Two big box stores right next door to one another – a shared parking lot and that is where the similarity ends. First I went to Big Box number one – a home and hardware store.
In BB1 a sales person was hard to fine. Only one of the three individuals I spoke to was able to direct me (with a wave) in the general direction I needed to head. As I was paying for my purchases the young man behind me was rather abruptly told he had to go to another teller because this one was closing. When he, quite rightly, objected that there was no closed sign – he was ignored.
After I had paid for my purchases I tried to head for the parking lot. But I was stuck – there did not seem to be any way for me to take my shopping cart down to the underground parking. I appealed to a member of staff for help: “each cart is worth $250,” he told me, “you can’t take it to the parking lot, it’s too expensive if we lose it.”
Yeah right – let’s see what good a whole lot of expensive carts do you without any customers.
Big Box number two was an electronics store. I was on a hunt for a vacuum cleaner. The young man I asked help from, politely took me over and gave me a thorough explanation of the product I was interested in. I asked if I could have a cart and right away he trotted off to find me one. As I was waiting for him two other sales people asked if they could help me.
Once I had paid for my purchase I went to the elevator. I pushed the button and waited - but nothing happened. I turned to one of the nearby greeters to ask if there was a problem with the elevators and she waved to me and called out that she had already called someone to see about the elevator. Boy what a difference. But wait it gets better. A young man arrived. He spent about five minutes trying to get the elevator to work – to no avail. He then happily picked up my purchase and cheerfully escorted me and it to my car.
Yes, yes, yes I am going back.
Now I happen to know that both of these organizations have similar values – I went to their respective web sites and checked. But in the one organization the values are simply words on paper, in the other they are real things that people do every day to make the customer experience worthwhile.
Getting those values off the shelf and into the hands of your employees is pretty key. What are you doing to make your values real for employees? I’d like to know because if you’re doing it right – I want to do business with you.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Monday, November 5, 2007
When 15 year olds know more
We had dinner last week with a dear family friend who we have not seen for a number of years. One of the topics under discussion was how senior executives isolate themselves from the rest of the organization. Our friend cited the example of a client of his where the executive team was protected by a phalanx of secretaries and assistants – to the detriment of the organization.
My 15 year old daughter (whose experience of the working world is limited) shook her head and made the following comment: “That’s just daft everyone knows leaders are supposed to inspire people and get them to collaborate. How can they do that if they never see anyone?”
How indeed? Gives you pause for thought when a 15 year old intuitively understands what a highly paid 45 year old executive cannot implement.
My 15 year old daughter (whose experience of the working world is limited) shook her head and made the following comment: “That’s just daft everyone knows leaders are supposed to inspire people and get them to collaborate. How can they do that if they never see anyone?”
How indeed? Gives you pause for thought when a 15 year old intuitively understands what a highly paid 45 year old executive cannot implement.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Engagement and the happiness score
On a ten point scale a one point difference in worker’s trust in management has the same impact on life satisfaction as a one-third change in income. This from an article by Professors Helliwell and Haslam in yesterday’s Vancouver Sun.
One could conclude that companies could save a wack of money by improving levels of trust rather than giving increases – a debate I’m not going to enter into. I’m more interested in the notion of happiness and its positive impact on productivity.
Helliwell and Haslam also point out that happiness increases with a sense of group identity and when we feel we have control over our surroundings.
Intuitively we understand that happy employees are productive employees. Indeed many of the questions we ask when attempting to gauge engagement relate directly to our well-being; Am I heard? Do my opinions count? Does anyone care? Do I contribute to departmental and organizational goals?
We put a great deal of effort into carefully crafted compensation packages – and they are important make no mistake. But I can’t help wondering how much we could increase productivity if we focused more of our efforts on the “happiness” score.
One could conclude that companies could save a wack of money by improving levels of trust rather than giving increases – a debate I’m not going to enter into. I’m more interested in the notion of happiness and its positive impact on productivity.
Helliwell and Haslam also point out that happiness increases with a sense of group identity and when we feel we have control over our surroundings.
Intuitively we understand that happy employees are productive employees. Indeed many of the questions we ask when attempting to gauge engagement relate directly to our well-being; Am I heard? Do my opinions count? Does anyone care? Do I contribute to departmental and organizational goals?
We put a great deal of effort into carefully crafted compensation packages – and they are important make no mistake. But I can’t help wondering how much we could increase productivity if we focused more of our efforts on the “happiness” score.
Friday, September 28, 2007
On shoes and fish
Some weeks ago we had dinner with dear friends. No dinner party is complete without a good story and this one was no exception. The story was told by our host who is a keen fisherman. It involved a salmon – and a pair of Kenneth Coles. Shoes are important to our host. He is the CEO of a large shoe store chain.
Our friend was escaping a very frustrating day at the office. Still dressed to deal he went fishing to relieve the tension, and eventually landed every fisherman’s dream - a 20 lb salmon. (This is his story – not mine.) The Kenneth Coles were mentioned frequently and appear to have stood the test of reeling in a 20 pounder while battling the currents and avoiding large sea-faring vessels.
What’s amazing about this story, other than the fact that I remembered it, is that I now know the name of a brand of men’s shoes. And this is important because I do not buy men’s shoes. Personally I avoid shoe shopping – it’s a painful experience for me. And because I find buying shoes so stressful – I see no need to be involved in the purchase of shoes for others. Good heavens my husband actually enjoys shoe shopping and probably owns more pairs of shoes than I do. I’ve no doubt he bonds with our children while the three of them are out shoe shopping. So why I ask you should I remember any brand of male foot attire?
I remember Kenneth Cole because someone told me a really good story. And if that isn’t a powerful business tool I’ll eat my shoe.
Our friend was escaping a very frustrating day at the office. Still dressed to deal he went fishing to relieve the tension, and eventually landed every fisherman’s dream - a 20 lb salmon. (This is his story – not mine.) The Kenneth Coles were mentioned frequently and appear to have stood the test of reeling in a 20 pounder while battling the currents and avoiding large sea-faring vessels.
