Job satisfaction directly correlates with productivity. An entrepreneur’s job satisfaction is the same thing as employee satisfaction as it relates to yourself but also everyone who interacts with you on the job. Entrepreneurs must consider their impact on an extended work environment as their opportunity to improve employee satisfaction. You want people to enjoy working with you and up the level of mutual commitment. As your own employee, you want to increase employee engagement so follow these ways to improve, and reap the rewards!
Job satisfaction relates to the overall contentment with your job. Typically high job satisfaction leads to higher commitment and higher productivity which then positively impacts your workplace.
You may work for yourself, but realize that makes your morale and feeling of well-being the most important.
How your #1 employee feels impacts your profitability! If you have company that is large enough to employee others, be a great leader and let them know they count.
Here are 10 ways to improve your job satisfaction.
A satisfied employee is a productive employee!
Though entrepreneurship comes with the satisfaction of owning your own business, there is still a need to create and balance factors that affect your on-the-job experience each day – especially if you have hired others as direct employees or as consultants or interact as vendors. The relationships matter.
Successful entrepreneurs output and results must remain consistent.
Know and appreciate how performance in your workspace and your overall work environment directly correlates with your level of job satisfaction. You want to be satisfied with your job as an entrepreneur just as you want those you hire to be satisfied with their jobs.
There’s no mystery here.
Increase Job Satisfaction.
How? This time, it’s all up to you.
Your job performance and your company performance depend upon it.
Think about it. If you want career development, your business needs to grow. Your title may be at the top already, but you have skills to develop and money to earn.
And who better to handle this than you?! Right – NO ONE! 😊
10 ways to improve job satisfaction
1.) Follow your business plan
Use business plan to guide your activities and give employees access to these business plans. Help employees understand the direction and allow them to participate in the process other than just showing up and punching in.
Your business takes grit and commitment but it’s not all about hustle.
- Have a business plan.
- Refer to it daily.
- Update your SMART goals as needed.
“Without a plan, even the most brilliant business can get lost. You need to have goals, create milestones, and have a strategy in place to set yourself up for success.” ~ Yogi Berra
2.) Plan your day with reasonable workload.
Daily planning helps create balance.
Planning to do more than you can actually achieve is less effective because you basically become numb to the plan. It’s not guiding your day.
It’s okay to have a to-do list with more on it than you can get to, but think of that type of list as your weekly
- Use a planner
- Use an app
- Use a ½ sheet of paper.
- Recycle and use the backside of something else.
- Use whatever. Seriously.
- Daily planning takes 15 minutes.
- It’s meant to guide you and inspire your day.
- It sets you up and keeps you on task.
“If you don’t plan your day, someone or something else will.” ~ Nir Eyal
3.) Improve your work environment by setting realistic SMART goals.
We just talked about having a business plan and planning your day, and now I’m referring to SMART goals again.
YES. It is that important.
Long-term. Short-term.
- Specific. Measurable. Achievable. Relevant. Time-bound.
- It’s a simple process that works.
- It’s a process that drives commitment, follow through, and results.
There’s no solid replacement for SMART goals.
Encourage employees to offer feedback when creating and readjusting goals. Allow employees to take part, and they will be more committed.
“The best way to predict the future is to create it.” ~ Peter Drucker
4.) Boost job satisfaction by taking your breaks.
Do it. It positively impacts you – and the health of your business.
- It impacts your physical and mental health.
- It inspires creativity.
- 15 minutes 2x a day plus a 30 minute break for a meal.
Consider your breaktime and your employee well-being as an investment.
You have concern about employee health, so count yourself in too, and be concerned about your health.
“Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.” ~ Anne Lamott
5.) Recognize your own achievements
Reward yourself for doing well.
· Print or write the result.
· Put a bow on your desk.
· Write a smiley face on your chalkboard.
· Make an award symbol your screensaver for a day.
Know your wins. Acknowledge your wins.
“Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it.” ~ Maya Angelou
6.) Recognize the achievements of others
Recognize your own achievements AND the achievements and good work of those who interact with you.
Sincere acknowledgement makes employees feel truly appreciated and helps eliminate high employee turnover.
You’re a party of 1? A lone wolf?
Got it. But you interact with someone.
If not turn this into doing a good turn daily and do something good for someone who crosses your path.
“Appreciation can make a day, even change a life. Your willingness to put it into words is all that is necessary.” ~ Margaret Cousins
7.) Be responsible and respectful – and accept nothing less from others
There are many quotes about respect being like a boomerang. Let them resonate with you. My personal favorite is from an unknown person as it is said, but that’s the one that resonates with me.
Employee engagement and satisfaction often begins with respect.
Plan B: if someone disrespects you, don’t get mad, don’t try and fix them, just move on. Entrepreneurs don’t have time for BS. Neither do your employees!
“Respect is like a boomerang that comes back to you.” ~ Unknown
As an entrepreneur,
Employee satisfaction begins and ends with You.
8.) Build your own company culture
Maximize your work environment. No matter how big or small a company is, culture matters.
Even if it’s just for yourself, it will impact your commitment to this day and how you interact with others.
- Put your favorite quote on the wall.
- Add it to your email signature.
- Celebrate milestones.
- Monthly check in vs. your goals.
- Make Monday morning leadership the backbone of your 30 minute weekly planning session.
- Put your birthday on the calendar.
- Friday is “wear your logo colors” day.
- 1 Saturday a quarter volunteer on behalf of yourself and your company.
- Put up 1 holiday decoration – could be a sketch. could be a screen saver.
Create a job satisfaction survey – and take it. Engaged employees are more likely to discuss work matters when you offer ways to help and opportunities for growth and development resulting from their feedback. Actions speak louder than words, so you know… walk the walk and talk the talk – back up what you say with actions.
You are the leader on whom you are depending. You are the reason you are inspired to move forward today.
Be conscious of your investment – beyond the dollars and cents.
“When people are financially invested, they want a return. When people are emotionally invested, they want to contribute.” ~ Simon Sinek
9.) Manage your own expectations.
Offer opportunities to yourself & others – and check your attitude.
Managing your expectations doesn’t mean lowering them or expecting less. It’s not a negative.
Managing your expectations is part of creating balance and effective planning.
“When you manage your expectations, you let yourself soak in the joy of what is happening around you.” ~ Andrea Goeglein
10.) Work-life balance. Plan 8-10 hours & Take your vacation time.
Like breaks during the day, vacation time is an investment in you.
· Vacation time is an investment in your productivity.
- Unbothered vacation time is a key way to improve employee satisfaction
· Vacation time inspires curiosity and creativity!
Don’t wait until you are frustrated. Don’t take it solely to recuperate.
Travel far or travel nowhere. Just unplug and enjoy every well-earned second of it!
“Not all who wander are lost.” ~ J.R.R. Tolkien
As the leader of yourself and your business, maintaining employee morale and engagement begins and ends with You – and don’t undervalue your own level of morale and engagement.
I know you get that, but also get the connections that positive work environment you create improves productivity, impacts customer satisfaction, customer loyalty, and increases sales.
Strive to be fulfilled at work and inspire it in others. Your high level of job satisfaction leads to life satisfaction. In terms of your business, that spells productivity.
You got this.
0 Comments