TED POLLOCK

MANAGEMENT CONSULTANT

In their own self-interest as well as to establish good human relations at work, it`s essential that managers recognize the broad needs of their people.

Quite aside from a decent salary, there are certain things that all people want from their jobs.

Most employees, for example, have a keen desire for challenging work and an opportunity to use all their talents. Therefore, give them assignments that not only permit them to realize this ambition, but require that they "stretch" themselves. In the process, they may discover strengths they didn`t know they possessed, and you will have gone a long way toward establishing the special employee-manager rapport that pervades the most successful business organizations.

They crave an opportunity for advancement. They want to feel that when a better job opportunity opens up, they will be given a fair chance at it. People vary greatly in ambition and desire to get ahead; but your most valuable employees are likely to require that their jobs help them grow as individuals. Promotions and other management support for advancement is one vital way in which they satisfy this need.

They also crave a sense of security. They want to know that their jobs will be there tomorrow, next week, next month, next year. Above all, they yearn to feel psychologically secure within the group in which they work. They want to accept their fellow workers and be fully accepted by them and their manager.

Effective leadership is important to them. They want to feel confident that their boss knows what he`s doing, knows how to do it, and is respected by others.

High in their hierarchy of needs, too, is a sense of participation. They want to feel that they are part of a team, not just hired hands.

Finally, a healthy work environment is important to them. To as great a degree as your operation will permit, they want a safe, clean, well lighted, well ventilated place in which to work, with good equipment.

Fill these needs and they, in turn, will be predisposed to give you what you want-satisfied, productive, loyal team members.