With Valentine’s Day being celebrated this week, you may be spending a little more time shopping for chocolates and gifts than normal. According to a study, consumers spend $21.8 billion annually on this holiday. In fact, $4.1 billion goes to jewelry purchases, whereas $2 billion is spent on flowers and candy each. However, there’s one aspect of Valentine’s that won’t cost you a penny: humming your favorite tunes. So, with an emphasis on Cupid’s holiday, we wanted to pull a few leadership lessons out of some classic love songs. Check them out below!
Celebrate Your Employees’ Career Moves
“I hope life treats you kind. And, I hope you have all you’ve dreamed of. And, I’m wishing you joy and happiness…”
The classic love song written by Dolly Parton and immortalized by Whitney Houston, I Will Always Love You, transcends time and musical genres. While romantic relationships come and go, the same is true with professional relationships. When a co-worker, supervisor, or employee gets a promotion outside your organization, you may feel like singing “bittersweet memories, that is all I’m taking with me.” However, it’s best to celebrate professional growth and career moves. Wish them well with “joy and happiness.”
Take Your Time, Plan Ahead
“Wise men say only fools rush in…”
While Elvis said he Can’t Help Falling in Love, the age-old saying remains: only fools rush in. In his classic ballad, the King of Rock ‘n Roll shows that while “some things are meant to be,” “a river flows surely to the sea.” It’s imperative to plan ahead and schedule for your future goals and aspirations. Some things are constant, and if your competition is in the same river headed to the same sea, then you must plan ways to differentiate yourself before jumping in that proverbial river. If you sit back, take your time, and plan ahead, you’ll be able to tell your plans to “take my hand, and take my whole life too,” and see the benefits of not rushing in.
Focus on Employee Recognition and Appreciation
“Unforgettable in every way, and forever more, that’s how you’ll stay.”
The silky-smooth voice of Nat King Cole may help lovers feel Unforgettable over the Valentine’s Day weekend, but words of affirmation and recognition are also important to employees in the workplace. And company morale depends on it. A survey shows 85% of employees who receive weekly recognition are satisfied with their job. Embrace your inner crooner and focus on telling your employees how you appreciate them in specific ways or simply “in every way.”
Hire for Cultural Fit
“It had to be you, it had to be you, I wandered around and finally found, that somebody who…”
When hiring your next employee, focus on the best fit for not just skills and experience, but also for cultural fit. In his song It Had to Be You, when Frank Sinatra looked for the perfect partner, he found that “some others I’ve seen, might never be mean, might never be cross, or try to be boss, but they wouldn’t do.” Ol’ Blue Eyes himself knew that while people may look great on paper, they just aren’t the right fit. When hiring your next employee, focus on the values of your company and be sure to pick the candidate who best fits your culture. Seek that ah-ha moment where you can say “it had to be you!”
What are your favorite love songs? What advice would you extrapolate from them? Let us know in the comments section below!
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