Valerie Simon
One of my favorite business books is Hal Rosenbluth’s “The Customer Comes Second.” The premise of the book is that if you truly want to provide your clients with the best experience possible, you must put your employees first.
Last week I asked, “What actions are you taking to help clients weather this rough economy?” Today I am curious to find out what you are doing to help your employees.
National research done last month by Weber Shandwick highlighted the fact that many company leaders are not communicating with employees on the financial crisis. According to Harris Diamond, CEO of Weber Shandwick “At a time when working Americans are concerned about their personal finances, their jobs, and the overall economy, employees are looking for credible, candid information, and right now too few business leaders are filling the information void that exists.”
Our Chairman recently sent a memo to all employees addressing the current market and providing some insights on both the economy and our business. I really appreciated his comments, and found myself discussing his memo with my family that evening. Throughout the weeks that followed, numerous colleagues mentioned to me how much they appreciated his remarks. With leadership addressing the situation, there was a new direction in the conversation among employees. Has your leadership made an effort to address business in the current marketplace? Do you think it has had an impact?
Addressing employee fears is just one action organizations must take in order to keep staff focused and productive. A recent survey by Accenture highlighted the fact that the current economic condition is having an impact on employee morale, and that employers must take extra efforts to keep employees engaged and providing the desired level of performance.
We’ve been taking special efforts to keep our team excited about the future. Our sales conference this year had a “convention” theme, and attendees were inspired to “choose success.” Though we certainly had to keep a close eye on costs, we managed to pull together a conference that generated a great deal of enthusiasm for our company, and also met our objectives for educating and training. Our client service team also enjoyed a special day devoted to training, teamwork and development.
Beyond the formal gatherings, we recognize our talented team on a daily basis, through our intranet, corporate newsletter, and a variety of contests. Offices throughout the country have also taken on meaningful projects such as a raffle to help a sick employee, a holiday food drive, and a fundraiser for a local animal shelter.
Of course, all of the programming and creative campaigns are meaningless without the one-on-one support and encouragement of management. I have found that providing employees with measurable goals, frequent and honest feedback, and appreciation for their contributions goes a long way in building loyal relationships. It is always surprising to me how much goodwill a sincere compliment or even mere “thank you,” brings. How does your company thank employees?
