Smart companies are spending more and more time on the concept of engaging their workforce and developing highly energized work teams. In some of my past articles I’ve written about the value of engaged employees and why many companies fail to take advantage of this simple concept (see Why Don’t More Companies Engage Their Employees?)
But how does one go about the process of creating an engaged workforce, especially when the workforce is currently disengaged?
There are a couple of factors involved in creating an engaged workforce including trust in the leadership of the company, an ability to utilize the special talents of the employees, and connection that exists between the employees view of life and the goals of the company.
I’ve written before that great teams are built on the foundation of great leadership and that great leadership is built on the foundation of great trust. No employee can ever be seriously engaged in their job or their company when they lack trust in the leadership. An employee that doesn’t trust their manager or executive team views every decision with a jaundiced eye. They make assumptions that every decision is made for all the wrong reasons. They make jokes about how incompetent the managers are, and look for every excuse to do as little as possible.
Many companies routinely review turnover to discover if an inordinate amount of employees are leaving from specific departments. High turnover is usually a sure clue of leadership challenges and disengaged employees. Of course, with so many companies going through downsizing it becomes more and more difficult to use turnover as the measure of a leader.
But downsizing or no downsizing, the employees know exactly who they trust and who they do not.
And just as every employee knows who they trust, they also know exactly what they are good at and what they are not good at. One of the reasons that engaged employees love their jobs is that they get to feel successful because they are doing the things that they like and are good at. Too often an employee is hired because they have a specific skill without regard to the employee's talents or preferences. Employees hired for skill are often good employees, but not great employees. They become great employees and engaged employees when they get the chance to do what they do best.
Finally, employees want to feel that their company and their company's mission is special in some way. Regardless of how mundane your product or service may seem on the surface, they are looking for a personal connection and a source of pride through their company. Whether that means they are involved in the manufacturing of life saving devices, bringing smiles to children through the toys the company sells, or creating a little creature comfort through the company's outstanding chocolate chip cookies, the employees want their job to have meaning, just like their life. It’s not always apparent on the surface, but employees are looking for a connection between their personal values and the company's products and services. Employees who make that connection are much more likely to love what they do, create a positive work environment, and have higher productivity.
Of course, there is much more to employee engagement than just these three items, but they are a start. I’d love to hear your thoughts and ideas as to what does, or would, engage you.
At ECI Learning Systems LLC, we are dedicated to helping companies get the greatest return from their most valuable asset: their employees. We work with you to align 3 key organizational factors:
• Your Company Culture
• The Leadership Styles of your key managers
• The Expectations of your Employees
When these 3 factors are aligned, you create an energy in your company that improves productivity, reduces absenteeism, increases creativity, and positively impacts your bottom line. Contact ECI Learning Systems LLC today to get your free Workplace Evaluation.
Until next time.....
Dave Meyer
ECI Learning Systems, LLC
http://www.ecilearning.com/
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Is This REALLY What They Had In Mind?
Let me be honest right up front. I HATE dealing with the airlines. Business travel always sounds glamorous, but it really is not. It’s physically and emotionally draining. And pleasure travel is not much better.
But the airlines… Oh, the airlines. They make all of the other pain seem like a trip to Disneyland. It’s like they are trying to make your life miserable.
It used to be that boarding was done from the back of the plane. Of course, first class and frequent flyers boarded first. I had no problem with that. Even before I earned the privilege I understood the concept of giving benefits to your best customers. But they didn’t really board from the back. Instead, they would call out rows and anyone who wanted to would board. They made no attempt to control who boarded, so what would happen would be that you would get in line and then stand there while the guy in 15B stashed all of his stuff, nowhere near the back of the plane. Of course, he wasn’t alone. Many others did the same thing, pretty well screwing up any chance you had of boarding efficiently.
