May 08, 2008

Power to the People: Tim Horton's Listens and Reinstates Employee!

Well, good for Tim Hortons for listening! A statement issued by the company's head office Thursday said the person who fired Nicole Lilliman, 27, went too far and that the single mother of four has been reinstated.

"Unfortunately the action of the manager of this location was not appropriate," the statement read. "With an apology from management Ms. Lilliman has been rehired by the franchisee. We sincerely apologize to our customers for this unfortunate incident."

Good for Tim Hortons for recognizing that if they can't lead the conversation - they had better be a part of it!

Posted by Judy McLeish at 04:20 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Fired for a Timbit? True? Then Tim Hortons Should "Kill a Stupid Rule"

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Every senior executive knows that creating a differentiated customer experiences drives business. As well, every senior executive knows that if you enable your employees to deliver your brand with passion at every touch point you will have loyal customers for life. So what happened at Tim Hortons a well known quick service Canadian restaurant chain that specializes in fresh coffee, baked goods and lunches?

According to a newspaper article, Nicole Lilliman was fired yesterday from her Tim Hortons job for giving away ONE 16-cent timbit (donut) to a child who was crying in the store. According to Nicole:

“The baby was about 11 months old, and she gave her the treat to quiet her, since her mom – a Tims' regular – had been ``having a bad day."

Sound ludicrous? Well, according to the District Manager, Nicole Mitchell, giving food away is against the rules. Huh? Doesn’t the District Manager know that this is the experience economy? Any great company would have killed that “stupid rule” a long time ago. And frankly most companies would have rewarded an employee that used common sense to help a mother with a crying child.

I am not a big Tim Hortons fan. Frankly, I don’t really like the experience. I decided I did not want to frequent the stores a long time ago when I noticed a sign in their stores that warned customers that shouldn’t loiter - that made me select Starbucks as my place to enjoy my coffee and the experience. This is just another example of a “stupid rule” that needs to be “killed”!

If I was running Tim Hortons, I would do a quick audit of all of the other “stupid rules” that prevent the company from enabling its employees from really delivering an experience that will cement customers for life!

Let us know your thoughts.

 

 

Posted by Judy McLeish at 07:56 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

May 06, 2008

One-size Approach to Measuring Engagement Won't Yield Desired Results

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McDaniel Partners has partnered with callcentres.net to launch its new Employee Engagement measurement program. The most important tenet of this program is the notion that a "one-size fits all" approach to employee engagement is unlikely to yield the desired results.

This program recognizes that engagement levels and drivers vary depending on the industry, organization, the person and the job.

Our interview with Dr. Catriona Wallace is focused on the Employee Engagement measurement program that has been designed specifically for the contact centre industry.

Here is the interview we conducted:

Can you please tell me about callcentres.net?

Established in 1998 callcentres.net is a research, analyst and online publishing business dedicated to the contact centre and outsourcing industries. The head office is based in Sydney Australia with a regional office in Singapore. We are regarded as the leading Contact Centre Analyst organization for the Asia-Pacific region. Our core services are large country-wide industry benchmarking studies of China, India, Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand and Vietnam and Indonesia; Customer Engagement research, Employee Engagement Research, Outsourcing industry research, and customized, tailored research for individual clients. callcentres.net is also web information portal for the contact centre industry, publishing newsletters, podcasts, magazines and email broadcasts to our large subscriber base.

callcentres.net has been doing a great deal of work in the Employee Engagement space. Can you please explain what you refer to as the Employee Engagement Index (EEI)?

We have been measuring Employee Satisfaction of call centre agents (employees) for many years as well as tracking the very high levels of employee turnover in contact centres across the region. In the last few years we determined that the measured of employee satisfaction as the surrogate measure for the employee experience was inadequate and did not alone strongly predict employee loyalty or performance. Contact centre work is considerably different to other types of service work in nature, it involves high levels of 'emotional labour' by frontline workers and as such the measure of satisfaction which is a cognitive assessment of expectations versus experience does not pick up the emotional aspects of a contact centre agent's job. Subsequently we developed the Contact Centre Employee Engagement Index which assesses both an individual's cognitive and emotional connectedness to a job. The tool is specifically designed for the contact centre work environment.

The powerful aspect of this tool is that through our partnership with Insight Now, who are experts at measuring agent performance, we can link an employee's performance as measured by the customer (and also their supervisor) to levels of engagement and loyalty.

How did you test and validate the Contact Centre EEI (CCEEI)?

