Employee Integrity is a Painful Process. Improve Today!

I know that the ability to motivate employees is one of the greatest skills a truly effective leader can possess.

I see that one of the most important issues in organizations is the employee integrity and engagement. Many of people thinking that money is the only motivator for the employees and also if you give more compensation and benefits they will work more and create productivity and add value to the business.

Many bosses and leaders are trying to improve employee engagement and productivity in today’s complex business world. I see that many of them have difficulties. Because improving employee integrity is a painful process.

Of course, money is important for people to survive. I know that there are some other things that are important than money for employees.

When I start in parenteral manufacturing operations there were 2 women who support the boss. This boss studied chemical engineering in Germany. The first day, I didn’t understand why this boss is working with these women who were not university graduate. I talked with my brother who was working in the chemical industry as an engineer. His great insights were really awesome. He defined that“you have to follow these women and learn how they manage operations and employees. They studied manufacturing operations and people management and improved their employee management  skills in the factory”.

It was true. These women had great integrity for all employees and their relations were based on mutual respect, recognition,  genuine equality, and value the unique contribution of each person in the organization.

Our boss had a wonderful library. I read valuable books there. Some were technical and some were in leadership and management. I remember the first day’s advice of this boss  “Welcome to our factory. It is a school of management and leadership. Go to the library, take books and read them. Perform a great deal of effort and increase your knowledge here. The most important things in our factory are the ability to motivate the employees, transparency and organizational alignment to performing our main purpose.”

Why my brother and the boss advised me this was the great question! Because I didn’t have effective leadership and management skills at that time!

I have to define that employees can instinctively understand their boss is being honest with them or not.

I believe that employee integrity is a crucial factor to improve employee engagement, productivity and innovation. It is also linked with the customer integrity to create a value to the survival of the business.

Here are 12 things I learned from my professional life about employee integrity.

1. Ask yourself; “Do I display integrity as a leader?”If you don’t have an answer, you have a problem. If your answer is “No”, you have to start working to develop integrity immediately.
2. Be clear, honest, authentic, and be generous with praise.
3. Effectively delegate authority and create responsibility. Ensure that responsibility and authority are aligned.
4. Develop and implement a long-term competitive business strategy and share it with employees. Effectively communicate and show them the main purpose and make your business strategy theirs.
5. Identify and handle conflicts sensibly, fairly and efficiently and seek the ‘win-win’.
6. Never criticize or correct in front of others. Ask right questions to get people to learn and improve from their mistakes.
7. Apply a good recognition and reward system. They should be satisfied with their feeling of accomplishments.
8. Celebrate the success and share the disappointments. Be honest and transparent.
9. Create systems and norms that lead to a culture of candor within the organization.
10. Train and upgrade their skills.
11. Provide challenging assignments and offer opportunities for advancement.

Employees who believe their work is valued are more likely to remain loyal and often are more productive due to high morale, motivation, recognition and trust.

I know that many companies can improve productivity at least 25 percent or more!

This can be achieved by being honest and showing great integrity and credibility as a leader to the employees.

If you want to boost your company’s bottom line you have to invest in employee integrity and morale. 

So that you will create a passionate and hard-working team to achieve a high performance and aligned organization.

Do you think that investment in employee integrity creates better productivity and great financial opportunities for companies. Why?