Then they changed the boarding process to board by zones. “This makes sense,” I thought. “They will probably hit window areas first, back of the plane, etc.” But it didn’t take long for me to figure out that I was in the last group to be boarded, and I was by the window, so my seat mates all had to get out of their seats to let me in. Once again, I wasn’t alone. This happened up and down the plane creating all kinds of blockages. Or course the flight attendants were walking through the cabin closing overhead bins that were “full”. Except most of them weren’t full. And people were desperately looking for a place to store their luggage and had to keep opening the same compartments again and again.
It’s like they are trying to make things tough on their passengers.
Then, in a moment of undisputed brilliance they started charging extra to check your bag through. And it wasn’t a minimum amount, like $5. No, it was $20 per bag. And $25 or $30 each if you wanted to check a second bag.
The response to this from passengers was obvious. People stopped checking bags. Instead, they carried more and more things onto the plane, making that boarding process even more torturous. On one flight I checked my suitcase but carried on my laptop. When I stored my laptop in the overhead bin I found myself challenged by a flight attendant. It seems those overhead bins are reserved for people with two carry-ons.
“So,” I said, “I paid more to check my bag and that entitles me to LESS space on the airplane? I don’t think so“, I said as I sat down, my bag still in the overhead bin.
It’s like they are trying to take advantage of those people who paid extra.
And this isn't just with me personally. Others have worse stories to tell. In fact one of their passengers did just that. Follow this link for the video “United breaks guitars”. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YGc4zOqozo&NR=1&feature=fvwp
It’s like they try to anger their passengers.
But in the context of this blog, what exactly is the point?
Simple. At ECI Learning Systems we talk about how your corporate culture drives your decision making process, and how the synergy between that culture, the leadership styles, and the employee expectations creates the energy that runs your business. So what is the culture in these airlines (and it’s not just United) that they make decisions that appear to be so “anti-customer”? Does anyone really believe that the executives sat around and consciously tried to create a culture that was so anti-customer?
But somehow, they did. Somehow they created an environment where decision after decision makes their customer experience worse. I’m far from alone in hating the airlines. In fact, I’ve yet to speak to anyone who enjoys their customer experience with any of the major airlines.
Here is the big question. If the airlines have created this type of toxic customer service experience, have other businesses done the same? Has YOUR business unwittingly created an environment where decisions are being made that are hurting your business?
If you do not know exactly what your customers are thinking about you, it’s time that you found out. If you don’t know what decisions your culture is driving, it’s time that you found out. If you are not sure how your employees are representing your business, it’s time that you found out.
Contact ECI Learning today and discover how your company culture is driving your business.
Until next time….
Dave Meyer
ECI Learning Systems, LLC
http://www.ecilearning.com/
But the airlines… Oh, the airlines. They make all of the other pain seem like a trip to Disneyland. It’s like they are trying to make your life miserable.
It used to be that boarding was done from the back of the plane. Of course, first class and frequent flyers boarded first. I had no problem with that. Even before I earned the privilege I understood the concept of giving benefits to your best customers. But they didn’t really board from the back. Instead, they would call out rows and anyone who wanted to would board. They made no attempt to control who boarded, so what would happen would be that you would get in line and then stand there while the guy in 15B stashed all of his stuff, nowhere near the back of the plane. Of course, he wasn’t alone. Many others did the same thing, pretty well screwing up any chance you had of boarding efficiently.
Then they changed the boarding process to board by zones. “This makes sense,” I thought. “They will probably hit window areas first, back of the plane, etc.” But it didn’t take long for me to figure out that I was in the last group to be boarded, and I was by the window, so my seat mates all had to get out of their seats to let me in. Once again, I wasn’t alone. This happened up and down the plane creating all kinds of blockages. Or course the flight attendants were walking through the cabin closing overhead bins that were “full”. Except most of them weren’t full. And people were desperately looking for a place to store their luggage and had to keep opening the same compartments again and again.
It’s like they are trying to make things tough on their passengers.
Then, in a moment of undisputed brilliance they started charging extra to check your bag through. And it wasn’t a minimum amount, like $5. No, it was $20 per bag. And $25 or $30 each if you wanted to check a second bag.