The CCEEI has been tested in numerous large contact centres in the UK, South Africa and Australia. We have used data gathered across these diverse countries to test the model's predictive power, generalisability and to see which attributes consistently were statistically significant as drivers of employee loyalty and performance. As we are academically trained researchers the rigour and science behind the model is of utmost importance to us.

What are the key components of the Index and how did you select them?

The Contact Centre Employee Engagement Index is a measure 25 aspects of a contact centre job (11 categories) and the employee's resulting psychological and emotional connectedness to their work. We then measure three loyalty indicators which we tie back to the 11 engagement categories. The particular items or attributes measured have been selected based on many years of assessing contact centre work and employee satisfaction and loyalty. As academically trained statisticians we have run many, many statistical tests to determine reliability of questions and scales (Cronbach alpha), internal, external, content and expert validity tests and multiple regression analysis to select only those attribute or questions that can predict employee loyalty and performance.

Is there really a difference between the engagement factors that you would measure in a call centre versus the rest of the business? If so, what are they?

What we mean by saying this tool is specifically designed for the contact centre employee is that some variables, for example, Variety of Work (eg inclusion of non-phone work) and Flexible Work conditions (varied break times and roster times and times off the phone) are perhaps more critical in a contact centre than other business units. By this we mean the absence of them has a more critical influence on employee engagement than perhaps in other business units and this is due to the intense and often routine nature of much contact centre work.

Have you ever seen an employee with a low engagement score that still performs his/her duties well? If so, what percentage of employees does this represent?

Yes, we have measured employees who have very low engagement but high customer performance scores, but this is a small percentage. Although we do find that there is a statistically significantly positive relationship between engagement, loyalty and performance there are still those employees who are not engaged and not loyal who will perform well. However how prediction with these employees is that this will be a very short term situation.

Where is the EEI currently being tested? What do the results show to date?

The CCEEI has been tested in the UK, South Africa and Australia. The results thus far show varied levels of engagement, the lowest being 44/100 and the average level of engagement being about 65/100. We are yet to measure a centre in any country that has highly engaged employees.

For more information please contact us directly.

 

 

Posted by Judy McLeish at 01:33 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

May 05, 2008

Businesses are Joining the Twitter Conversation - Is Yours?

Of all of the emerging tools of social media, Twitter is the most conversational. The mobile SMS service lets people chat in compact 140-character spoonfuls. Some use it 20-30 times or more per day, but the average user only posts three times a day.

Businesses are starting to find ways to use Twitter. Companies that are talking directly to customers include - Seesmic, Zappos, IBM, H&R Block, or the Dell Outlet program that lets Twitter users get early discounts on close outs.

If you want to learn more about Twitter watch this video!

 

And to view a real life example of how JetBlue is using Twitter have a look at the post at Socialized – it highlights how two friends were twittering only to receive an email notification that JetBlue was following them. (”Follow” is Twitter speak for being able to read our “updates,” or posts.)

“As consumer advocacy radicals, the two of us immediately reacted that we found this a little “spooky.” Someone else commented that JetBlue was using a bot to do its updates. A few minutes later, I received a comment on my blog from Morgan Johnston from JetBlue corporate communications:”

 

Hi Joel,

Sorry if we weirded you or your friend out by following you on twitter. @JetBlue isn’t a bot, it’s merely me and my team keeping our ears to the ground and listening to our customers talk in open forums so we can improve our service to them. It’s not marketing, it’s trying to engage on a level other than mass broadcast, something I personally believe more companies should try to do.

Because corporate involvement in social media is a new and evolving discipline, I also take a specific interest on conversations revolving around our role here. I’d have DMd you and Lisa directly if you allowed DMs, so please also forgive me for following the link on your twitter page here to send you this note.You and Lisa are no longer being ‘followed’ as you seem to indicate.

 

Again, my apologies

 

Morgan Johnston
Corporate Communications
JetBlue Airways

 

We would agree with Socialize that this is “a great example of the company’s active participation in the Twitter conversation, its willingness to course-correct, and of the new speed of social media with which corporations have to contend.”

 

 What is your company doing?

 

Posted by Judy McLeish at 10:45 AM | | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

May 03, 2008

Call for Writers!

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Calling all Writers! If you are experienced and have a passion for writing - then send us a short paragraph on why you think companies should focus on engaging their employees to Judy at jmcleish@mcdanielpartners.com

 

Posted by Judy McLeish at 04:09 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

May 02, 2008

Interview with John Tschohl - Engagement Key to Service

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In today’s competitive marketplace, customers are demanding rich, compelling and courteous interactions and they won’t hesitate to take their business elsewhere if they don’t get the level and quality of service experience that they want and expect.

