The Continued Importance of Employee Engagement, in Recognition of Labor Day

As a healthcare and business attorney, I have and continue to work with individual doctors, their practices, and many other businesses and vendors that support the healthcare industry. It is such a great group of individuals and businesses. And I really enjoy talking about how those individuals can work on their businesses and with their team members and talent, from the perspective of their culture, vision/mission, core values, and overall employee engagement. In recognition of the upcoming celebration on Labor Day, there is no better time to discuss this topic.

What Does Labor Day Really Signify?

As we all know, Labor Day 2022 is on Monday, September 5th . As one commentator put it, Labor Day “pays tribute to the contributions and achievements of American workers.” It was created by the labor movement in the late 19th century and became a federal holiday in 1894. What we also know is that Labor Day weekend also symbolizes the end of summer for many of us, and is celebrated with parties, parades, and athletic events.

Personal Note: I will certainly be participating in those celebrations this weekend, including my older son’s football game at Kentucky. My son, Dominic Nardone, is on scholarship and plays football for Miami of Ohio, and they have a tough test against the Kentucky Wildcats and the SEC this weekend. No matter the outcome, we will be celebrating. J

Why We Should Be Thinking About and Celebrating Our Talent Every Day, Not Just on Labor Day

I like to think of our employees as team members and refer to them as either team members or the talent in our practices, firms, and organizations. Why? Because I do not believe that the word “employee” does the relationship between the employer and employee justice. The relationships that we have with the talent in our practices, firms, and organizations is much deeper and much more important than the word “employee” signifies, at least to me personally. The importance of recognizing that and the importance of taking care of our talent cannot be over-emphasized. As one disruptor in the human resource space has said, and I am paraphrasing.

Those leaders that do not take care of their team members will find themselves surrounded by team members that do not care about their business, and therefore do not care about their patients, clients, customers etc.

I try to remember this quote every day and try to act upon it every day. Do you?

How Can We Celebrate Labor Day All Year Long When It Comes to Our Team Members/Talent?

This post, of course, cannot provide the necessary detail as to everything we can do to take care of our talent in our offices. It requires a systematic, long-term, and intentional process that involves many hours and many people to do it right. But here are some general thoughts, and I think this says it all.

  • Operate from a perspective and position of humility.
  • Be true to your word.
  • Be authentic.
  • Operate an employee-centric practice, not just a patient-centric practice, or customer/client centric business.
  • Set clear and specific expectations and hold yourself and others accountable.
  • Most importantly, follow through.

Every day that you come into the office, every day that you leave the office, and every day that you wake up and think about the office, you must be thinking of others, specifically, your team members. And, I am not only talking about your current team members, but also your future team members and your past team members. You want to let them know through your words and your actions that you care and that you are there for them. That you are not self-seeking. Celebrate them and let them know that you are there to help them succeed. And be sincere, or they will see right through it.  Now, of course, I could write much more on this topic, and leaders and commentators could talk for days about this topic. But there is something about the categories above that just brings it home for me.

Have a great weekend, and Labor Day celebration.

Vince Nardone is a partner with Benesch, with a focus in Benesch’s healthcare practice, and specifically a leader in the dental industry. He is a thought leader and regular speaker in the dental industry. He may be reached at (614) 223-9326 or vnardone@beneschlaw.com.