What’s amazing about this story, other than the fact that I remembered it, is that I now know the name of a brand of men’s shoes. And this is important because I do not buy men’s shoes. Personally I avoid shoe shopping – it’s a painful experience for me. And because I find buying shoes so stressful – I see no need to be involved in the purchase of shoes for others. Good heavens my husband actually enjoys shoe shopping and probably owns more pairs of shoes than I do. I’ve no doubt he bonds with our children while the three of them are out shoe shopping. So why I ask you should I remember any brand of male foot attire?
I remember Kenneth Cole because someone told me a really good story. And if that isn’t a powerful business tool I’ll eat my shoe.
Friday, September 21, 2007
Only 21% of employees engaged
Only 10 percent of employees around the globe believe senior management treats people as the most important part of the organization - this according to a Towers Perrin survey of nearly 90,000 workers worldwide.
The survey goes on to say that just 21 percent of the employees surveyed are engaged in their work, meaning they're willing to go the extra mile to help their companies succeed. Thirty-eight percent are partly to fully disengaged. Towers Perrin has dubbed this the "engagement gap".
Firms with the highest percentage of engaged employees increased operating income by 19 percent and earnings per share by 28 percent.
It’s clear that the performance improvement opportunity for businesses today is in accessing discretionary effort and lessening the “engagement gap”.
People are fully involved in, and enthusiastic about their work when they understand how they personally contribute to the organization’s goals and objectves. Supervisors and managers are best placed to make that connection for employees – far more so then say - the employee newsletter.
Are we investing our communication dollars in the right place?
The survey goes on to say that just 21 percent of the employees surveyed are engaged in their work, meaning they're willing to go the extra mile to help their companies succeed. Thirty-eight percent are partly to fully disengaged. Towers Perrin has dubbed this the "engagement gap".
Firms with the highest percentage of engaged employees increased operating income by 19 percent and earnings per share by 28 percent.
It’s clear that the performance improvement opportunity for businesses today is in accessing discretionary effort and lessening the “engagement gap”.
People are fully involved in, and enthusiastic about their work when they understand how they personally contribute to the organization’s goals and objectves. Supervisors and managers are best placed to make that connection for employees – far more so then say - the employee newsletter.
Are we investing our communication dollars in the right place?
Employess ARE the pieces of the puzzle
I am not a native of North America. And after 18 years living on this continent I still find the North American tendency to fully disclose rather confusing.
On the one hand it’s very helpful; a better understanding of the people you work with eight hours a day, five days a week certainly takes the guess out of the relationship. On the other hand my natural reserve is unsettled and I wonder if I too am expected to “spill my guts”.
This is not the model I grew up with.
The model I was raised with is long dead. In that model people went to work and left their problems at home. It was stiff upper lip all day long and kick the cat when you got home. Of course in those days people really did work eight hours a day and there was a cat at home.
The reality, then and now, is that we are all on a journey. And no matter how hard we try the private journey will intrude on the workplace. Most of us are able to see the connection between our personal and workplace travels. The truly productive among us are those who fully integrate the corporation’s journey into their own personal travels.
When the private and corporate journeys diverge – we’re in trouble. At that point we feel like our values are being stepped on and separation is highly likely.
When I was growing up it was the job of the employee to “buck up” and step in line. The tables have turned. Faced with 80 million retiring boomers corporations can no longer expect employees to abandon their own life stories in favor of the corporate story. Now the company must meets its employees half way and help them to integrate the personal with the workplace. It’s no longer enough to tell only one side of the story.
Highlighting individual stories of achievement is a good way of building the corporate story. It’s rather like a jigsaw puzzle; the corporation is the border and all the employees are the pieces in the puzzle.
On the one hand it’s very helpful; a better understanding of the people you work with eight hours a day, five days a week certainly takes the guess out of the relationship. On the other hand my natural reserve is unsettled and I wonder if I too am expected to “spill my guts”.
This is not the model I grew up with.
The model I was raised with is long dead. In that model people went to work and left their problems at home. It was stiff upper lip all day long and kick the cat when you got home. Of course in those days people really did work eight hours a day and there was a cat at home.
The reality, then and now, is that we are all on a journey. And no matter how hard we try the private journey will intrude on the workplace. Most of us are able to see the connection between our personal and workplace travels. The truly productive among us are those who fully integrate the corporation’s journey into their own personal travels.
When the private and corporate journeys diverge – we’re in trouble. At that point we feel like our values are being stepped on and separation is highly likely.
When I was growing up it was the job of the employee to “buck up” and step in line. The tables have turned. Faced with 80 million retiring boomers corporations can no longer expect employees to abandon their own life stories in favor of the corporate story. Now the company must meets its employees half way and help them to integrate the personal with the workplace. It’s no longer enough to tell only one side of the story.
Highlighting individual stories of achievement is a good way of building the corporate story. It’s rather like a jigsaw puzzle; the corporation is the border and all the employees are the pieces in the puzzle.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Power to the people
I have a pen pal. Most of our communication is via email with the occasional phone conversation.
My pal Kenny is a busy senior executive who still finds time to talk to me even though he has never seen me and lives half a continent away. Pretty amazing, but then Kenny is rather special.
Kenny is the corporate ombudsman at KeySpan Corp., a Brooklyn, New York-based energy company. Before joining KeySpan he was a Roman Catholic monk.
You’d imagine that going from monk to manager would be quite enough stimulation for a single lifetime but Kenny keeps looking for ways to make corporate life better.
During our last conversation he shared with me his experiences with Open Space. Open Space Technology enables people to create inspired meetings and events. In Open Space meetings participants create and manage their own agenda of parallel working sessions around a central theme of strategic importance. In other words a group of anywhere between 20 and 200 people turn up at a session with no more than a theme - no agenda.
They spend the first part of the day setting up the agenda. People who are passionate about topics related to the central theme volunteer to run breakouts on that topic. Once everyone who wants to run a session has volunteered then they go to separate rooms and the remaining participants use their feet to take them to the subject that excites them.
Wow! Subversive. Talk about power to the people.