We recently had the pleasure of interviewing John Tschohl, a renowned customer service guru and the founder of the Service Quality Institute. The Service Quality Institute is an organization that designs innovative customer service training programs and tools. They are a leader in helping organizations keep customers, build market share, increase sales and reduce costs.

 

During the interview, we asked John about the importance of engaged employees in delivering the customer experience – every day, in every interaction. John had some very important insights that we believe many companies would benefit from when trying to implement and successfully execute a customer service experience.

 

While we asked John a number of questions, we have focused this blog on his answers to two of our questions:

 

Employee engagement has become a critical factor in delivering exceptional service experiences. What do you think companies can do to foster employee engagement?  

 

  • Train employees on how to treat every customer as special. Customer service is not something that you can train employees on for a couple of hours and expect them to instantly “get it”. In order for employees to really understand how to treat every customer as special they must be continually trained and educated on what is expected. 
  • The service program must be kept new and fresh. Employees must be trained on an ongoing basis and the material must be kept interesting and fresh. It is essential that you not only capture the employees’ attention, but help them to understand what to do and how to do it.
  • Empower your employees. Companies must train and empower employees to make decisions in favor of the customer – “not nickel and diming them”.
  • Hire the right people. Successful companies hire 1 out of 50 or 1 out of 100 applicants. They are looking for people that “love the customer”. Commerce Bancorp (well known for service excellence) would never hire someone that failed to smile during the interview.
  • It’s all about execution. If you can execute you “win the game”. It’s not really that complicated, but many fail to really master the fundamentals and to continually train and educate their staff on what it takes to treat every customer as special.

 

 

How can employees become more engaged and committed?

 

We loved John’s response to this question. Here he emphasized the importance of the employee taking ownership for their role in delivering the experience. According to John there are six elements to employee engagement:

 

  • Feel good about yourself. “How you feel impacts how you will communicate.”
  • Practice habits of courtesy, including the greeting and the smile.
  • Practice habits of positive communication. Focus on your verbal and non-verbal communication and the messages sent to those you interact with.
  • Always, do what you say you will do.
  • Ask questions and listen.
  • Become more knowledgeable by learning about the products and services your company offers.

 

Thank you John for this very powerful and insightful interview. We think that far too many companies lose sight of the fact that employee engagement is a two-way street. The company must provide the employee with the skills, tools and training to engage the employee to deliver the experience. But equally, the employee must take responsibility for their own engagement.

 

Let us know what you think!

Posted by Judy McLeish at 04:32 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

April 29, 2008

Are You Listening?

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A new study indicates that consumers are using social media to share customer care experiences and to research customer service reputations. Are you listening, responding and improving?
According to the Society for New Communications Research, “Exploring the Link Between Customer Care and Brand Reputation in the Age of Social Media”, as social media usage becomes more ubiquitous, affluent consumers are using social media channels to share their personal customer service experiences and learn about others’ care experiences when making purchase decisions.
The top findings of the study include:
  • 59.1% of respondents use social media to “vent” about a customer care experience.
  • 72.2% of respondents research companies’ customer care online prior to purchasing products and services at least sometimes.
  • 84% of respondents consider the quality of customer care at least sometimes in their decision to do business with a company.
  • 74% choose companies/brands based on others’ customer care experiences shared online.
  • 84% of respondents consider the quality of customer care in their decision to do business with a company at least sometimes.
  • 81% believe that blogs, online rating systems and discussion forums can give consumers a greater voice regarding customer care, but less than
  • 33% believe that businesses take customers’ opinions seriously.


Dell and Amazon were cited more often than any other company when asked which types of companies have done the best job in using social media to respond to customer care issues.  In terms of industry segments, technology, retail, and travel companies were reported as doing the best job, while utilities, health care, and insurance were least likely to receive positive endorsements.

 

“This study indicates that there is a growing group of highly desirable consumers using social media to research companies: 25- to 55-years old, college-educated, earning $100,000+ – a very powerful group in terms of buying behavior,” said Dr. Ganim Nora Barnes, senior fellow, Society for New Communications Research. 

 

“These most savvy and sought after consumers will not support companies with poor customer care reputations, and they will talk about all of this openly with others via multiple online vehicles. This research should serve as a wake-up call to companies: listen, respond, and improve.”

 

Is your company actively managing their reputation?

 

Posted by Judy McLeish at 01:36 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

April 28, 2008

Social Media Can Drive Employee Engagement

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Thank you to Mike Kujawski for the diagram.

