William Roy
Nov 26, 2009
As I relax this Thanksgiving season, I think back about all of the people who have come alongside me to encourage and be a part of Immerge Technologies. We've had former mentors devote time to share their wisdom. We've had interns bring their energy and excitement to the office environment. We've also had and have great people who work for the business. This last group will be the focus of my blog post.
The wellbeing of employees "should" be on the mind of any manager or business owner. I say "should" because so many businesses today lack care and recognition for the very people maintaining that business. This is one of the terrible norms of business today. So many larger businesses just don't make the time to appreciate their people and understand their concerns. I don't do this nearly as well as I would like to, but in being faithful to the principle that people are more than simply resources I hope to continue to improve in this area.
The responsibility I have to my employees is more than just laws that the government determines. For me, it's a responsibility to provide good opportunities for them to use their talents and to be recognized. I have seen their talent, and I have seen them flourish. My employees flourish best when clients recognize that my staff are experts, when our team is given the opportunity to truly develop a great end product. Whether it's a small website, large CMS solution, or a complely custom tool, everyone at Immerge wants to provide quality service.
So, how can I as a business owner/manager encourage and support this objective? For one, I can be mindful that life happens. People need flexibility to handle the pressures of life. I believe that work life will always be impacted by personal life. While some people hide emotions better than others, people need to feel free to request time off or to work from home or to make up hours later.
Employees also need to be trusted and given the authority to do their jobs well. As a growing small business, I have the blessing of no longer wearing every hat in the company as I did at first. I just struggle now to remember the boundaries of responsibility so I don't interfere! And this is a positive stress/challenge that I am thankful for.
This Thanksgiving, I am thankful for the work I have, the people I get to work with, and the country I am privileged to live in. Are you?