There are a whole bunch of things that excite me about Open Space but most of all I like that fact that it is so grounded in the positive. People are voluntarily seeking out what they are enthusiastic about.
Trouble with adopting something like Open Space is that managers have to have faith in their employees. They have to trust that employees really do have the best interests of the company at heart. And that, I believe, is the real challenge to the success of initiatives like Open Space.
I’d like to hear what you think.
Check out Kenny’s book The CEO and the Monk: One Company’s Journey to Profit and Purpose (John Wiley & Sons, 2004), written together with KeySpan CEO Robert Catell and writer Glenn Rifkin.
My pal Kenny is a busy senior executive who still finds time to talk to me even though he has never seen me and lives half a continent away. Pretty amazing, but then Kenny is rather special.
Kenny is the corporate ombudsman at KeySpan Corp., a Brooklyn, New York-based energy company. Before joining KeySpan he was a Roman Catholic monk.
You’d imagine that going from monk to manager would be quite enough stimulation for a single lifetime but Kenny keeps looking for ways to make corporate life better.
During our last conversation he shared with me his experiences with Open Space. Open Space Technology enables people to create inspired meetings and events. In Open Space meetings participants create and manage their own agenda of parallel working sessions around a central theme of strategic importance. In other words a group of anywhere between 20 and 200 people turn up at a session with no more than a theme - no agenda.
They spend the first part of the day setting up the agenda. People who are passionate about topics related to the central theme volunteer to run breakouts on that topic. Once everyone who wants to run a session has volunteered then they go to separate rooms and the remaining participants use their feet to take them to the subject that excites them.
Wow! Subversive. Talk about power to the people.
There are a whole bunch of things that excite me about Open Space but most of all I like that fact that it is so grounded in the positive. People are voluntarily seeking out what they are enthusiastic about.
Trouble with adopting something like Open Space is that managers have to have faith in their employees. They have to trust that employees really do have the best interests of the company at heart. And that, I believe, is the real challenge to the success of initiatives like Open Space.
I’d like to hear what you think.
Check out Kenny’s book The CEO and the Monk: One Company’s Journey to Profit and Purpose (John Wiley & Sons, 2004), written together with KeySpan CEO Robert Catell and writer Glenn Rifkin.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Tall tales and why we tell them
We changed the format of our blog and for a brief period of time all the blogs I had written since May disappeared. My first thought: “Someone on our team doesn’t like my blogs, they’re trying to get rid of them.”
Utter nonsense of course. It was nothing more than a technical problem. But I am human and like most of you I need to make sense of my world. So when something happened that I didn’t understand, I made up a story, namely that my colleagues hated my blogs and were hell bent on getting rid of them.
We do this all the time, especially in the complex corporate world. If relationships and communication are muddy we create stories to fill in the gaps. And frequently we don’t bother to go and check the accuracy of our interpretation.
But here’s the scary part. We then go and tell friends and colleagues our stories, who in turn tell others and these stories create a new reality.
This is not healthy. The only way to stop it is through open and honest communication. The basis for which is trust; strung together in this way these are four of the most challenging letters in our alphabet.
Utter nonsense of course. It was nothing more than a technical problem. But I am human and like most of you I need to make sense of my world. So when something happened that I didn’t understand, I made up a story, namely that my colleagues hated my blogs and were hell bent on getting rid of them.
We do this all the time, especially in the complex corporate world. If relationships and communication are muddy we create stories to fill in the gaps. And frequently we don’t bother to go and check the accuracy of our interpretation.
But here’s the scary part. We then go and tell friends and colleagues our stories, who in turn tell others and these stories create a new reality.
This is not healthy. The only way to stop it is through open and honest communication. The basis for which is trust; strung together in this way these are four of the most challenging letters in our alphabet.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Body Shop founder Dame Anita Roddick leaves storytellng legacy
Anita Roddick, founder of The Body Shop died yesterday after suffering a brain hemorrhage. She was 64.
Roddick began her beauty and retailing career in 1976 in a little hippie shop in Brighton England . She set herself apart by underscoring the ethical properties of her formulations, created with natural ingredients, and often sourced from the developing world.
In 2006, The Body Shop was purchased by L'Oreal Group, but remains an independently run company. Today there are nearly 2,000 body shop stores in 50 countries.
In addition to being a visionary entrepreneur Roddick was also a great storyteller. Here is a story from a woman who went boldly where others would not:
“My first shop was between two funeral parlors. They objected to the name Body Shop because of course they had coffins passing by all day. I remember thinking “they can’t stop me, but I can have some fun with this”. So I called the local newspaper - anonymously with the hankie over the mouthpiece - and told them I was being intimidated by “mafia undertakers”. It was my first free publicity and I have never paid for publicity since.”
Anita Roddick, 2007
Roddick began her beauty and retailing career in 1976 in a little hippie shop in Brighton England . She set herself apart by underscoring the ethical properties of her formulations, created with natural ingredients, and often sourced from the developing world.
In 2006, The Body Shop was purchased by L'Oreal Group, but remains an independently run company. Today there are nearly 2,000 body shop stores in 50 countries.
In addition to being a visionary entrepreneur Roddick was also a great storyteller. Here is a story from a woman who went boldly where others would not:
“My first shop was between two funeral parlors. They objected to the name Body Shop because of course they had coffins passing by all day. I remember thinking “they can’t stop me, but I can have some fun with this”. So I called the local newspaper - anonymously with the hankie over the mouthpiece - and told them I was being intimidated by “mafia undertakers”. It was my first free publicity and I have never paid for publicity since.”
Anita Roddick, 2007
Sunday, September 9, 2007
Good deeds lead to improved performance
Two weeks ago one of our partners did us a good turn. I was touched and amazed. It wasn’t something I had anticipated. I thanked our partner and went about my business.
Yesterday it suddenly dawned me how that one good turn had influenced my behavior. We’ve been working with this partner for a number of years and when the opportunity arises I always recommend their programs. But in the past two weeks I have mentioned them far more frequently. At some level I’m trying to say “thank you”, but for the most part this was entirely unconscious.
