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.
Thursday, August 23, 2007
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.
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