by Ken Vincent, Featured Contributor
Who wouldn’t love to have a serving of coddled eggs this morning? Ah, one of life’s little luxuries.
But are you instead waking to a group of coddled employees?
We all understand the importance, nay the necessity, of having happy employees. People that are enthusiastic, engaged, believers in the program and in you their leader. People that willingly go that extra mile to get a project finished on time, make that customer really happy, or help a coworker over a hump.
So, in an effort to achieve that we make an honest effort to make them feel appreciated. A part of the team. A valuable part of the workings of the business. We do that by giving merit raises, promotions, thanking them for a job well done, congratulating them on their child’s graduation from high school, etc.
However, I am beginning to wonder if employers are not going too far in some cases. Instead of getting happy and dedicated employees we are creating a generation of coddled employees. Employees that feel entitled. A staff that expects someone to give something to them because they are there.
Life can be hard sometimes. Life is not always fair. Are we creating a generation of future managers that are not emotionally equipped to handle setbacks, failures, and disappointments? Are we creating a shell of coddled eggs? Where do you draw that line in the sand between creating happy employees and coddling them to their own demise? What actions take you into that area of creating coddled employees?