First of all, what is social media? Social media describes a shift in how people discover, read and share news, information and content. It fosters the human connection by transforming a monologue (one-to --many) into a dialogue   (many-to-many).
 

Social media tools make it easier to create and distribute content and discuss the things we care about. Some better known social media examples are Wikipedia, MySpace, YouTube, Flickr and Twitter.

So what does social media have to do with employee engagement? According to a recent study by Watson Wyatt, social media has the potential to be a key tool in promoting employee engagement.

"When properly rolled out, social media and Enterprise 2.0 tools can help companies meet their No. 1 internal communication goal – engaging employees," said Michael Rudnick, global intranet and portal leader at Watson Wyatt."Instead of simply mass e-mailing information or posting to an intranet in hopes employees will see it - social media tools help employees actively participate in creating and sharing information. This shift to employee-generated content has resulted in employees becoming more engaged online," he added.

We can’t agree more with Michael Rudnick. We believe that far too many companies are focused on the risks and how to control social media usage versus how to leverage it to their advantage.
 

So where can a company start? We think that companies can take small steps and start to benefit from the use of social media. For example, they can start with “intranet 2.0” which is made up of internal wikis, blogs, social network tools all designed to help employees participate in a company-wide dialogue. This would allow companies to foster collaboration; to enhance the communication between employees; and to enable employees to access the  right resources, expertise and experience and to leverage the vast amounts of internal knowledge that are often not easily accessible.


For those companies that are still wondering whether the benefits of social media outweigh the costs – start internally, enhance communication and watch how your employees become engaged online!
 

Let us know your thoughts.

 

 

Posted by Judy McLeish at 09:13 AM | | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

New blog Inspires by Using Quotes

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Check out our quote on inspireUX! What is inspireUX?  

inspireUX is a blog that posts quotes relating to user experience (UX). Every quote on inspireUX focuses on the impact that user experience has on people, business, or the world.

 

Posted by Judy McLeish at 07:46 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

April 24, 2008

Watch Someone Drive Before You Hire Them!

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We have all witnessed them – an aggressive driver behind the wheel.

Typically the characteristics of aggressive drivers include:
  • Tailgating
  • Passing on the shoulder of the road
  • Making rude gestures or shouting
  • Changing lanes without signaling
  • Violating traffic signals
  • Weaving in and out of traffic
  • Speeding
Over the past couple of days, I have been tailgated, the recipient of rude gestures and have watched cars whiz past me. I know what you are thinking – another woman driver. Yes, I do like to follow the rules, but I would not consider myself an overly cautious driver.

So back to the point – yesterday as I was driving to pick up my children, a ridiculous looking bald guy in the red convertible started tailgating me and making rude gestures in my rear view mirror. As he was shaking his head – it dawned on me that I would never hire this guy! He was inconsiderate, disrespectful, rude and dangerous. I would never trust him to deal with customers or to treat employees with respect and most importantly I believe that I couldn’t trust his decision making ability, as he took risks that put others in danger.

So here is what I am thinking….if we could find a way to test an individual in a high pressured situation like a traffic jam – we just may see a side of them that we wouldn’t want on our team!

 

Posted by Judy McLeish at 09:16 PM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (1)

The Chief Executive Has a Critical Role in Driving Engagement

stockxpertcom_id1995441_size0.jpg“Leadership is not about being granted the authority to lead; it’s about people who work fro you who want to be led by you.” Mark Zesbaugh, President & CEO Allianz life Insurance
 

So what is the Chief Executive’s role in talent management and driving higher levels of engagement?


 

  • Lead by example and set the tone for talent management throughout the organization. The role of the Chief Executive is to set the tone for the culture. They must consistently demonstrate what is expected by their actions and behavior.  
  • Make HR a strategic partner to the business unit heads. Employee engagement is critical to long-term performance. It is the role of the Chief Executive to ensure that the HR function operates as a strategic partner and is able to create, implement and foster a culture that enhances employee engagement.   
  • Act as a mentor. Growth and development is a key component of driving employee engagement. The role of a Chief Executive is to mentor his direct reports as well as a few others beyond his inner circle. As a mentor they must be able to candidly identify developmental opportunities for each individual.
  • Communicate with candor. Candor is critical for the Chief Executive. They must be able to listen, to tell people what they think, to identify how they can learn from it and to take the appropriate actions to fix it.
  • Support a comprehensive leadership development program. It is critical that a company look at the role of each individual, where they are, what they are capable of doing and what they need to do. The company must support the development of individual plans to help identified high potential employees achieve their potential.
  • Candidly share information about promotions and succession planning. A key ingredient of employee engagement is career development. People want to know – how do I fit? What can I do to progress? What are my chances for promotion? Far too many companies have lists identifying high potential candidates, but often these individuals don’t know that the lists exist or that they are on them. The reality is – it is critical that the leaders communicate with candor the individuals on these lists and their opportunities for advancement. Why? If people don’t know that they are on these lists, they may go elsewhere.  
  • Deal with poor performers. Developing talented Executives is critical to long-term business success. Poor choices can impact growth and the overall culture.
  • Be authentic. People trust people who operate with honesty and integrity. Employee engagement is fostered in environments of trust. Without it, reaching full engagement is unlikely.  The Chief Executive must be authentic in every day, in every interaction.
Let us know your thoughts…

