Happy people make better employees

I don’t have many heroes, but my Uncle Eddie was one of them. One of the many things I took away from him was his idea behind business lunches.

He owned a car lot, and if you were working and ate lunch on-site, he bought it. You were welcome to leave and go get lunch on your own, but most days we’d do a lunch order, sit around together and eat it.

This was a good deal for me, but as a teenager, my love of capitalism started to grow. So, after going to get the order and seeing what it cost, I asked him why he bought lunch for everybody.

In his usual patient way, he explained that he liked buying lunch because it made everybody happy. He believed, rightly I think, that happy people were better employees. They treated customers better, and they took more pride in the business.

Besides, he said with a grin, “How long does it take us to eat lunch?” he asked me. “About 15 minutes,” I said.

Understanding my new affinity for business, he taught me my first lesson in owning one. He explained that, if five people would normally get an hour each for lunch, but instead took 15 minutes, then you’re recouping some of what you spent on the food in labor costs.

He even grabbed a pad of paper and did the math for me. It was more than 30 years ago, but I’ve never forgotten it.

That’s why, if you drop by Johnston Now around lunchtime you’ll see us sitting around the table having lunch together. It’s where we try to find out what kind of cake David likes (since he’s new) or try to get Mike to try Chinese food.

Three decades later, our lunch bills are a lot higher than my uncle’s were, but everything else I learned that day in his office is still the same.

Happy people do make better employees. And I’m grateful for the advice.