Powering Employees With More Than a Paycheck

Tony Schwartz, chief executive of the Energy Project and author of “Be Excellent at Anything: The Four Keys to Transforming the Way We Work and Live,” shares how companies can empower employees and engage them in the workplace. As Schwartz says, “Rather than trying to demand more and more from employees, employers need to invest more generously in meeting their people’s core needs: physical, emotional, mental and spiritual. When employees feel better taken care of, they’re freed, fueled and inspired to take better care of their customers and clients. It’s a win for everyone.” Research has shown that tired employees are more likely to make mistakes. Schwartz thinks that all aspects of well-being should be woven into the corporate culture. Allowing employees to have some time to relax and rejuvenate helps them to do their jobs better. “But the most powerful aspect of caring for employees occurs at the emotional level. How people feel profoundly influences how they perform. Nothing so influences employees’ engagement as the feeling that they’re genuinely cared for and valued by their leaders and managers,” explains Schwartz. Companies can help employees feel meaningful by allowing them to contribute to a cause or a purpose. Work environments that promote well-being lead to higher levels of employee engagement and better performance, a 2012 Towers Watson Global Workforce Study found. The bottom line, according to Schwartz: “The Towers Watson research is compelling, but the conclusion is entirely intuitive: Invest in and care for the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual well-being of employees, and they’ll perform far better for longer."

The New York Times, 11/10/13