When I realized how my behavior had changed, I got to thinking about the impact of good turns in the workplace. What happens when a manager fully acknowledges an employee by giving him or her credit for an idea? What happens when a colleague passes some meaningful work along to a co-worker with no thought of payback?
I am reminded of a manager of mine from many years ago. He was quick to sing the praises of his employees and publicly acknowledged our ideas – even if he had coached us in developing those ideas. He always looked for opportunities to showcase our performance. This man was very well loved and those of us who worked for him were more than happy to put in extra effort. His simple acts of human decency produced real and concrete results.
In case you are interested, the partner organization I mentioned in the first paragraph is the Writing and Publishing Program within the Continuing Studies Department of Simon Fraser University.
Large organizations are filled with people doing good turns every day and increasing the profitability of their organizations.
Yesterday it suddenly dawned me how that one good turn had influenced my behavior. We’ve been working with this partner for a number of years and when the opportunity arises I always recommend their programs. But in the past two weeks I have mentioned them far more frequently. At some level I’m trying to say “thank you”, but for the most part this was entirely unconscious.
When I realized how my behavior had changed, I got to thinking about the impact of good turns in the workplace. What happens when a manager fully acknowledges an employee by giving him or her credit for an idea? What happens when a colleague passes some meaningful work along to a co-worker with no thought of payback?
I am reminded of a manager of mine from many years ago. He was quick to sing the praises of his employees and publicly acknowledged our ideas – even if he had coached us in developing those ideas. He always looked for opportunities to showcase our performance. This man was very well loved and those of us who worked for him were more than happy to put in extra effort. His simple acts of human decency produced real and concrete results.
In case you are interested, the partner organization I mentioned in the first paragraph is the Writing and Publishing Program within the Continuing Studies Department of Simon Fraser University.
Large organizations are filled with people doing good turns every day and increasing the profitability of their organizations.
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Showtime of dancing to the same tune
Last week my eleven year old son, together with 79 children ages 9 to19 performed in a Broadway-type extravaganza. It was the climax of an intensive month long program; six hours of practice a day, a faculty of eight instructors, 33 song and dance numbers, 44 lines of dialogue, a total of 900 costumes. It culminated in three highly professional and entertaining performances.
What’s the secret to success of a program like this? In part it’s good old fashioned organization. There was a very well thought out master plan and everything was geared toward achieving that plan.
But to achieve a well thought out plan the players need to be committed and working toward the same goal. That’s where business plans often fail. The senior executives develop wonderful strategies that employees can’t see the rationale for, can’t figure out what it means for them personally and as a result don’t bother to make them happen.
This plan succeeded because every child understood and joyfully supported the end goal. The children may not have been aware of the details of the master plan, but they embraced the destination and their individual roles in achieving the plan. Each child completely understood that he or she was absolutely vital to the final act and by extension the journey.
Just imagine if all your employees felt the same way? Perhaps business has something to learn from the arts.
What’s the secret to success of a program like this? In part it’s good old fashioned organization. There was a very well thought out master plan and everything was geared toward achieving that plan.
But to achieve a well thought out plan the players need to be committed and working toward the same goal. That’s where business plans often fail. The senior executives develop wonderful strategies that employees can’t see the rationale for, can’t figure out what it means for them personally and as a result don’t bother to make them happen.
This plan succeeded because every child understood and joyfully supported the end goal. The children may not have been aware of the details of the master plan, but they embraced the destination and their individual roles in achieving the plan. Each child completely understood that he or she was absolutely vital to the final act and by extension the journey.
Just imagine if all your employees felt the same way? Perhaps business has something to learn from the arts.
Sunday, September 2, 2007
Still focussed on product
I had an interesting conversation over the weekend with a senior executive from a large multinational. This guy is one smart cookie. Any communication or change management professional working for him had better know what he or she is doing – because this guy can see through the bullshit.
Until very recently his organization operated under a PR-style model for internal communications. Not surprisingly it didn’t work. This savvy exec was quite clear that superficial internal communication - driven by product – was not good enough to take his company into the future.
Actually it’s not good enough for any organization.
That’s not to say that communication products like newsletters, podcasts and web sites don’t play an important part in the communication mix. However, the role of manager as communicator is, I would argue, pivotal. And if that is the case, then the role of the communications professional is to facilitate the conversation and develop the process and tools to support it.
Why are communicators still focused on product even when their execs are looking for something else? I’d be interested to hear your views.
Until very recently his organization operated under a PR-style model for internal communications. Not surprisingly it didn’t work. This savvy exec was quite clear that superficial internal communication - driven by product – was not good enough to take his company into the future.
Actually it’s not good enough for any organization.
That’s not to say that communication products like newsletters, podcasts and web sites don’t play an important part in the communication mix. However, the role of manager as communicator is, I would argue, pivotal. And if that is the case, then the role of the communications professional is to facilitate the conversation and develop the process and tools to support it.
Why are communicators still focused on product even when their execs are looking for something else? I’d be interested to hear your views.
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Talking with the receptionist
One of the first items in my inbox this morning was an article from Knowledge@Wharton entitled "Talking with the Receptionist". Who can resist a title like that?
The article begins with the story of Stephen Harrison, (at the time he was CEO of Lee Hecht Harrison, a global career management services company) being reprimanded by his COO for not greeting the receptionist when visiting one of their regional offices.
The COO explains that a receptionist is "a corporate concierge. They will talk to more important people in a day - suppliers, customers, even CEOs - than you will talk to all year."
It's well known that many organizational types think more about the people above them in the hierarchy, than those below them. Yet, it is frequently those at the lower rungs who have daily contact with the client, and make and deliver the goods and services for those same clients.
Leaders who understand this and pay attention to everyone within the organization, no matter their level, will be repaid a million times as their employees apply the same care and attention to customers.
The article begins with the story of Stephen Harrison, (at the time he was CEO of Lee Hecht Harrison, a global career management services company) being reprimanded by his COO for not greeting the receptionist when visiting one of their regional offices.
