Tag: employee engagement

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Engagement Marketing

Gaining Employee Support through a New Type of Journalism

[2014 update: the following content still resonates, although the original links in this post were removed because they are no longer available.]

Here’s a fascinating concept to add to your internal marketing & communications toolbox: Workplace Journalism — “a conscious effort to make employee communications at least partly about employees and their concerns, not just the business and its issues.”

I learned about this from Barry Nelson, who believes business communicators can have a positive impact by adding more “empathetic, employee-advocacy journalism … into their otherwise business-results focused reportorial mix.”

He recommends that in addition to communicating corporate strategy, goals, progress & results, (which employees need to know), companies should also share stories of how employees cope with on-the-job issues & stresses (which employees want to know). According to Barry, we need to give “at least some prominence to our employees’ human concerns” such as “how and why to get along with the boss, make friends on the job, cope with stress, live the brand, be a good teammate, and other aspects of a satisfactory work life.”

The Pay-Off

This isn’t just ‘feel-good’ communications for the heck of it. Organizations that share these types of stories demonstrate their care and concern for employees, and this contributes to a strong sense of employee commitment and loyalty in turn.

To learn more, check out Barry’s guidance on getting started with Workplace Journalism.

 

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Engagement

Do You See the Suggestion Box as Half-Empty or Half-Full?

Here’s an interesting situation. An organization put in a suggestion box at the request of its employees. Within a week, there were over 135 suggestions in the box. But the company has only 36 employees!

If you view the contents as half-full, you might think, “Wow, what a great response!” If you tend toward the half-empty perspective, you might think, “Uh oh, there’s a lot of pent-up frustration among the staff.”

Despite my usually optimistic approach, I share the latter thinking in this case. It’s because I heard about this from one of the employees who told me that the suggestion box was one of management’s responses to high turnover and low morale.

Regardless of what one thinks about the suggestion box, I just hope this organization’s management takes it seriously and uses it as just one (but not the only) tool to listen to employees.

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Engagement

Mooses, Puzzlers & Peeves

If you’re looking for a great idea on how to get top management (and staff) to address tough issues, check out the Gap’s “Moose Sessions” described in a recent Melcrum blog post.

It reminded me of a facilitation exercise called “Puzzlers & Peeves” that, with management’s support, you can do with small groups of employees or in staff meetings. Here’s how it works:

  1. Ask the group to quickly identify what they think are the 4-5 biggest challenges facing the company (the “puzzlers”).
  2. Repeat the process with what they think are the 4-5 most irksome or irritating aspects of the company’s operations (the “peeves”).
  3. Combine the two lists and select the top 3-4 items that need to be addressed. (In my experience, at this point it’s best to acknowledge everyone’s limited time & resources and that it’s unrealistic to attempt the entire list. So the group will need to get consensus on which items they most want to tackle.)
  4. Follow up with an action plan for each and go at ‘em.

It’s a great way to focus staff on dealing with the issues and can be effective in turning gripe sessions into positive action.

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Engagement Marketing

To Strengthen Employee Relationships, Follow Me

Want a great way to foster mutual respect among the employees in your organization? Try this on for size.

Akron, OH-based ad agency Hitchcock Fleming & Associates (HFA) launched an “In Your Shoes Day” where employees in different departments shadowed each other to better appreciate the various jobs in the organization. After all, they depend on each in order to best serve their clients.

Julie Biddle, an Account Coordinator at HFA, told me it was an extraordinary experience. In her own words:

“For my shadow day I was in the shoes of someone in our production department.  It was eye opening to spend a day with him and to see what his job in the agency is like.  I even got to participate by doing his job for a couple hours.

Staring at the computer all day and working at making sure you notice every little detail was challenging, and I could finally see why some of the production people I work with are exhausted by the end of the day.  The next day, when I went back to being in my own shoes, I not only realized that I am definitely in the right area of work but I also gained a higher respect for the people who work in the production department.

This was definitely a worth while training experience and I praise my company for making all of us participate! “

[Thanks for sharing, Julie.]

You can find other company examples of ‘trading places’ in a previous post. It seems there’s no better way to create empathy, understanding and mutual respect among employees.

See how it fits in your organization.

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Engagement

Workplace Jerks

My last post shared an e-mail from a friend about a bad boss. Another associate told me about her experience with a previous employer – one manager there was so bad the staff created its own nickname for this person: TW (short for “train wreck”).

Unfortunately, workplace jerks abound. And they can be found in management as well as in the rank-and-file. A recent article in the McKinsey Quarterly on “Building the Civilized Workplace” describes the fallout from these jerks:

“Companies that put up with the jerks not only can have more difficult recruiting and retaining the best and brightest talent but are also prone to higher client churn, damaged reputations, and diminished investor confidence.”

The author of this article, Robert Sutton, has a new book out on this subject, The No Asshole Rule: Building a Civilized Workplace and Surviving One That Isn’t.

Sounds like great reading for my friends.

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Engagement Marketing

“The Power of Acknowledgment” – Myth-ing in Action

In my internal marketing workshops, I sometimes joke about positive reinforcement in the workplace being a lack of negative reinforcement. In other words, if you didn’t get your hand slapped at work today for doing something wrong, you might have done a good job. But how would you know when management holds back with its compliments and “atta boys?”

In her book, The Power of Acknowledgment, Judith Umlas explains why some managers are likely to withhold praise, and she effectively counters these ‘myths’ of acknowledgment.