Posted by Judy McLeish at 07:45 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

April 23, 2008

Finally an Employee Engagement Tool Designed for Contact Centres!

Last week, we were in the UK with Dr. Catriona Wallace from callcentres.net (an online publishing, news and research company dedicated to the contact centre industry) and David Howard from Insight Now (a UK based software company) to discuss the launch of a specific Contact Centre Employee Engagement measurement program that will roll out in Asia-Pacific and Europe, Africa and North America on 1st July this year.

At McDaniel Partners, we are excited to announce that we will assist with the go to market launch in North & South America and the Caribbean!

This Employee Engagement tool has taken about 18 months to develop and test. According to Dr. Wallace, she is very happy with the model, its rigor, validity and its ability to directly link engagement to performance at an individual and centre level.

Why is this topic of great importance in the contact centre industry? Because not only do agents resign from contact centres in significant numbers, a large percentage also choose not to stay in the industry. The stats below show the percentages of agent who resigned from a contact centre in Asia in the last 12 months and who moved to another centre or left the industry altogether.

 

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These statistics are scary! On average, across the region 59% of agents who resigned or left their current job chose not to stay in the industry. This means that understanding employee engagement is essential to reduce this considerable drain of skills and talent from the contact centre industry.

Over the coming months, callcentres.net, Insight Now and McDaniel Partners will launch a contact centre customer experience tool. This is also much more powerful and useful than what is currently available in the market as the tool can link a specific call experience to brand, loyalty and customer behavior.

For more information about this specific Employee Engagement measurement program or our suite of other programs designed for specific business functions - contact us directly.

 

 

Posted by Judy McLeish at 01:45 PM | | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

April 22, 2008

Having Engaged Employees Pays Huge Dividends

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At Disney the promise is to deliver magic. A key ingredient of its success is the ability of its employees to deliver on the promise.

Well today, they certainly delivered on the promise – in spades!

How did they do it? A Massachusetts couple accidently threw away three platinum diamond wedding rings. While tidying up their villa as they prepared to leave the park late last week, Paul Campanale dumped a cardboard bowl, not knowing the container inside it held his wife Karen's engagement, wedding and five-year-anniversary rings.

When the couple called Disney to report the loss, park employees warned the couple that recovering the jewelry was all but impossible.

Disney just could have left it at that. But the promise is to deliver magic and Drew Weaver, the Executive housekeeper at the Wilderness Lodge, took the matter into his own hands when he realized that the trash from the Campanales' villa hadn't reached the industrial-size compactor yet. He and seven other volunteers donned protective clothing, emptied a parking lot bin and waded through bag after bag of rubbish to find the rings. And they did.

The efforts of these eight employees not only brought happiness to the Campanales but the story has been told countless times over the news and the radio. I actually heard the story on the radio this morning.

What is the moral of the story? Engaged employees make the difference! When employees understand the customer experience promise, know how to deliver it, and are fully engaged and committed and do whatever it takes to deliver the promise – magical things can and do happen!  

Posted by Judy McLeish at 07:46 AM | | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

April 21, 2008

Microsoft Leverages Engaged Employees to "Spread the Word"

microphone.jpgWe recently asked Gretchen Ledgard, a Marketing Manager at Microsoft’s Staffing organization to talk about what employee engagement means in her role within the organization.   We think you will find the interview very insightful in terms of how Microsoft leverages and builds engaged employees. Some of the key findings from the interview include:

 

 

  • Unlike most companies, Microsoft’s challenge was not to get employees more engaged and talking about life at Microsoft, but to better support them in spreading the word even further to potential candidates.
  • The mantra is “Spread the Love,” which speaks to employees spreading the word about Microsoft, as well as the recruiting organization giving back to our employees to enable and recognize their ambassadorship.
  • The best employee evangelists are real and authentic. They accurately portray what it is like to work at the company – for better or for worse.
 Here is the interview:

Gretchen, can you please describe your role within Microsoft.

