Henry Ford understood that for a company to be successful, the best employees must be loyal to the company.  In order to reduce the high turnover rates and increase productivity, he did something that turned his company into a powerhouse for several decades to come.  In 1914, Ford offered $5 per day wage ($120 today) doubling the rate of the majority of workers during the industrial depression.  He instantly attracted all the best mechanics to the company and the employee loyalty barometer shot through the roof!  Henry achieved much success from gaining those new loyal employees.  He was a pioneer of his time who continues to inspire current and future entrepreneurs that wish to become leaders in their markets.

Henry implemented several other things that increased employee loyalty, which attracted even more top talent.  He was a force to be reckoned with by every company in the Detroit markets.  Can you imagine the stress of his competitors?  They were forced to match wages or lose their best mechanics.  He was an absolute chess master who always went for check mate!  I think Henry realized that there are 4 Characteristics of Attitude that determine employee loyalty.  He knew that by giving the employees what they needed most during that time period, the barometer of these 4 characteristics of attitude would point to the highest levels.

4 Characteristics of Attitude as the Employee Loyalty Barometer

We are able to focus on employees who have high levels of feelings of acceptance, gratitude for the company and the daily work, optimism to achieve and overcome obstacles, and the resilience to bounce back from all setbacks as indicators of loyalty to the company.  Each one of these are listed below in higher details for understanding more clearly how to recognize a loyal employee.

#1 Characteristics of Attitude – Acceptance

There is a right way and a wrong way to mentally process mistakes that happen in our daily work.  The employee that is capable of accepting the failure and moving forward without skipping a beat will process the mistake in a healthy manner.  They will remain engaged in their work and continue challenging themselves each day.  The employee that loops in the mistake wheel will fall behind and become even more frustrated with their work load and team members.  They will mentally check-out, doing the daily work load limit required in order to not stand out among-st the crowd.

Acceptance – An employee that is engaged with their managers, co-workers, and leaders will feel accepted and will remain loyal to the company.

#2 Characteristics of Attitude – Gratitude

A hint of gratitude peppered throughout the day increases an employees productivity by twenty percent.  All they have to do is simply say, “Thank You” to someone that helped them accomplish a task during the day.  The open acknowledgment changes the chemicals in the brain causing a chain reaction that produces positive results the remainder of the day.  It is a small thing, with a big impact.  Developing an attitude of gratitude can change the course of an organization by moving them into the spotlight within their industry.

Gratitude: An employee showing emotion and expressing appreciation for their work will increase their personal well-being and happiness by doing so.  The employee will show strong levels of energy, optimism, and empathy towards others within the organization.

#3 Characteritics of Attitude – Optimism

Optimistic employees will push forward with projects even in the face of adversity. They believe strongly in utilizing positive re-framing (shifting our viewpoint of an experience to see it in a more positive light) for handling the majority of situations in life, at work.  For example, an employee that recently failed an exam in one of their classes, upset a customer while troubleshooting a ticket, and failed to remember the weekly team meeting will mentally spin it to something that sounds like this, “I will try it again tomorrow” instead of this, “There is no way to recover from this day.”  This optimistic employee will rub off on the other employees, which will have a domino effect across the organization.

Optimism – The employee will accomplish allot in a very short period of time and will speak in active voice throughout their working day.

#4 Characteristics of Attitude – Resilience

The employee that bounces back from setbacks quickly and remains resilient during adverse times will show strong signs of loyalty for the company.  The following are strong indicators of a resilient employee:

•  Strong Sense of Purpose
• Utilize Sound Problem-Solving Strategies
• Good Sense of Humor
• Maintains a Healthy Lifestyle
• Healthy Sense of Control

Resilience – “The human capacity for burden is like bamboo- far more flexible than you’d ever believe at first glance.” You will want to watch for flexibility within the employee.

Developing the 4 Characteristics of Attitude

Henry Ford experienced a lifetime of continuous success because of his ability to recognize the 4 Characteristics of Attitude needed in all of the employees.  He figured out what the employees needed to activate these 4 Characteristics of Attitude and was able to create a win-win for everyone.  Henry once said, “Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.”  Let’s all figure out the current pulse of our markets in order to help our employees-managers-leaders come together and work together in order to build the loyalty back-up within our organizations.

“If there is any one secret of success, it lies in the ability to get the other person’s point of view and see things from that person’s angle as well as from your own.” Henry Ford