The response to this from passengers was obvious. People stopped checking bags. Instead, they carried more and more things onto the plane, making that boarding process even more torturous. On one flight I checked my suitcase but carried on my laptop. When I stored my laptop in the overhead bin I found myself challenged by a flight attendant. It seems those overhead bins are reserved for people with two carry-ons.
“So,” I said, “I paid more to check my bag and that entitles me to LESS space on the airplane? I don’t think so“, I said as I sat down, my bag still in the overhead bin.
It’s like they are trying to take advantage of those people who paid extra.
And this isn't just with me personally. Others have worse stories to tell. In fact one of their passengers did just that. Follow this link for the video “United breaks guitars”. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YGc4zOqozo&NR=1&feature=fvwp
It’s like they try to anger their passengers.
But in the context of this blog, what exactly is the point?
Simple. At ECI Learning Systems we talk about how your corporate culture drives your decision making process, and how the synergy between that culture, the leadership styles, and the employee expectations creates the energy that runs your business. So what is the culture in these airlines (and it’s not just United) that they make decisions that appear to be so “anti-customer”? Does anyone really believe that the executives sat around and consciously tried to create a culture that was so anti-customer?
But somehow, they did. Somehow they created an environment where decision after decision makes their customer experience worse. I’m far from alone in hating the airlines. In fact, I’ve yet to speak to anyone who enjoys their customer experience with any of the major airlines.
Here is the big question. If the airlines have created this type of toxic customer service experience, have other businesses done the same? Has YOUR business unwittingly created an environment where decisions are being made that are hurting your business?
If you do not know exactly what your customers are thinking about you, it’s time that you found out. If you don’t know what decisions your culture is driving, it’s time that you found out. If you are not sure how your employees are representing your business, it’s time that you found out.
Contact ECI Learning today and discover how your company culture is driving your business.
Until next time….
Dave Meyer
ECI Learning Systems, LLC
http://www.ecilearning.com/
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
How To Ride A Dead Horse
The tribal wisdom of the Dakota Indians, passed on from one generation to the next, says that when you discover you are riding a dead horse, the best strategy is to dismount. In business a “dead horse” could mean a product that is no longer marketable, a process that has outlived its usefulness, or possibly even an employee who was once a valued contributor, but now, for all intents and purposes, is "dead."
Unlike the Dakota Indians, modern businessmen have identified alternatives to simply dismounting a dead horse. Here is a sample of modern alternatives.
1. Buying a stronger whip.
- Perhaps the horse is not really dead. If we merely apply more pressure we can get the results we desire. This idea seldom works.
2. Changing riders.
- Changing leaders is a common solution when the dead horse is a poorly performing department or company. Of course, when the new rider declares that the horse is indeed dead, he is hailed as a visionary.
3. Lowering the standards so that dead horses can be included.
- This solution has been popularized in recent years by HR departments whose primary mission is to ensure that the company does not get sued. This solution leads to a large number of dead horses throughout the organization.
4. Hire outside consultants to study the dead horse and find the best way to use it.
- Consultants often produce reams of paper reiterating the fact that the horse is indeed dead. But since they are paid to find ways to properly utilize the dead horse, they always include a series of recommendations that are neither creative, nor useful.
5. Harness several dead horses together for increased speed.
- We’ve all seen companies that literally reorganize all of their dead horses into one area and then wonder why the department underperforms.
6. Declare that a dead horse has lower overhead and therefore performs better.
- You laugh, but I’m guessing that you recognize this solution as one that your company has used.
7. Rewrite the expected performance requirements for horses.
- Another solution popularized by HR. This is generally done under the guise of “being fair” to all of the other dead horses in the organization.
8 Hire a coach for the dead horse.
- Personally I’ve seen this one a number of times. Sometimes they even call me. Here’s the hint that the horse is dead. The call doesn’t come from the dead horse (after all, they can’t talk) but instead comes from the dead horses boss. Luckily, I refuse to work with dead horses.
