This isn't scientific. Let me state that right from the start. But . . . This test has worked for me during my 20 years of managing large teams in corporate settings.
First, enjoy your Memorial Day weekend. Relax. Have fun. Spend it with people you love.
When you get to work on Tuesday, get there early and observe your team members as they arrive. See how they act the first 30 minutes at work.
Are they grumpy? Are they not happy to be at work? Do they miss their long weekend? Are they complaining? Or . . .
Are they energized? Ready to hit the ground running with a smile? Did they have fun on the weekend, but now they are ready to make some money?
Short holidays are great opportunities to better understand your team's appreciation of their job.
If they come in grumpy —
- They might not like their job.
- They might not like what they do.
- They might be hitting obstacles.
- They might be checking out.
If they come in energized —
- They probably like what they do.
- They probably enjoy your role as their manager.
- They are probably crushing it with their responsibilities.
- They will probably stick around.
Again — this isn't scientific. But I've found if you gracefully approach the grumpy team members individually and find out what is missing in their work life, you might turn them around and energize them.
If people don't realize work is a part of life and you have to make the best of it, it's high time to find out if they've bought into this concept. Because if they're not consistently bringing their A-game to the office, you're going to receive sub-standard work and deal with stinky personalities.
And life's too short to deal with stinky personalities.
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