The COO explains that a receptionist is "a corporate concierge. They will talk to more important people in a day - suppliers, customers, even CEOs - than you will talk to all year."
It's well known that many organizational types think more about the people above them in the hierarchy, than those below them. Yet, it is frequently those at the lower rungs who have daily contact with the client, and make and deliver the goods and services for those same clients.
Leaders who understand this and pay attention to everyone within the organization, no matter their level, will be repaid a million times as their employees apply the same care and attention to customers.
Monday, August 13, 2007
Respect builds loyalty
Eli's parents came to Canada from Poland. They did not speak English. It was the kindness of strangers that helped them settle in and make their way in the new world.
Eli's experience influenced his later thinking when he established his sanitation business. He made respect a cornerstone of his employee relations policy.
Most of the positions in Eli's organization are filled by immigrants; decent people who due to language constraints are not able to work to their potential. Eli tells them they are valued and respected in many ways from paying their benefit package in full, to welcoming children to the compulsory bi-monthly staff meeting, and arranging English lessons on Saturday mornings.
Most of Eli's competitors are struggling to find good employees and turnover is high. Eli has the opposite concern - he has a surfeit of loyal and dedicated staff.
The story was told me by one of Eli's managers. He spoke about his staff and colleagues with more respect and concern than we have grown to expect in the workplace. And that's a pity because the business benefits of valuing your employees are real and relate directly to the bottom line.
Eli's experience influenced his later thinking when he established his sanitation business. He made respect a cornerstone of his employee relations policy.
Most of the positions in Eli's organization are filled by immigrants; decent people who due to language constraints are not able to work to their potential. Eli tells them they are valued and respected in many ways from paying their benefit package in full, to welcoming children to the compulsory bi-monthly staff meeting, and arranging English lessons on Saturday mornings.
Most of Eli's competitors are struggling to find good employees and turnover is high. Eli has the opposite concern - he has a surfeit of loyal and dedicated staff.
The story was told me by one of Eli's managers. He spoke about his staff and colleagues with more respect and concern than we have grown to expect in the workplace. And that's a pity because the business benefits of valuing your employees are real and relate directly to the bottom line.
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Silent movies allow us to co-own the story
I'm probably one of few who hankers after silent movies.
This weekend my husband and I, and our 11 year old son, laughed and cried our way through The Gold Rush; one of Charlie Chaplin's most successful silent films. First made in 1925 the black and white film is a masterpiece of physical humor and pathos.
We watched both the original 1925 version and the one Chaplin edited and added narration to in 1942. All of us agreed that the original was a far more powerful piece of cinema.
A good story puts you right in the middle of the action. You feel like you are part of the drama. With silent film much of the interpretation is left up to you. You project your own thoughts and feelings (and words) onto the characters. You make the story part of your own experience - your own lexicon - and that is powerful. Powerful because once it becomes your story - you begin to integrate it into your belief system.
The same may be said of radio drama where you are encouraged to imagine an entire world based on conversations between people.
When people use storytelling in a corporate setting they offer listeners an opportunity to co-own a story - to make it their own. Replace the story with facts and figures and people struggle to make the story personal and integrate it with their belief systems.
This weekend my husband and I, and our 11 year old son, laughed and cried our way through The Gold Rush; one of Charlie Chaplin's most successful silent films. First made in 1925 the black and white film is a masterpiece of physical humor and pathos.
We watched both the original 1925 version and the one Chaplin edited and added narration to in 1942. All of us agreed that the original was a far more powerful piece of cinema.
A good story puts you right in the middle of the action. You feel like you are part of the drama. With silent film much of the interpretation is left up to you. You project your own thoughts and feelings (and words) onto the characters. You make the story part of your own experience - your own lexicon - and that is powerful. Powerful because once it becomes your story - you begin to integrate it into your belief system.
The same may be said of radio drama where you are encouraged to imagine an entire world based on conversations between people.
When people use storytelling in a corporate setting they offer listeners an opportunity to co-own a story - to make it their own. Replace the story with facts and figures and people struggle to make the story personal and integrate it with their belief systems.
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Shopping can be instructive
My teenage daughter likes to shop at TNA. I have never fully understood the attraction. The clothes are attractive, sensible, decent quality and a little overpriced for a teen. As a parent I am thankful for the first three attributes.
Yesterday I went shopping with my daughter, and now I get it. Shopping at TNA is a connected, solutions-orientated experience. The shop assistants were right there connecting with my daughter, and finding solutions that worked just for her. It makes shopping a real breeze when you have someone looking for a way to make your experience personally satisfying.
How do they do it? I think I know the answer - passion. The young women who work for TNA love the product they sell and are excited to bring it to their customers. This can't be an accident.
Our next stop was a sporting goods store. The contrast could not have been more dramatic. It was hard to get the attention of the staff; they were lackluster and not very helpful. Clearly this was no more than a job.
Retail highlights the need to engage employees and bring them along on the corporate journey. There are lessons for the rest of us whether we are manufacturing tractors of developing software. We all have customers or clients even when we work in government or not-for-profits. If the people who work for you love the service or product you offer - they will sell or support it gladly.
Can you make people love your product or service?
Yes I think you can. Here are some of the things you will need to do:
- Help your employees understand how they support the product or service you offer. Help them understand how their daily activities move the organization closer to its goals;
- Help your employees understand the broader context in which you operate; who your customers are, and the added value you offer them;
- Show them the complete selling cycle;
- Set clear expectations and relate these back to your goals and objectives;
- Provide training;
- Build a culture that celebrates the people who exhibit the behaviors you want.
Friday, July 20, 2007
Stories make connections around the globe
Travel broadens the mind, and in my case, the hips as well. The good meals and interesting conversations I had last week in the UK are to blame.
I am struck, as always, by the cultural differences between our polite and charming European cousins and North Americans. I am also, as usual, struck by the similarities. Let me explain: In all nations we face the common challenge of ensuring our people are thoroughly engaged in the organizational journey. In all countries we struggle with the challenges of making our most expensive and most precious resource, people, highly productive.
