{"id":2272,"date":"2015-11-06T11:44:55","date_gmt":"2015-11-06T16:44:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ngenperformance.com\/?p=2272"},"modified":"2015-11-06T11:44:55","modified_gmt":"2015-11-06T16:44:55","slug":"nobody-can-go-it-alone","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ngenperformance.com\/?p=2272","title":{"rendered":"Nobody Can Go It Alone"},"content":{"rendered":"

The famous quote by English poet John Donne \u201cno man is an island<\/em>\u201d popped into my head this week I was contemplating all the things I need to do and want to do this year.\u00a0 We are all \u201cpart of the main<\/em>\u201d says Donne and as such no one is entirely self-sufficient; everyone relies on others. \u00a0It helped remind me that I will need to lean on others to achieve my success; that I can\u2019t always go it alone. This interdependence is essential to families, communities, companies and countries.\u00a0 We all must depend on others to some extent to help us achieve our goals.<\/p>\n

Research supports the notion that those who have strong networks are happier and more productive than others who do not. In business, this is particularly true as by nature, we rely on others to do their part to contribute to a team, departmental or organizational goal. We also feel more engaged and committed to our team members when the work environment is supportive of all.<\/p>\n

Paying It Forward<\/h3>\n

Paying it forward at work – by supporting and helping your colleagues – is a great way to increase trust and bonding.\u00a0 We all go through tough times, either at work or at home, but having colleagues that care, and are willing to help ease your burden, are what makes working in a team so rewarding.<\/p>\n

A study conduced by the AAT of 2,000 people found that eight out of ten people would prefer to work in a happy environment and get along with colleagues than earn a high wage. They found that employee would rather: enjoy their role, get along with their boss;\u00a0 and have a good commute than bringing home a large pay cheque. In addition, a third of the people polled had actually left a well-paid job because the pressure associated with it wasn\u2019t worth the big salary.<\/p>\n

One of the things that organization can do to create a collaborative and supportive team environment is by providing team rewards where everyone wins if the team \/ department achieves its goals. \u00a0This helps create a sense of togetherness and interdependence.<\/p>\n

Commission For All?<\/h3>\n

In a HBR article Why We Pay All of Our Employees A Commission<\/a><\/em>\u00a0the authors discuss how their organization puts everyone on a commission structure. They believe that because \u201cevery employee contributes to sales, so we pay everyone based on company revenues, instead of using a more traditional bonus or profit-sharing plan.\u201d<\/p>\n

While the commission ratios vary from each development, the metrics are based on the things that employees are most able to directly control. \u00a0Commission is paid out monthly. The authors highlight several advantages of this approach:<\/p>\n