6/27/2017 BrainScienceAnd12StepsToEmployeeLoyalty

APR 25, 2014 @ 11:44 AM 2,854

BrainScienceAnd12
StepsToEmployee
Loyalty
Ellevate, WOMEN@FORBES
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ByElinorRobin,PhD

LoyalemployeescanbringsomeBIG
benefits.Firstandforemost,loyal
employeessatisfycustomers.And,satisfied
customersbecomeloyalcustomers(a/k/a
repeatbusiness)whogeneratenewbusiness
referralsandarelesspricesensitive.
Additionally,loyalemployeeswhotendto
stayput,helpkeeprecruitingandtraining
costsdown.However,don'tconfuse
longevitywithloyalty.Justbecause
someoneistherelongtermdoesn'tmean
thatheisloyal.

Trueemployeeloyaltyistheresultofa
commitmenttoproducecoupledwitha
feelingofconnection.Biologicallyspeaking,
thismeansthatyourloyalemployeeis Basketball
positivelyengaginghercerebralcortex,the
partofthebrainresponsibleforinformation
Cards Topps
processingandexecutivefunctionssuchas Wide Variety of Basketball
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Wide Variety of Basketball
BrainScienceAnd12StepsToEmployeeLoyalty

planning,reasoningandabstractthought,as Commons Checklists, Stars,

wellasherlimbicsystem,thepartofthe
Fleer, Bowman
brainresponsibleforheremotionallife.
californiasportscards.com
Yourjobistoactivatebothpartsofher
brain.Thisisnosmalltask,asstimulating
thinkingandfeelingwillrequiredifferent
actionsonyourpart.Asastart,following
these12stepswilltakeyouinthedirection
youneedtogo.

1.Setagoodexample.Takework
seriously.Ifyouareoutshoppingorbusy
makingplansfortheweekend,yourdirect
reportswillfollowsuit.

2.Provideaforum.Allowtimefor
sharingthoughtsandexperiences.This
activatesthebrainsrewardsystemand
providesthesameshotofdopamineweget
fromsex,foodandexercise.

3.Createclearboundaries.Membersof
yourteammayhavemanyfriends,butthere
shouldonlybeoneboss.Yes,youwantto
befriendly,butnotatthecostof
relinquishingyouruniqueroleandposition.
Mostemployeeswillbedelightedtohavean
employertheycancountontomakedifficult
decisions,calltheshots,andresolve
awkwardorburdensomeproblemstasks
theywouldneverpresenttoafriendorco
worker.

4.Outlineeachemployee'ssphereof
responsibility.Everyoneshouldbeclear
aboutwherehisowndomainstartsand
stops.Thisdefinitionfostersasenseofpride
whilepreventingboundaryoversteppingand
turfwars.

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5.Beloyal.Avoidthreatsandactionsthat

mighttriggeraninstinctualfightorflight
response.Instead,carefullypresentyour
criticismsandsee"mistakes"as
opportunitiesforlearning.Thefightor
flightisprocessedintheinstinctualpartof
thebrain,oftenreferredtoasthereptilian
brain.Whenanemployeefeelsbelittledor
criticized,hisreptilebrainwillkickinand
itsverydifficulttogethimtofeelsafe
enoughtotrustyouagain.Thisbecomesa
setupforallsortsofpassiveaggressive
behaviors.

6.Dogooddeeds.Createanoutreach
planthatprovidesstafferswithachanceto
interactwith,andgivebackto,thelarger
communityinapositiveway.Likeself
disclosure,altruismactivatesthebrains
dopaminerewardsystem.

7.Rewardyourteam.Moneycannotbuy
loyalty,butmoneydoesserveasametaphor,
tellingyouremployeeshowmuchyouvalue
them.Fairwages,appropriateraises,andan
occasionaltreatcangoalongway.

8.Cultivatepeakperformance.Provide
traininganddevelopmentopportunitiesso
thatyouremployeescanlearnandgrow.
And,astheydevelop,challengethemtoset
andmeethigherexpectations.

9.Fosterateammentality.Encourage
youremployeestocommunicatetheirideas
andallowthemtoinfluencecompany
practicesandpolicies.Likewise,shareyour
ownvisionforthefutureandyourthoughts
astohowyouwillallgettheretogether.

10.Recognizeandrespond.Everyone
appreciatespositivefeedback.And,onceit
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becomesclearthatyouarewillingandable

toprovideit,mostemployeeswillgothe
extramiletogetit.

11.PracticethePlatinumRule.Noneof
thisisonesizefitsall.Eachemployee
shouldbeseenasanindividualwhatworks
insomecaseswillbringdisasterinothers.
Forgetthegoldenruledon'ttreatyour
employees,asyouwanttobetreated.
Instead,findoutwhateachofthemneeds
andwantsandproceedwiththatinmind.

12.Beyourself.Findyourown
managementstyle.Somewherebetween
"surrogatemother,"whoismorecaretaker
thenbossandtheLeonaHelmsley/Queen
ofMeanstereotype,whorespondsto
employeeswithcontemptandridicule,each
ofuscanfindourownhappymedium.

ElinorRobin,PhDisaMediatorand
MediationTrainerspecializingin
WorkplaceandFamilyConflict
Management.LearnhowElinorcanhelp
youatwww.ElinorRobin.com,
www.elinorrobin.blogspot.com,and
@ElinorRobinPhD.

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