You might make more money as an employee if you're a sniveling jerk, but as a company, you'll net more profits if you treat your employees respectfully. It's another one of those things that you think would be common sense but it's actually a scientific fact. Forbes has an analysis piggybacking off Dr. Noelle Nelson's new book "Make More Money by Making Your Employees Happy," which is probably the only tome around that you don't need to judge by its cover because its title tells you exactly what its contents are.
If you're not convinced, though, consider this, from her book: “companies that effectively appreciate employee value enjoy a return on equity & assets more than triple that experienced by firms that don’t. When looking at Fortune’s ’100 Best Companies to Work For’ stock prices rose an average of 14% per year from 1998-2005, compared to 6 percent for the overall market.”
Even if things are bumpy in your company and you are finding it tough to be nice or even tougher to find things to be nice about when the outlook is so bleak, Dr. Nelson says compassion is key. It prevents it from seeming like you're taking advantage of employees or avoiding being transparent. Both things aren't nice.
So, it's yet another playground rule that proves true in business. What I'd like to see done is a study showing how people will only play with you if you "share" all your cool stuff with them. It must have applications in business, too, right?
Anyway, read the full Forbes analysis here. I'm gonna go to the toy store and try to woo some new friends. Do people still like Power Rangers? Or is everyone just into Batman now?
David Wolinsky is a freelance writer and a lifelong Chicagoan. In addition to currently serving as an interviewer-writer for Adult Swim, he's also a comedy-writing instructor for Second City. He was the Chicago city editor for The Onion A.V. Club where he provided in-depth daily coverage of this city's bustling arts/entertainment scene for half a decade. When not playing video games for work he's thinking of dashing out to Chicago Diner, Pizano's, or Yummy Yummy. His first career aspirations were to be a game-show host.