Myth: If you praise people too often, it won’t mean as much

The law of diminishing returns does not apply to praise that is genuine and heartfelt. According to Umlas, “Imagine that your spouse or partner tells you every day with absolute sincerity how wonderful and incredible you are. Does that make you appreciate this deeply felt acknowledgment any less?”

Myth: If you tell people how good they are, they might not work as hard

Acknowledging people’s efforts will not take away their motivation to be better. “Acknowledgment and striving go together. When people feel validated through acknowledgment … they will go to great lengths … to get the job done the best they possibly can.”

Myth: A compliment given infrequently will be more valued

An acknowledgment means a great deal, especially when it comes from a manager who rarely gives praise. Umlas considers this from the employee’s perspective: “But what about all the time I spent worrying about … whether I’m doing a good enough job? … My concerns would be alleviated … and my performance might actually be improved if [managers] let me know on a more regular basis what they see as my worth and contribution to the organization.”

I’ve highlighted just the workplace-related excerpts from The Power of Acknowledgment. Umlas’ book provides a quick and easy read to help people harness this power in all their relationships.

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Engagement Marketing

“Firms of Endearment” Already a Best-Seller

As I predicted, the new book Firms of Endearment is becoming a best-seller. [2014 Note: This book is in its second edition.]

I heard recently from one of its authors, David Wolfe, that the book is entering its second printing – just a few months after its initial release.

I cite some of the book’s findings in my forthcoming book on internal marketing, Taking Care of the People Who Matter Most: A Guide to Employee-Customer Care. But don’t wait for my book to read about the power of “Firms of Endearment.” Get it while it’s hot … it’s a great book to read and will be a great addition to your business library.

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Engagement Marketing

The Power of Employee Gatherings

As mentioned in my last post, Chiumento’s research found positive work relationships and effective internal communication are critical to employee satisfaction & happiness at work.

Chiumento cites the following tips to encourage good working relationships:

  • Foster inter-departmental communication and working, giving employees opportunities to share ideas & experiences
  • Encourage face-to-face communication where appropriate, so that colleagues have more worthwhile discussions than e-mail alone allows
  • Ensure no staff member is working in isolation but feels supported and involved in business.

I find these tips (taken from a longer list) most relevant because I’ve seen firsthand their powerful impact. Two of my clients recently hosted special gatherings to bring together their sales reps: one was a statewide meeting, the other a national meeting. (One group was primarily female, the other group male; ages varied in both groups.)

Here’s a representative sample of their comments from the session evaluations:

  • Excellent opportunity to exchange ideas. We’re all in the same boat with common goals.
  • Beneficial in hearing and learning how team members approach new business & make contacts, etc.
  • This is helpful to prioritize my thoughts. It is always helpful to hear it again from different people.
  • It really charged us up & got the idea stream flowing.

Yes, these types of events are labor-intensive and incur travel costs, especially compared with lower-cost alternatives of webinars and teleconferences. But a well planned face-to-face employee gathering is a worthwhile investment in stimulating and sharing ideas, problem-solving approaches and renewed focus through stronger internal networks.

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Engagement Marketing

Happiness at Work

I’ve written before about research supporting the importance of employee satisfaction and happiness. I just came across more recent research conducted in the United Kingdom by Chiumento on Happiness at Work. (You can e-mail Chiumento for a copy of the report.)

Here are the top ten factors (ranked in order) that impact employee happiness. Note: while these findings are similar to previous research here in the U.S., they may not be applicable in other countries.

What Makes Us Happy at Work

  • Friendly, supportive colleagues
  • Enjoyable work
  • Good boss or line manager
  • Good work-life balance
  • Varied work
  • Belief that we’re doing something worthwhile
  • Feeling that what we do makes a difference
  • Being part of a successful team
  • Recognition for our achievements
  • Competitive salary.

What Makes Us Unhappy at Work

  • Lack of communication from the top
  • Uncompetitive salary
  • No recognition for achievements
  • Poor boss/line manager
  • Little personal development
  • Ideas being ignored
  • Lack of opportunity for good performers
  • Lack of benefits
  • Work not enjoyable
  • Not feeling that what I do makes a difference.

These factors also relate to employee engagement – measured in the research by how much employees care about their organization’s success and how much they feel they personally contribute to this success. According to Chiumento, “If you treat your staff fairly and ensure good lines of communication you will help them feel happier which in turn encourages them to give more discretionary effort.”

More on this in my next post …

Categories
Engagement Marketing

National Employee’s Day (Did you miss it, too?)

Did you know March 12th was National Employee’s Day?

It was a surprise to me (especially given my internal marketing, “employees-first” approach). I just learned about it recently (more on that later), and found very little on the web when I researched it. Although I did discover links to National Employee Health & Fitness Day, National Employee Benefits Day, and the National Association for Employee Recognition blog.

When I asked around, I heard some interesting reactions ranging from “I thought that’s what Labor Day is all about” to “Everyday is Employees’ Day – they get paid to come to work, don’t they?” My question is: do employees really need a special day set aside for recognition? I hate to think that’s the only time when a company acknowledges its people.

If anyone has more info on National Employee’s Day, please let me know.

P.S. So where did I first hear about this special day? It was mentioned in the daily newsletter for staff & guests of Glenora Inn, where my husband & I stayed recently. (It’s our favorite getaway place in the beautiful Finger Lakes.) Glenora management was treating its staff in observance of National Employee’s Day, one of many employee recognition efforts they engage in. I already know first-hand the incredible service & hospitality provided by Glenora staff (sigh) … guess I’ll just have to go back to learn more about their internal marketing.