I'm a Marketing Manager with Microsoft’s Staffing organization. Specifically, I explore ways to use the web to build tighter recruiting connections between the company, our current employees, and our target candidates.  Some of my projects include Microsoft’s JobsBlog, View<myWorld>, the Workin’ it at MSFT Facebook page, and SpreadtheLove, which is an internal-only site.  My goal is to give prospective candidates a realistic view of what it’s really like to work at Microsoft. And the best way to do that is often through our employees’ own voices.

Employee engagement has become a key focus for many companies. Can you please define what employee engagement means at Microsoft?

Employee engagement at Microsoft is interesting and a bit unique because many of our employees are deeply involved in in-person and online communities.  That’s just part of our culture.  Many employees are active at industry conferences and user groups, and thousands read and write blogs, participate in forums, and twitter.  In our case, our employees were already engaged and talking about life at Microsoft, but our challenge was to better support them and help them spread the word even further.

What is Microsoft doing to enhance employee engagement and create employee evangelists?

Since we have a diverse make-up of technologies, career opportunities, and people, “Microsoft” means something a little different to each of our employees.  So when we first began looking at how to better empower our employees to talk about Microsoft, we found that many of them knew how to tell their own specific Microsoft story within the context of their own experience, but they weren’t sure what Microsoft meant or could mean for others. We put together a messaging framework, brought to life by websites, videos, and print collateral, and have been working to get those resources in the hands of our employees, not just our recruiters.  Our mantra is “Spread the Love,” which speaks to employees spreading the word about Microsoft as well as the recruiting organization giving back to our employees to enable and recognize their ambassadorship.

In your opinion, what are the benefits of having loyal and committed employees?

Without a doubt, employees are the most credible and influential sources for prospective candidates to learn about a company.  When I think about the best employee evangelists, I don’t think they have to be “loyal and committed” per se – as much as they need to be real.  Our employees introduce prospects to the “real” Microsoft, for better and for worse. I’d much rather get a dialogue going - even if it’s a tough conversation about whether or not Microsoft is the right company for someone - than have a prospective candidate unsure about what it’s like to work here.
 

Do you believe that Microsoft employee evangelists have common traits? If so what are they?

Our best evangelists are authentic. A candidate can spot marketing spin from a mile away. It’s the passionate, heart-felt conversations that help a company come to life through their employees.  Our goal is to help as many of those conversations take place.

Thank you Gretchen for sharing your Microsoft experience! Let us know your thoughts.

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April 15, 2008

Social Media Has Facilitated the Human Connection

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This picture says it all. Thank you to The Conversation Agent for their post on Social Media.

When you look at this picture - one can only emphasize to companies that they need to be thinking of ways to stimulate the human conversation - not only with their consumers, but their employees as well.

Posted by Judy McLeish at 04:22 PM | | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

April 14, 2008

Management Decisions Can Have a Devastating Impact on Engagement

computers.jpg  Management does it all the time. They make strategic, cost cutting decisions, but fail to recognize the devastating long-term impact that these decisions can have on their most important assets – their people. These are difficult times – there is no doubt about this. But, what makes them more difficult is the unwillingness of management to be transparent about the rationale for their decisions and the impact that these decisions will have on their employees and on levels of engagement.

 

I had a very interesting discussion last week with an individual who works at a leading HR consulting and outsourcing firm. Our discussion focused on a recent decision by management to outsource a significant amount of its processing work to India.

 

What is interesting about this conversation was not the decision to send the work to India, but the apparent reluctance of management to be upfront and clear about the rationale for the decision. The result of management’s inability to be clear, to answer questions and clearly articulate how it will impact employees has had a devastating impact on morale within the organization.

 

What could the organization have done differently?

