As human beings, we are all creatures of motivated self-interest.\u00a0 That\u2019s right, we are all egocentric.\u00a0 Sounds pretty cynical, doesn\u2019t it?\u00a0 But it\u2019s not.\u00a0 It\u2019s just the way we\u2019re wired and the way we make decisions.\u00a0 Should I do this or that?\u00a0 Should I pick A or B?\u00a0 Should I turn left or right, or should I just keep going straight?\u00a0 What will give me the best result?\u00a0 It\u2019s all about me and satisfying my needs.\u00a0 But that\u2019s not all bad.\u00a0 In fact, it\u2019s often very good.\u00a0 Let\u2019s say I help a little old lady safely cross a busy street.\u00a0 How can that be a selfish act?\u00a0 Because (maybe unconsciously) I get a feel-good rush when I help others.\u00a0 It helps me keep my \u201cgood guy\u201d self image in tact.\u00a0 So yeah, it\u2019s all about myself, but it\u2019s not just about my material self, it\u2019s about all my selfs . . . my spiritual self, my family self, my professional self, my social self, and on and on.\u00a0 Everything you and I do is aimed at protecting, bolstering, or satisfying the needs of all those selfs.<\/p>\n
OK, so what does all this have to do with business?\u00a0 For that answer, please read below.<\/p>\n
Even in this texting day and age with all it\u2019s abbreviations, some won\u2019t recognize WIIFM.\u00a0 It stands for \u201cWhat\u2019s in it for me?,\u201d\u00a0 and we deal with it every day in business.\u00a0 Our customers want to know \u201cWhat\u2019s in it for me\u201d if I do business with you.\u00a0 So all of our advertising, promotion, and customer contacts are aimed at answering that question.\u00a0 That question also becomes the hurdle our own vendors and suppliers must get over.\u00a0 And of course, that question goes both ways in our hiring process.\u00a0 The employer wants to know \u201cWhat\u2019s in it for me, Mr. Candidate, if I hire you?,\u201d in terms of skills, training, and experience you will bring to us.\u00a0 And the candidate wants to know \u201cWhat\u2019s in it for me if I come work for you?,\u201d in terms of pay and benefits.\u00a0 Unfortunately, where employees are concerned, that \u201cWhat\u2019s in it for me?\u201d conversation often ends on the day of his or her hiring.<\/p>\n
We live in a time of rapid change . . . changes in our customers\u2019 needs, changes in competition, changes in technology, changes in our processes and procedures . . . and the pace of change is accelerating and will continue to accelerate.\u00a0 Our businesses, and therefore our employees, must adapt to these changes or we risk falling behind and ultimately, failing.\u00a0 The problem is, as jobs become more complex, demanding, and stressful, employees are asking, \u201cIf I shoulder this burden you want me to bear, what\u2019s in it for me?\u201d\u00a0 But that question isn\u2019t always being adequately addressed by business owners.<\/p>\n
At the height of the recession when layoffs were everywhere, surviving employees were being asked to pick up the work of one or two, maybe even three or four, of their departed colleagues, and take a pay cut in the process.\u00a0 In those circumstances, the answer to the \u201cWhat\u2019s in it for me?\u201d question was obvious.\u00a0 \u201cAt least I\u2019ve got a job.\u201d\u00a0 But as the business climate improves (albeit slowly), and the job markets improve (albeit slowly), \u201cAt least I\u2019ve got a job\u201d may no longer be an adequate answer.\u00a0 At some point of work-induced stress, an employee will do the mental calculus and say, \u201cThe cost to me of doing this job exceeds the benefit I\u2019m getting from it.\u201d\u00a0 At that point, the employee will begin to look for options.<\/p>\n
So what are we supposed to do, give employees a boost in pay every time we ask them to do something?\u00a0 No, of course not.\u00a0 But over the long term, we need to satisfy ourselves and our employees that the cost vs. benefit proposition for their jobs is fair and equitable.\u00a0 Part of that calculation will involve, not just money and benefits, but soft benefits such as working conditions, a reasonable work week, and in general, a recognition that they have lives and interests outside of work.<\/p>\n
A hypothetical CEO was leaving work one Friday afternoon when he noticed Old Joe still working away at his desk.\u00a0 The CEO thinks to himself, \u201cGood Old Joe.\u00a0 He\u2019s done the work of his entire department since we had to lay off everyone else.\u00a0 Don\u2019t know what we\u2019d do if we lost Joe.\u00a0 But hey, we\u2019ve been getting by this way and we\u2019re saving a boatload of money, so it would be silly to go back to our old, inefficient way of doing things.\u201d\u00a0 So the CEO wished Joe a good evening and headed out the door for the weekend.\u00a0 Monday morning, as the CEO arrived and passed Joe\u2019s desk, he noticed Joe\u2019s chair was empty and his desk was clean except for a note that read, \u201cGone fishin\u2019 and I won\u2019t be back.\u201d<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t let that happen to you.\u00a0 But if your employees believe you have let the cost\/benefit equation of their jobs get out of balance, it will.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
As human beings, we are all creatures of motivated self-interest.\u00a0 That\u2019s right, we are all egocentric.\u00a0 Sounds pretty cynical, doesn\u2019t it?\u00a0 But it\u2019s not.\u00a0 It\u2019s just the way we\u2019re wired and the way we make decisions.\u00a0 Should I do this or that?\u00a0 Should I pick A or B?\u00a0 Should I turn left or right, or<\/p>\n