9. Assign the horse to “special projects”.
- Sometimes these special projects last a few months, but sometimes the dead horses are around for years. But it doesn’t take long for a dead horse to start to stink.
10. Promote the dead horse to a supervisory position.
- Dead horses still weigh a lot. When a company makes a decision to promote the dead horse to a supervisor they build that weight right into their cost structure.
While this list is not necessarily original, it is nonetheless a too accurate description of how too many organizations handle their “dead horses”. Look around at your organization. Do you have one or more “dead horses” on the org chart? If so, it may be time to heed the wisdom of the Dakota Indians and dismount.
At ECI Learning Systems LLC, we are dedicated to helping companies get the greatest return from their most valuable asset: their employees. We work with you to align 3 key organizational factors:
• Your Company Culture
• The Leadership Styles of your key managers
• The Expectations of your Employees
When these 3 factors are aligned, you create an energy in your company that improves productivity, reduces absenteeism, increases creativity, and positively impacts your bottom line. Contact ECI Learning Systems LLC today to get your free Workplace Evaluation.
Until next time.....
Dave Meyer
ECI Learning Systems, LLC
http://www.ecilearning.com/
Unlike the Dakota Indians, modern businessmen have identified alternatives to simply dismounting a dead horse. Here is a sample of modern alternatives.
1. Buying a stronger whip.
- Perhaps the horse is not really dead. If we merely apply more pressure we can get the results we desire. This idea seldom works.
2. Changing riders.
- Changing leaders is a common solution when the dead horse is a poorly performing department or company. Of course, when the new rider declares that the horse is indeed dead, he is hailed as a visionary.
3. Lowering the standards so that dead horses can be included.
- This solution has been popularized in recent years by HR departments whose primary mission is to ensure that the company does not get sued. This solution leads to a large number of dead horses throughout the organization.
4. Hire outside consultants to study the dead horse and find the best way to use it.
- Consultants often produce reams of paper reiterating the fact that the horse is indeed dead. But since they are paid to find ways to properly utilize the dead horse, they always include a series of recommendations that are neither creative, nor useful.
5. Harness several dead horses together for increased speed.
- We’ve all seen companies that literally reorganize all of their dead horses into one area and then wonder why the department underperforms.
6. Declare that a dead horse has lower overhead and therefore performs better.
- You laugh, but I’m guessing that you recognize this solution as one that your company has used.
7. Rewrite the expected performance requirements for horses.
- Another solution popularized by HR. This is generally done under the guise of “being fair” to all of the other dead horses in the organization.
8 Hire a coach for the dead horse.
- Personally I’ve seen this one a number of times. Sometimes they even call me. Here’s the hint that the horse is dead. The call doesn’t come from the dead horse (after all, they can’t talk) but instead comes from the dead horses boss. Luckily, I refuse to work with dead horses.
9. Assign the horse to “special projects”.
- Sometimes these special projects last a few months, but sometimes the dead horses are around for years. But it doesn’t take long for a dead horse to start to stink.
10. Promote the dead horse to a supervisory position.
- Dead horses still weigh a lot. When a company makes a decision to promote the dead horse to a supervisor they build that weight right into their cost structure.
While this list is not necessarily original, it is nonetheless a too accurate description of how too many organizations handle their “dead horses”. Look around at your organization. Do you have one or more “dead horses” on the org chart? If so, it may be time to heed the wisdom of the Dakota Indians and dismount.
At ECI Learning Systems LLC, we are dedicated to helping companies get the greatest return from their most valuable asset: their employees. We work with you to align 3 key organizational factors:
• Your Company Culture
• The Leadership Styles of your key managers
• The Expectations of your Employees
When these 3 factors are aligned, you create an energy in your company that improves productivity, reduces absenteeism, increases creativity, and positively impacts your bottom line. Contact ECI Learning Systems LLC today to get your free Workplace Evaluation.
Until next time.....
Dave Meyer
ECI Learning Systems, LLC
http://www.ecilearning.com/
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