SBDR: Empathy Motivates More than Fear
Welcome to the Small Business Rundown. Each day, we bring you stories that impact small business owners and their workforce.
Happy Monday. First on the docket today, we explore the idea that not being a mean boss is actually good for business. Next, we look at how job gains and losses were even for the first time in a decade, and then we finish up with the important alliances between schools and business leaders. Good day!
Empathy more effective than meanness as leadership style
When it comes to getting things done and driving profits, being a hard-nosed boss might not be the best approach after all. A new book examines how companies that embrace a culture of caring are actually more profitable than companies that use fear as a basis for motivation. If you have a mean boss, the author suggests trying to figure out what they really want. If you are a mean boss … STOP IT!
The Number: 60%. More often than not, when employees hand in their resignation it’s not because of the work it’s because of the boss. 60% of people leave because of a bad boss.
The Quote: “Leadership is not about screaming at people.”
Employment increases and decreases even for the first time in a decade
For the first time in a decade, the number of U.S. employment gains and decreases were even according to data from the National Association for Business Economics. The information, utilities, and communication industries all saw a loss in the number of jobs while the insurance, real estate, and finance sectors each saw gains.
The Number: 222,000. The number of people signing up for unemployment continued to drop through the end of 2019, with just 222,000 people signing up for the benefit during the week of December 21.
The Quote: “For the first time in a decade, there are as many respondents reporting decreases as increases in employment at their firms than in the previous three months.”
Workforce development hot topic between educators and business leaders
As the U.S. workforce ages, business leaders and educators are putting their heads together to make sure that the next generation is ready to work. In order to better prepare students to enter the workforce and meet changing needs, educators are evaluating job entry pathways and examining the role that technology plays.
The Number: 76 million. As of 2018, the U.S. Census Bureau reports that there are over 76 million students enrolled in U.S. schools. That’s a lot of untapped potential.
The Quote: “It’s about every sector. It’s across the board from professional careers to, certainly, pipefitters. There are a lot of jobs out here that take special expertise, and we have a lot of older people doing them who are preparing to retire.”