We have long been schooled in cultural differences. North Americans and Europeans seek eye contact, the Japanese avoid it. In India you indicate yes by shaking your head, in North America that means no. In the rush to honor differences we sometimes overlook the similarities.
I attended a large corporate event in London. It was within a stones throw of Hyde Park, which certainly lent a little grandeur to the occasion. Initially I was so focused on the differences that I couldn't see the commonalities. There were obvious differences in language, humor and culture. For example I have never been to a North American corporate event where the CEO sent everyone off to get a drink before he closed the session.
But in one respect we are the same the world over. We all need to make that human connection; to be acknowledged and build relationships. Whether you are in London, Chicago, Toronto, Tokyo or Delhi that need remains constant. It also seems the hardest to fulfill, certainly within the business context. Stories do it. At the meeting in London, executives and employees used stories to talk about how they met objectives. The real human stories of endeavor and success made it right to the hearts of the attendees. Our language might change depending on where we are; our emphasis and manners might differ. But we all achieve the same result when we tell a story - connections that speak volumes to our common humanity.
I am struck, as always, by the cultural differences between our polite and charming European cousins and North Americans. I am also, as usual, struck by the similarities. Let me explain: In all nations we face the common challenge of ensuring our people are thoroughly engaged in the organizational journey. In all countries we struggle with the challenges of making our most expensive and most precious resource, people, highly productive.
We have long been schooled in cultural differences. North Americans and Europeans seek eye contact, the Japanese avoid it. In India you indicate yes by shaking your head, in North America that means no. In the rush to honor differences we sometimes overlook the similarities.
I attended a large corporate event in London. It was within a stones throw of Hyde Park, which certainly lent a little grandeur to the occasion. Initially I was so focused on the differences that I couldn't see the commonalities. There were obvious differences in language, humor and culture. For example I have never been to a North American corporate event where the CEO sent everyone off to get a drink before he closed the session.
But in one respect we are the same the world over. We all need to make that human connection; to be acknowledged and build relationships. Whether you are in London, Chicago, Toronto, Tokyo or Delhi that need remains constant. It also seems the hardest to fulfill, certainly within the business context. Stories do it. At the meeting in London, executives and employees used stories to talk about how they met objectives. The real human stories of endeavor and success made it right to the hearts of the attendees. Our language might change depending on where we are; our emphasis and manners might differ. But we all achieve the same result when we tell a story - connections that speak volumes to our common humanity.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Fruits of our labour
Great organizations achieve sustainable growth and profits because they do what other organizations don’t: they maximize the innate, individual talents of their employees to connect with customers. They know that tapping the resources of humans is the only remaining area where significant improvements can--and do--lead to an unlimited source of competitive advantages."
Curt Coffman, Gabriel Gonzalez-Molina, in Follow this Path 2002
My hairdresser is at it again - managing my curls and filling my head with exciting thoughts. This weekend it was Fruits.
Fruits is a Japanese magazine. It is choc full with fabulous images of Tokyo street fashion; young women who are unashamedly devoted to fashion and who relish to opportunity to be creative and display their difference. Each of these women has clearly taken a lot of time to create an individual interpretation of what is currently considered "in-style".
We all yearn to be noticed for our difference and our unique contributions. The hankering doesn’t stop just because we work in a corporate setting with a common set of goals and objectives.
Remember the book "Now, Discover your strengths" by Marcus Buckingham and Donald O. Clifton?
It focuses on building organizations and individuals based on people’s strengths. The message resonated with many of us who for years have been trying to fix the deficits and fit into the mould.
With more honours students coming out of India and China then we have children in North America, the only true competitive advantage any organization has is the creativity and flexibility of its people. Why would we not use that to its fullest by encouraging individual talents?
Curt Coffman, Gabriel Gonzalez-Molina, in Follow this Path 2002
My hairdresser is at it again - managing my curls and filling my head with exciting thoughts. This weekend it was Fruits.
Fruits is a Japanese magazine. It is choc full with fabulous images of Tokyo street fashion; young women who are unashamedly devoted to fashion and who relish to opportunity to be creative and display their difference. Each of these women has clearly taken a lot of time to create an individual interpretation of what is currently considered "in-style".
We all yearn to be noticed for our difference and our unique contributions. The hankering doesn’t stop just because we work in a corporate setting with a common set of goals and objectives.
Remember the book "Now, Discover your strengths" by Marcus Buckingham and Donald O. Clifton?
It focuses on building organizations and individuals based on people’s strengths. The message resonated with many of us who for years have been trying to fix the deficits and fit into the mould.
With more honours students coming out of India and China then we have children in North America, the only true competitive advantage any organization has is the creativity and flexibility of its people. Why would we not use that to its fullest by encouraging individual talents?
Monday, July 16, 2007
Lesson from my hairdresser on making the connection
My mother always said a woman needs two things; a comfortable pair of shoes and a good haircut. She was right, particularly if your hairdresser happens to be a management guru.
My hairdresser is just that. Aside from the obvious hairdressing skills she is a communicator par excellence. She makes a very real and personal connection with each and every one of her clients. And it shows - she has a large and loyal following. I am always royally entertained by her insights and comments. Her latest story is a gem I must share.
My hairdresser has a client (we will call her Jill), who works for a large high tech multinational. She is happy and motivated and loves what she does. But Jill is becoming increasingly irritated by the number of telephone conference calls she is asked to participate in by colleagues across North American.
Jill, who is resourceful, (and has great hair), has figured out how to deal with conference calls; she simply gets on with her work. If there is a pause in the conversation or she hears her name, she says something along the lines of: "I'm sorry you just cut out, would you mind repeating the last sentence."
Smart cookie our Jill. Turns out she's not alone. Jill was at a convention and met with colleagues from across North America. She discovered many of them were doing the same thing.
So what's going on when half the people involved in a continental teleconference are tuning out and putting their creative talents into the 'opt out' process?
Perhaps the person who convened the conference call didn't think through the invitation list; perhaps he or she was tying too hard to be inclusive. Maybe Jill should have said no. Was she afraid her voice would be lost if she didn't participate? Or worse, afraid that people would think she was not a team player? I'm sure all the above are contributing factors.
