without one, and I thought with an education, I'd be worth more, so I'd earn more. That's why the biggest frustration of my life is to have achieved my educational goals, yet spending my entire 20's and 30's, and now the first year of my 40's, barely even getting job interviews, and when I do get a job, it's either part-time or temporary.? I went back and got a Master's degree, and I still get passed over for interviews even when the job I applied for is the exact type of job I went to school to become qualified to do. Education was stressed in my home growing up. I listened to the message and accomplished my educational goals and I still have nothing to show for it because employers so far refuse to see the value in what I bring so that I can actually show what I'm capable of. Since your article was written because of the King holiday, I'll also add that it's even worse as a black man with a master's degree, who is supposedly living in a world that is less racist because of Dr. King and others, so that black people are finally judged on our merits, supposedly, even as someone who merits a good paying job, I'm still stuck living with my mother, because I can't make enough money, even with all my education, to move to a neighborhood of my choosing and live a life that I want to live. What makes it even more worse (if that's grammatically correct) is that a potential employer who reads this will automatically disqualify me for exactly the types of jobs I can do and should be getting paid to do, simply because I'm telling the truth, because apparently that's why employers look at social media postings, to find excuses not to hire someone. So because I choose not to be fake, and choose to call out how ridiculous it is that someone who brings what I bring is reduced to living with my mother, even though I can do whatever you put in front of me, and prove why I'm worth the investment, I probably won't get the chance to do so.
Author - Mystery/Thriller/Horror
5 年Short, sweet, and true! Thanks for spelling it out.?
Senior Manager at Axis Bank
5 年Amazing article RESPECT, FUN, Interesting life , Peace and worth Paychecks are important for everyone