Do Manners Matter for Motivating your Staff?

Oct 30 2015, 1:04 PM1 min read

Manners maketh the Manager?

Can you remember the last time someone genuinely said to you “thanks for doing that, good job!’?

I bet it felt good.

Even though you had to do whatever that task was, it was great getting that feedback.

I’ll double the wager and say that you thought something positive about that manager and then went about the rest of your day with a little more energy and positivity.

Which is what any good company wants…happy productive people!

Do you encourage your supervisors to be polite and respectful?

Too Soft or Too Friendly?

Are you worried about them being “too soft and friendly” and thinking that the workers will take advantage of them and “goof off”.

Your staff are people, and people at the most basic “human level”, want to feel safe and belong to a group they trust and respect.

And when that happens at the office or on the warehouse floor your business or company are onto a winner!

Those people, be it forklift drivers, pickers, packers or team leaders will be more engaged with their workplace.

I have yet to read a leadership book, or seen it in action, where manners cause sick leave, lower productivity or increase work cover claims.

So the lesson…give big genuine smiles, throw in some please and thank yous, and watch your staff transform.

It doesn’t have to be complicated!

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Chris Richardson

Hi I’m Chris from Productive Minds. I grew up in a small country town on the western highway in Victoria Australia that had heaps of trucks making the “big run” to Adelaide and then onto Perth. A group of us kids used to hang out of the sun under a huge old peppercorn tree trying to be the first to identify what make the prime mover was. It was a competition to shout out what it was, “International! Mack! Kenworth!” Of course, there was a punishment for getting it wrong… and I copped my share of bruises from getting knuckled in the arm… still, the fascination and thrill of what I later realized was a multi-billion dollar Transport and Logistics industry never left me. Today I live in the Western suburbs… the epicenter of the logistics industry in Victoria …it’s hard not to notice all the trucks with containers from all over the world constantly going to and from the wharves or the warehouses in Laverton and Truganina. I always wonder where that product came from and how did it get here? How many different people have handled that plastic wrapped box sitting on that pallet? Always knowing someone, somewhere wants it …and usually yesterday! The sounds of the machinery, warning bells, people yelling out, flashing lights and Fluoro jacketed forklift drivers scurrying everywhere, make these fascinating places to observe. I especially find it interesting watching how people interact with each other, sometimes in a good way—but all too often the way in which “staff & staff” and “staff & management” communicate is shocking… I know from over 30 years of industry experience that when this “communication” is embedded in an organization’s culture it directly contributes to low morale, increased absenteeism, work cover claims and low productivity… and ultimately creates a business that consistently under performs. I’ve dedicated my career to understanding what makes people tick… and after 30 something years, I’ve seen time and time again, that people who are given the right training and skills in communication and leadership can—and will—create a productive and profitable workplace for both themselves, their team mates and their company. So could I be happier working with companies that have big sheds, big trucks and lots of complex and interesting people? I doubt it! Thanks for your interest and let’s have a conversation sometime. Chris