Don't Be Too Serious — Cleaning Can Be Fun

There seems to be two extremes in the contracting field. Either a supervisor goes around with a long face and shares his/her misery with the staff or they have a “don’t care” attitude that can be just a contagious. Some supervisors appear to have quit on the job but still show up to collect a paycheck and make others miserable. Both approaches are unhealthy and unbalanced. Both approaches can result in lowered morale, poor productivity, increased absenteeism and high employee turnover. 

We certainly should take our job seriously in that we are professionals and take pride in what we do on a day to day basis. Serious issues can include staying within budget, managing security concerns, training to task and making sure payroll is on time. This does not necessarily mean that the job is gloomy and dark. 

I know of one company who starts of the wording to each job description with “In this position, the XYZ company expects you to grow and have fun….” The idea is that they want to project a positive image of all the positions including janitor, supervisor and other responsibilities. They consciously look for opportunities to celebrate the big and small accomplishments of all the staff. Workers are usually smiling while going about their tasks, seem very friendly and actually seem to love their jobs. This approach has opened many doors for them with customers and prospects who respond positively to the front line staff.

With a little creativity, work can be a lot more fun resulting in better productivity, improved morale and better attitudes. 

Your comments and questions are always welcome. I hope to hear from you soon. Until then, keep it clean…

Mickey Crowe has been involved in the industry for over 35 years. He is a trainer, speaker and consultant. You can reach Mickey at 678.314.2171 or CTCG50@comcast.net.