  • Be transparent about the rationale for the decision. According to the individual the “company line” is that they are sending processing work to India to free up time for analysts to conduct more analysis which will translate into better quality work for the client. When asked how this would work, management was unable to clearly articulate “the how” which left employees feeling that this was really only about saving costs. As the individual rightly points out – if it is about cost savings – just be upfront about it.
  • Be able to answer questions from employees. Management needs to remember that any decisions they make have a direct impact on their employees. While the rationale for a decision may make perfect business sense to them - it will not be obvious to employees who have had very little time to research, think about, or understand the decisions taken. Management must anticipate answers to questions and must be prepared with well-thought out responses. Failure to do this will only fuel feelings in employees that the decision is not well thought out or rational.
  • Understand the emotional response to outsourcing. We find it extraordinary that so many companies still haven’t got the outsourcing “thing” right. Management still fails to recognize the impact that these types of decisions have on employees. They fail to understand the emotional impact that sending “their” jobs to India really has. As well, in tough economic times these types of decisions can only fuel more emotional responses in employees. Management must sit back and think about the impact that sending jobs to India really has. They must help their employees understand what it will mean to them and how it will impact them personally. It’s that simple. Failing to do this not only threatens to destroy trust, but to dramatically increase employee disengagement levels.  
  • Actions speak stronger than words. One of the concerns expressed by this individual was the discrepancy between what management was saying and doing. They were saying that quality was important, yet they were ignoring the fact that the Indian firm was having difficulty processing the work to the quality levels done previously. As well, while they stated that the move to India was about quality, they put an end to raises and bonuses which only told people that it wasn’t about quality at all – it was about cost savings in tough economic times.
  • Remember that poor decisions can foster cynicism amongst your best employees. We all know it. When management makes poor decisions, the best people leave. Firms are then left with resources, which are either unproductive or not marketable enough to find new employment. According to the individual that I was speaking to – the company has already lost five key people in the past month.  Losing the best people should never be the result of a well-thought out and implemented strategic decision.  

    Let us know what you think!

Posted by Judy McLeish at 11:13 AM | | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

April 11, 2008

How to Engage Employees with an Office Retreat: 5 Simple Tips

 

retreat.jpg By: Heather Johnson

 

 

Hosting an office retreat is a great way to unify the workplace and make employees feel valued. Complicated issues between co-workers can be settled in a productive way while everyone is away from the office. Also, the retreat can simply serve as a relaxing vacation for tired and anxious workers.

 

It is important that employers plan a truly enjoyable office retreat. Otherwise, this excursion will be viewed as a chore and employees could become even more discontented. Below are five simple tips for engaging employees with a productive and entertaining office retreat.

 

  1. Choose a fun destination. I've known some companies that fly their employees to a beach resort once a year. Obviously, this may not be practical for your particular office. However, you should consider the needs (and wants) of your employees as well as your budget when you choose the destination. Even a trip to a local lake could be a great change of scenery.
  2. Make everyone feel comfortable. Every day should be "casual Friday" when you are on an office retreat. Tell your employees to dress for comfort and to feel relaxed. This may be a time for constructive workshops, but it is also a vacation.
  3. Lead the staff in creative team-building exercises. Use this time to build and strengthen the bonds of your team. Yes, you should lead the crew in some exercises and/or lectures. However, be creative and don't rely on the old "fall back and have your co-worker catch you" routine. No one wants to endure another corny workshop, as those of us in the business world have attended plenty.
  4. Single out people for their accomplishments. According to the Department of Labor, 64% of Americans quit their jobs because they don't feel appreciated. Take the time to give your employees a pat on the back while on the office retreat.
  5. Give them a well­-deserved break. What is the point of choosing a nice destination if your staff can't enjoy it? When the speeches have commenced and the exercises are over, be sure to pencil in enough time for your team to relax and have fun.

After a staff returns from a successfully planned company retreat, they should feel relaxed and rejuvenated. Hopefully, any animosity between co-workers can be settled in a constructive way during the trip and the office can resume on Monday morning with a positive and unified attitude. Companies should plan a yearly or even semiyearly trip in order to increase employee retention.

 

 

Heather Johnson is a freelance business, finance and economics writer, as well as a regular contributor at Business Credit Cards, a site for best business credit cards and best business credit card offers. Heather welcomes comments and freelancing job inquiries at her email address heatherjohnson2323@gmail.com.

 

Posted by Judy McLeish at 07:19 AM | | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

April 09, 2008

Connected Employees: Useful or Liability?

We loved the post by Lisa Barone, who went out and asked the following question: 

If you were an employer looking to hire me, would you be concerned about my crazy daytime Twittering or be impressed that I am connected?

I think this is an extremely relevant question in connected age. While I personally don't use facebook or "twitter", I believe that it is critical that individuals are connected in both their personal and professional lives. It just creates happier employees and we all know that happy employees are good for business.

Obviously, if the employee "twittered" all day and wasn't productive this would be an issue for any employer. But a productive "twitterer" I would have no issue with!

Have a look at the responses that Lisa has had to her question and read her post – it is very well written.  

Posted by Judy McLeish at 09:28 PM | | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

April 08, 2008

Could the Exciting Bank Experience Strategy Destroy Brand Value?

