If Business is War, Are Your Troops Ready? - Part Two

Employees are a company's greatest asset. The cost of an employee is the single greatest expenditure a company will face over time; between the cost of hiring and vetting a new employee, training them, losing productivity as they get up to speed on their job responsibilities, paying their wages, insurance subsidies (or payments to the government in lieu thereof), vacation times and other benefits, a business or non-profit has a lot to lose if that employee quits, becomes too ill to work or has to be replaced for one reason or another.

All of these costs in time and money hold true for soldiers too, only the costs are magnified. This is why some personnel procedures that work in the military also apply to business.* Because just as employees are a company's greatest asset, trained soldiers are the greatest asset of a military. The best products or services in the world are squandered if the workforce supporting them is not properly trained and/or motivated, and the same is true in the military. Examples are legion of smaller armies besting larger ones that are better equipped because the smaller force was better trained and more motivated.

Morale is everything.

Protecting the company (or military's) assets is the boss's number one task, and no asset matters more than employees (or soldiers). Nothing costs more and nothing is harder to replace than a well-trained, highly motivated employee. And, like the military, when an employee is burned out and exhausted he or she is not good for much until they have had time to rest and replenish their energy, both physical and mental.

When a military unit is worn out and exhausted, what have smart commanders throughout history done? They have sent those soldiers somewhere to rest and relax. Time off in the military is seen as an integral part in keeping the soldier in fighting shape. Yet how many companies follow this pattern? How many companies quietly discourage their employees from taking time off to refresh themselves?

The smart ones don't, the Top 100 Places To Work share some commonalities, one of which is the requirement that their employees take vacations and forget about the workplace for a while. The savvy companies know this, and great generals throughout history would agree; if Business is War, are your troops ready for the battle?


*Obviously not all military regulations apply in the business world; 20 mile hikes in the rain, for example, would be problematic.