Chef is not part of Michael B. Weidner’s job description, but he doesn’t mind picking up a spatula now and then.
Recently, the president and CEO of ACRT Inc. was found flipping pancakes and sausages for an employee breakfast.
Similar events, including a chili cook-off, are a small gesture to keep employees motivated, but a leader’s real work is shown through everyday actions, Weidner says.
Communication and transparency are the two factors that Weidner uses to empower his 400 employees at the utility vegetation management consulting company.
Smart Business spoke with Weidner about how to motivate and empower employees.
Q. How do you keep employees motivated today?
The job can be stressful. We’re contractors; we’re always bidding on work. We have a lot of stuff going on and (people need) distraction and a sense of team outside of just pounding out numbers, trying to reduce costs, dealing with the economy.
The best way to do that a lot of times is to get people involved in doing something else, something as simple as making them breakfast. They can get a raise and a nice review and whatever else, but you need to say things during the course of the year that show them more than just tell them, actually demonstrate you care about them as people.
(Breakfast) that is just a little thing, it’s what you do every day. My grandfather always talked about doing what you say and saying what you do is the best means to gain respect.
People hear your words, but they watch your actions. What sticks more is what you do. We expect from our executive team, our leadership, our managers, to exhibit these qualities. The qualities of the company are honesty, hard work, respect, trustworthiness.