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Have you ever heard of Berkshire Bank? It was established in 1846, and is one of Massachusetts’ oldest and largest independent banks. The Bank is transitioning into a regional bank and is attempting to position itself as the financial institution of choice in its retail and commercial markets by delivering exceptional customer service.

All of this sounds completely logical and reasonable as everyone knows that in banking - service is a key element in creating a differentiated experience. So why are we writing a blog on Berkshire Bank?

In 2006, Berkshire Bank launched their promise to their customers. The Bank's new tagline is “I’m so Excited!” They state that they are not out to simply satisfy – we aspire to be the world’s most exciting bank.  Huh?

An exciting bank strategy, in our opinion, is a very hard sell. In banking, customers want to feel safe, cared for, appreciated, trusted, unique and valued. Exciting is not on the list! Do they really want employees that are dancing around singing “I’m so excited?” Have a look at the video on their website – if you didn’t know it was a bank – you might think it was a commercial for a theme park, or a Club Med vacation.

We know that building customer experiences is a competitive differentiator, we have been helping companies build and implement them since 1998. Unfortunately, embracing a customer experience that doesn’t resonate with customers or employees can have a devastating negative impact on the value of a brand that has been around since 1846.

Here is what one of their customers, Peggy Shinn from Vermont, said about the new customer experience:
 

“Some institutions and occupations should simply not be exciting. Standing at the teller’s window, I had to fight the impulse to withdraw all of my money and run from the Bank yelling, “Stop the ride! I want to get off!

I think I’d prefer having my money in a bank that promises “A Passion to Perform (Deutsche Bank);  or “The Bank of Opportunity” (Bank of America); or “You’re Richer Than You Think” (Scotiabank) or even “America’s Most Boring Bank!”

 

Only time will tell whether Berkshire's customers and employees will be engaged by this type of “exciting” banking experience….

In the meantime, if the Bank would like some help creating an experience that is unique and different, yet relevant for the banking world, please give us a call.

 

Posted by Judy McLeish at 08:20 AM | | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

April 07, 2008

Comcast Monitors Experience Through Blogs, Twitter & Other Social Media

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Certainly many of us remember 2006, when Comcast made headlines when one of their employees fell asleep on a customer's couch. The video has been viewed nearly 2 million times and was a powerful example of what can happen when the brand fails to deliver the experience.

Well, according to Steve O’Hear at ZD Net, Comcast may have learned from that public relations nightmare. According to Steve, Comcast is now monitoring Twitter, blogs and other social media. Steve writes, "Have a complaint with cable company Comcast? Don’t bother calling their helpline: Instead write a blog entry or, better still, send a ‘tweet’ or two via Twitter threatening to “expend significant energy over the next three weeks trashing Comcast.”

A recent example of what Comcast is doing is outlined by TechCrunch founder and co-editor Mike Arrington, after his Comcast broadband connection went down for 36 hours. “Within 20 minutes of my first Twitter message I got a call from a Comcast executive in Philadelphia who wanted to know how he could help”,

"Shortly thereafter, the cable company sent out a team to fix Arrington’s connection and “apologized profusely”, which, as the TechCrunch editor notes, “is great for me but doesn’t help the other customers who don’t think to complain publicly about the company.”

In the post, Steve asks whether or not the company would have been so responsive, if it hadn’t had the complaint from an “A” list blogger. Only time will tell. But certainly, Comcast is starting to do what all companies need to – they are monitoring the blog world and Twitter to identify and flag possible “brand implosions”. Let us know your thoughts.

 

 

Posted by Judy McLeish at 09:30 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

An Executive Shows Heart When Laying Off Valued Assets

This morning I came across a post that showed us that companies can be benevolent when swinging down the axe. Imagine if every company showed a heart when laying-off their most valuable assets….

"Yesterday I had to do one of the more difficult things — lay off three of my good friends, all of whom are talented and professional developers.

I’m posting here today in hopes that someone out in the world is looking for some seasoned talent, people who can get things done for you. I will personally recommend all three of these guys, and I’ll detail below each of them. If you are interested, I’m including my phone number. I’ll take your contact information and give it to the person(s) you are interested in, and you can take it from there."

Thank you to The Recruiters Lounge for finding this advertisement on Craigslist.

Click here to read the ad.

 

Posted by Judy McLeish at 09:11 AM | | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

April 06, 2008

Doesn't Zell Know That "Shock & Awe" Won't Build Engagement?

picturesamzell.bmpSam Zell is traveling the U.S using a series of “pep-talks” laced with profanity to shock the Tribune Co.’s 19,000 employees to be more creative or risk seeing their jobs di