If you work with people you need to read this

As costs continue to rise, it is crucial to maximise the value of your most important resources—your people and your relationships with them. Notably, I also consider customers and suppliers as key individuals with whom you must build strong relationships. In a sense, they are like volunteers; they choose to work with you!

So let’s start with the basics – what makes us feel good as humans.

Feeling good

We tend to feel at our best when key psychological needs and positive experiences come together, and we are also doing something that fits our values.

Psychological needs are being met

In control

Research from the 50’s identified that despite the pressure of a senior role, top civil servants were less stressed than juniors because they felt in control. If we can choose our own path, we are happier even if it is something relatively small but important to us.

Doing well

If we know what we are doing or achieve a goal, then it can make us feel pride and give us confidence.

Part of a community

Humans are social beings; this is why we have been so successful as a race. To be happy we need to feel connected and supported by others.

States that make you feel positive

Feeling happy

Feeling grateful and feeling awe lift the mood and deepen life satisfaction. It might be something as simple as a beautiful sunset or someone making you a cup of tea (very British I know).

Contentment

For me, that means losing track of time, whether it be painting, reading, or work. I feel totally engaged, in the “flow”.

From an early age, I have been able to become fully immersed. Apparently, I was sitting on a plastic-covered pouffe-type stool in front of a fire, reading, and it started to melt from the heat of the fire, and I didn’t notice I was so engrossed in my book!

High self-esteem

When I think positively and talk to myself like a good friend would, I am more resilient and more confident.

Doing something worthwhile

Aligned with your values

Activities and goals that align with your values will make you feel good.

Making a positive impact

My first job was in a laundry company, and all the staff understood that what they did was important. After all, roller towel dispensers for cloth towels were invented almost a 100 years ago to stop the spread of diseases and a hotel or hospital can’t run without clean linen.

Growing as a person

Long-term wellbeing is sustained by constantly learning, creativity and personal growth.

Why this matters for success

Sole traders/start-ups

Let’s begin by discussing the sole trader. If your efforts aren't making you feel good, it's essential to identify the areas where you're struggling. You can't achieve success if you're not feeling at your best, and a lack of success may be the reason for how you feel. This has been my experience as a sole trader and as a coach for many others in similar situations.

A simple way to start is to take control of your work environment by choosing when and where you work. Many new business owners mistakenly act like employees, working long hours without the security of traditional employment. Remember, success isn't about working from 9 to 5 or longer—it's about engaging in the activities that contribute to your goals and change the world for others so that they want to use you i.e making the positive impact mentioned above. We offer a business owner's time management system to help you concentrate on what truly matters. To learn more, set up a free consultation through Aspira on our website.

Read more about time management for business owners in this blog post:

Who runs your business?

Staff/volunteers

Recent research by Nottingham Trent University reveals just under half of workers have considered changing jobs within the last 12 months, but concerns around job security, age, and finances are holding them back. Reasons for considering a job change include stress, feeling undervalued, and lacking fulfilment. All are listed above as critical for feeling good.

Gallup's research identified that employees are 5 times more likely to stay with their organisation if they feel recognised for their contribution. And people who feel appreciated tend to perform better as recognition triggers the release of dopamine, reinforcing the sense of achievement and belonging and improving cognitive function, motivation and creativity.

Even losing a member of staff earning £25,000 + is estimated to cost on average £30,614 by Oxford Economics due to the recruitment costs and disruption.

But staff or volunteers who remain with an organisation but feel disengaged due to a lack of genuine care from their leaders generally perform less effectively. Employee engagement boosts productivity, loyalty, and profitability, while simultaneously reducing turnover and absenteeism. Engaged employees can transform a business and significantly impact a company's success.

Volunteers who feel appreciated and well-treated are more likely to remain committed to your organisation, stay engaged with the cause, and recommend your organisation to others. Expressing gratitude and sharing the impact of their contributions can ensure that volunteering feels worthwhile. This approach can help retain volunteers and transform those who initially participate for social reasons into individuals who genuinely want to get involved.

Employees who are not engaged or who are actively disengaged cost the world $8.8 trillion in lost productivity, according to Gallup's State of the Global Workplace: 2023 Report. That's equal to 9% of global GDP.

Read in detail about how to engage staff in this blog post:

How treating staff well could solve the UK’s productivity crisis and what staff want

Customers/donors

Methods that are effective for staff and volunteers can also be effective for customers and donors. Research by The Philanthropy Centre found that thoughtful thank-you messages can significantly increase donor well-being and future giving behaviour. When donors feel genuinely appreciated—not just acknowledged—they’re more likely to stay engaged and give again. The relationship is strengthened

“If the donor does not feel adequately thanked, the acknowledgement has failed—even if it produces a second gift.”

For customers appreciation isn’t just about politeness—it’s about building emotional connections. When customers feel valued:

• They’re more likely to return and repurchase, increasing lifetime value.
• They develop emotional loyalty, which is harder to disrupt than transactional loyalty.
• They’re more inclined to recommend your brand, boosting organic growth.

In fact, 80% of profits are derived from just 20% of loyal customers. Recognising and appreciating customers is not merely a gesture; it is a crucial strategic approach for driving success. Retaining and selling to existing customers who feel valued is much cheaper and more profitable.

Here are some additional blogs that can help you become more successful:

Successful high-growth companies believe in impact, not just money

Three ways to encourage people to buy from you or donate if you are a charity

Thinking outside the box - Recession: threat or opportunity