The technology doesn't improve matters. What with email calendaring, teleconferencing and videoconferencing it's almost too easy to schedule a meeting. Evidence the fact that our calendars are overloaded. Technology is so seductive, it promises so much. And yet once we are over the hurdle of setting up the telephone call, the video or online conference - it's hard to feel connected.
With teams operating around the globe it's easy for employees to feel disengaged, particularly if their interfacing with technology rather than a human being. I wonder how Jill would have handled things if she had a personal relationship with the meeting chair. A personal connection may have allowed her to be honest and say "no I'm not going to be available - I'm too busy - if you need my voice please find another way to connect with me."
My hairdresser will tell you that connecting with people is important and only once you have the connection can you be honest. This explains why, despite my entreaties, I am not ash blonde this summer.
I'd be interested in your thoughts. Send me an email and I will publish your responses in this blog.
My hairdresser is just that. Aside from the obvious hairdressing skills she is a communicator par excellence. She makes a very real and personal connection with each and every one of her clients. And it shows - she has a large and loyal following. I am always royally entertained by her insights and comments. Her latest story is a gem I must share.
My hairdresser has a client (we will call her Jill), who works for a large high tech multinational. She is happy and motivated and loves what she does. But Jill is becoming increasingly irritated by the number of telephone conference calls she is asked to participate in by colleagues across North American.
Jill, who is resourceful, (and has great hair), has figured out how to deal with conference calls; she simply gets on with her work. If there is a pause in the conversation or she hears her name, she says something along the lines of: "I'm sorry you just cut out, would you mind repeating the last sentence."
Smart cookie our Jill. Turns out she's not alone. Jill was at a convention and met with colleagues from across North America. She discovered many of them were doing the same thing.
So what's going on when half the people involved in a continental teleconference are tuning out and putting their creative talents into the 'opt out' process?
Perhaps the person who convened the conference call didn't think through the invitation list; perhaps he or she was tying too hard to be inclusive. Maybe Jill should have said no. Was she afraid her voice would be lost if she didn't participate? Or worse, afraid that people would think she was not a team player? I'm sure all the above are contributing factors.
The technology doesn't improve matters. What with email calendaring, teleconferencing and videoconferencing it's almost too easy to schedule a meeting. Evidence the fact that our calendars are overloaded. Technology is so seductive, it promises so much. And yet once we are over the hurdle of setting up the telephone call, the video or online conference - it's hard to feel connected.
With teams operating around the globe it's easy for employees to feel disengaged, particularly if their interfacing with technology rather than a human being. I wonder how Jill would have handled things if she had a personal relationship with the meeting chair. A personal connection may have allowed her to be honest and say "no I'm not going to be available - I'm too busy - if you need my voice please find another way to connect with me."
My hairdresser will tell you that connecting with people is important and only once you have the connection can you be honest. This explains why, despite my entreaties, I am not ash blonde this summer.
I'd be interested in your thoughts. Send me an email and I will publish your responses in this blog.
Monday, July 9, 2007
Outcomes as the starting point for effective communication
I am fortunate to have the acquaintance of some truly inspiring individuals. Spending time with them is not unlike sharing a meal with the angels. You're up there in the intellectual ether.
I had one such opportunity recently in London with storytelling systems and process guru, Marcus Hayes. What I love about people like Marcus is their ability not only to play with ideas, but their capacity to develop real and workable solutions with those ideas.
Marcus is currently looking at re-engineering some of our standard processes; starting with outcome to stimulate small groups to develop strategy and the corresponding actions. It's a novel approach; we're more accustomed to starting with strategy, then moving to actions and finally outcomes. Marcus however, begins by linking individual outcomes directly to corporate strategy and so providing each of us with the opportunity to dream our own reality. What an exciting idea - every employee writing his or her own corporate vision statement.
Outcomes are of course what we are all after - the gold standard. That's why we invest so much time developing strategy and measuring performance. So beginning with the outcomes you want to achieve is a rather good idea. Provided, of course, that those outcomes support the strategic direction.
I had one such opportunity recently in London with storytelling systems and process guru, Marcus Hayes. What I love about people like Marcus is their ability not only to play with ideas, but their capacity to develop real and workable solutions with those ideas.
Marcus is currently looking at re-engineering some of our standard processes; starting with outcome to stimulate small groups to develop strategy and the corresponding actions. It's a novel approach; we're more accustomed to starting with strategy, then moving to actions and finally outcomes. Marcus however, begins by linking individual outcomes directly to corporate strategy and so providing each of us with the opportunity to dream our own reality. What an exciting idea - every employee writing his or her own corporate vision statement.
Outcomes are of course what we are all after - the gold standard. That's why we invest so much time developing strategy and measuring performance. So beginning with the outcomes you want to achieve is a rather good idea. Provided, of course, that those outcomes support the strategic direction.
In his most recent article, Strategic Connections Inc president, Ken Milloy, talks about our role as communicators in shaping outcomes. (And by the way I happen to believe that anyone with the word 'supervisor' 'leader' or 'manager' in their title is by definition a communicator.) Ken - a pretty sharp thinker himself - is very clear that as communicators our outcomes should be a lot more than product, including:
- Helping employees develop a better understanding of how what they do relates to the organization's vision, strategies, goals and performance.
- Ensuring employees not only get, but understand, the information they need to help guide their day-to-day decisions.
Recognizing and reinforcing desired behaviors and outcomes through communication. - Establishing a communication environment that involves employees in thinking about and understanding how they influence business results.
It's the Kens and the Marcus' of the world who help us to build our competencies and dream a little more effectively. What are your outcome dreams?
Monday, June 25, 2007
Doing the corporate nod
Last week I saw the Blue Man Group. One word: singular. I'm not even going to begin to categorize the performance. But in case you are wondering, yes, they are blue.
