In the first in a series of
comment articles by top leasing executives, Bill Stephenson, chief
commercial officer of De Lage Landen, discusses the issue of
employee engagement.
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After
being mired in economic turmoil for nearly two years, many leasing
industry leaders seem to have forgotten that there will be a
brighter future ahead.
Most companies have been focusing on tactical,
short-term initiatives to help steer them through these turbulent
times. In the process, they have been neglecting their most
important resource – their employees.
For their part, many workers have endured
increased workloads and a constant nagging worry about the health
of their companies and their own job security.
In combination with the corporate focus on the
financial crisis, many employees feel forgotten or ignored.
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By GlobalDataStudy after study has shown that employee
disengagement leads to lower productivity, a lack of enthusiasm,
and decreased organisational commitment.
When the economic clouds part, you certainly do
not want your employees in this mindset. You want them ready to
tackle the new opportunities that the recovery will bring.
How can you tell if disengagement is brewing in
your organization? And if it is, how do you turn it around?
Here are five rules of employee engagement that
I believe will help you reconnect with your workers – and position
your organisation for future success.
Rule 1: Use
the power of communication
As a corporate leader managing in
uncertain times, one of your most powerful tools is
communication.
Your employees want and need to hear
from you – especially now.
Creating an environment of open,
non-hierarchical communication starts with you. Earn the trust of
your employees by being honest with them and encouraging two-way
conversation.
Replace defensiveness with vulnerability.
Instead of blaming problems on outside influencers, practice
personal accountability. Admit that you do not have all the
answers. Finally, reassure them that, together, you will survive
the adversity.
Then, stop talking and listen to them – they
want to be heard! Let them freely express their concerns.
Show employees that they are valued by
encouraging brainstorming and soliciting their solutions to your
company’s problems. Give them the responsibility to investigate and
implement those changes.
Rule 2: Reinvent your
mission/vision statement with employee input
Do your employees support – or even
remember – your mission/vision statement?
Probably not. Given the events of the past two
years, it is a good time to create a new one by examining how your
old statement did or did not work.
This time, instead of hiring outside
consultants to do the job, invite employees who have daily contact
with your customers to collaborate with leadership to create a
relevant vision and direction for your company.
All great companies need a strong mission and
vision that drives their strategy.
Encouraging employees to provide input helps
them make a stronger connection between what they do every day and
the goals of the organisation.
Rule 3: Promote from
within
Company consolidations, downsizing,
and closings have created many opportunities for surviving
companies to acquire great new talent.
While it is good occasionally to infuse your
company with the fresh ideas that external candidates bring, do not
forget to give your existing employees a chance to fill open
positions in your organisation.
Their extensive knowledge about your company
and your customers gives them a key advantage over new hires, and
you may be surprised by how they rise to the occasion.
Moreover, it is very motivating when employees
see their company promote from within.
When it is necessary to hire externally, stay
disciplined and resist the temptation to ignore your remuneration
policies and “do whatever it takes” to hire the candidate.
In fairness to your current employees, follow
these policies without exception when you hire from the
outside.
Rule 4: Make
customer satisfaction your organisation’s primary goal
Employees want your organisation to do
well, but not at the expense of your customers.
Your workers derive pride from knowing
that they are part of a company that offers quality products and
services and always puts its customers’ interests before its
own.
Re-energize your employees by rallying them
around the common goal of customer satisfaction and retention.
Ask a random sample of your customers how your
company could exceed their expectations.
Present the feedback to your employees, and ask
them to collaborate to prioritise issues that need to be
addressed.
Enlist their help in creating proactive
strategies that continuously improve the customer experience.
Rule 5:
Regard employees as your greatest competitive
differentiator
Products and services are easily
duplicated, but your employees’ talents and expertise are
unique.
Their level of engagement is what fuels their
creativity, drive and commitment – and increases their value to
your organisation. Compared to the cost of employee turnover,
engagement initiatives are a bargain and can have tangible
bottom-line benefits.
Engagement is all about capturing your workers’
hearts and minds. Employees need to believe that they are making
meaningful contributions to their organisation.
They need you to empower them to make those
contributions and to recognize their efforts.
To paraphrase a famous general, do not tell
your people how to do something; tell them what to do, and let them
surprise you with their ingenuity.
