The Little Things Make the Difference

August 09, 2011 | Blog | Lara Morrow | 1 Comment

This is my office – two doors down from the CEO.

While giving a tour recently Beryl guests, they were telling me that their CEO had just implemented a policy allowing just 2 pictures or personal items displayed on an employee’s desk. They were shocked as they were looking around at the examples of our interior decorating autonomy. We got into a discussion about all the little things that make such a difference in morale. As the discussion deepened, they described how the defeated feeling permeated through the office within minutes as the new policy email was opened.

As a leader, the little things might seem to us just that – little. But to an employee they aren’t little. Every request or ability to be independent, no matter how minor, means something to that one person. When these are ignored, pushed to the side or stiffled, it is then that employee engagement is broken down.

I look back on several of my previous employers and things that finally “broke” me and caused me to look for other employment. One turned a blind eye to an employee/client personal relationship and referred to it as “client retention” in a meeting while another sent out an email that the workplace was not the place for laughter. Those are two examples of things that sent me looking for employment elsewhere.

At Beryl, we celebrate diversity and character. We are encouraged to personalize our space and laugh often. As you can see by the picutures of my office, we don’t limit the decoration of someone’s personal space, in fact we encourage creativity. What are some things that have left you wanting a bit more from your employer? What are the little things that matter to you? – Lara