What interested me was that the performance could be viewed both as fun entertainment, and at a deeper level, as social commentary. The drama of our working lives is not dissimilar, particularly when it comes to how we communicate with one another. We say things because we have to fit in. We do the corporate nod because it's expected. But inside an entirely different dialogue is on the go and that internal dialogue is often reflected in our behaviors.
"Yes, love the idea says one manager to another," while secretly thinking "stupidest thing I ever heard," and s/he quickly rush off to do …..nothing. Well of course employees are not stupid and when they see the leader "doing nothing" they will take their cue from his or her behavior and they too will "do nothing".
All the fine words in the world will be ignored because our eyes tell us what's really important.
Oh the drama of the workplace!
What interested me was that the performance could be viewed both as fun entertainment, and at a deeper level, as social commentary. The drama of our working lives is not dissimilar, particularly when it comes to how we communicate with one another. We say things because we have to fit in. We do the corporate nod because it's expected. But inside an entirely different dialogue is on the go and that internal dialogue is often reflected in our behaviors.
"Yes, love the idea says one manager to another," while secretly thinking "stupidest thing I ever heard," and s/he quickly rush off to do …..nothing. Well of course employees are not stupid and when they see the leader "doing nothing" they will take their cue from his or her behavior and they too will "do nothing".
All the fine words in the world will be ignored because our eyes tell us what's really important.
Oh the drama of the workplace!
Saturday, May 19, 2007
Everyone has a real life story to tell
Every one of us has a real and true life story to tell
"We learned that our life stories are so much more important than our traits, characteristics, leadership styles, or the training programs that companies teach about competencies and skills. Those pale by comparison with the importance of knowing your life story and being true to it."
Bill George, author of Authentic Leadership and True North
Every one of us has a real and true life story to tell. A story that reflects our deeply held values.
When we're given the opportunity to truly share our stories we feel valued and important. And that's good for everyone. It's good for the business because individual performance improves and profits increase. It's good for employees because we have purpose in life - we feel we belong - our life story becomes part of the cultural fabric of our organization.
Storytelling is a wonderful tool, but it's not something we should reserve for "leaders only". Stories are for everyone. To feel valued and listened to is a fundamental human need.
But what do we do when people in positions of trust - say our manager - is not able to listen and really hear our stories?
What happens is people stop telling their stories. And when they do that one of the threads is lost, a thread that enables us to motivate, inform and inspire - no matter where we sit in the organization.
"We learned that our life stories are so much more important than our traits, characteristics, leadership styles, or the training programs that companies teach about competencies and skills. Those pale by comparison with the importance of knowing your life story and being true to it."
Bill George, author of Authentic Leadership and True North
Every one of us has a real and true life story to tell. A story that reflects our deeply held values.
When we're given the opportunity to truly share our stories we feel valued and important. And that's good for everyone. It's good for the business because individual performance improves and profits increase. It's good for employees because we have purpose in life - we feel we belong - our life story becomes part of the cultural fabric of our organization.
Storytelling is a wonderful tool, but it's not something we should reserve for "leaders only". Stories are for everyone. To feel valued and listened to is a fundamental human need.
But what do we do when people in positions of trust - say our manager - is not able to listen and really hear our stories?
What happens is people stop telling their stories. And when they do that one of the threads is lost, a thread that enables us to motivate, inform and inspire - no matter where we sit in the organization.
Wednesday, March 7, 2007
Getting the culture right to catch em and keep em
I’m pretty good at reviewing books I haven't finished reading – see my recent article on storytelling books. I have yet to review a book I have not read and I’m not going to start. But there’s a book out there with an important message that I feel I have to mention, even though I do not yet have it in bookshelf.
The book is Catch Them If You Can!: How Any Manager Can Win the War for Talent in the Global Labor Shortage'>Catch Them if You Can!: How Any Manager Can Win the War for Talent in the Global Labor Shortage Greg Ford and Dr. Sullivan. As you may have guessed from the title, it’s about the worker shortage we will face as the baby boom generation retires. The US Department of Labor predicts a shortfall of 10 million workers by 2010; one in 13 jobs will be vacant.
Actually I lie; I have read a couple of chapters of the book. Greg is a friend and I had the pleasure of a pre-publish peak.
Greg and John have written a book to help managers understand the need to aggressively go after the top talent. They provide practical strategies that can be easily implemented, including a step-by-step recruiting plan that the reader can take away and apply immediately.
But there’s a strong message in this book beyond recruitment, namely that we need to ensure an engaged and vibrant culture to prosper. The world has changed - employees are no longer lining up to work in our organizations. If we want to hire the best then we had better make sure our cultures are open, aligned and full of opportunity.
A lot of people my age have trouble reconciling the attitude of youngsters coming into the workplace today. They see them as entitled. I don’t. I see a very realistic attitude. This is a group of people who knows when they are good and they are not going to stick around and do boring, irrelevant work for 10 years until the boss retires.
The book is Catch Them If You Can!: How Any Manager Can Win the War for Talent in the Global Labor Shortage'>Catch Them if You Can!: How Any Manager Can Win the War for Talent in the Global Labor Shortage Greg Ford and Dr. Sullivan. As you may have guessed from the title, it’s about the worker shortage we will face as the baby boom generation retires. The US Department of Labor predicts a shortfall of 10 million workers by 2010; one in 13 jobs will be vacant.
Actually I lie; I have read a couple of chapters of the book. Greg is a friend and I had the pleasure of a pre-publish peak.
Greg and John have written a book to help managers understand the need to aggressively go after the top talent. They provide practical strategies that can be easily implemented, including a step-by-step recruiting plan that the reader can take away and apply immediately.
But there’s a strong message in this book beyond recruitment, namely that we need to ensure an engaged and vibrant culture to prosper. The world has changed - employees are no longer lining up to work in our organizations. If we want to hire the best then we had better make sure our cultures are open, aligned and full of opportunity.
A lot of people my age have trouble reconciling the attitude of youngsters coming into the workplace today. They see them as entitled. I don’t. I see a very realistic attitude. This is a group of people who knows when they are good and they are not going to stick around and do boring, irrelevant work for 10 years until the boss retires.
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