Posts Tagged ‘constant contact’

Are You In Constant Contact?

Saturday, January 15th, 2011

You just don’t know what your employees and customers are thinking if you don’t stay in constant contact with them; you need what they know to be successful and to drive greater results. And staying in touch is good, but staying in constant contact is better.

In an earlier blog post, author Seth Godin suggested that we end the annual reviews, big sales meetings and other large events, and instead, move to “frequent cheap communication” – that is, constant meaningful contact.

Let’s see the value of this in the workplace.

Constant contact (communication) with employees provides:
1. A venue for providing feedback to reward exceptional performance and to correct problem performance.
2. A connection to employees’ ideas, social connections and thoughts to drive business opportunities.
3. The ability to relate to employees as people – that critical personal connection that drives loyalty and inspires performance.

Constant contact with customers provides:
1. The venue to ask meaningful questions about service levels, needs, values and expectations.
2. The ability to assess new products, services and ideas before they are fully invested in or initiated.
3. The ability to relate to customers as people – that critical personal connection that inspires loyalty.

Remember that communication is the method to move today’s enormous amounts of information. It is less effective if delayed until a major event. It is most effective in the personal one-on-one connection that happens regularly, clearly and intentionally.

Is it a requirement of your culture to stay connected to your customers?

Is it part of your management and leadership style to stay connected to your employees?

In today’s instant information age, check in on the frequency that you stay in touch. Constantly ask what your employees and customers think. Then get good at listening and using what they tell you.

For more information on connecting to and inspiring employees, check out Fire Up! Your Employees and Smoke Your Competition, and other tools at www.LiveFiredUp.com.

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Your Culture Can Inspire or Destroy

Monday, November 8th, 2010

You know how the quote goes: “Mushroom management: the practice of keeping people in the dark and every now and then dumping dirt on them.” You may know another ending as well. That approach may work for mushrooms but it is what destroys performance in today’s economy.

What had me thinking about mushrooms is a program I have been presenting to companies on workplace culture – and how it inspires or destroys exceptional employee performance.

Most organizations, particularly in the recession, have reverted back to the mushroom culture – the culture of keeping employees in the dark and feeding them half-truths. Think how dangerous this is to performance, customer loyalty, employee loyalty and business sustainability.

In a highly connected workplace, employees need constant clear contact from management – to keep things focused and to successfully manage the information employees encounter during the day. In the absence of clear communication from management, employees fill in the details with supposition, hearsay and misinformation. Limiting information in today’s workplace is the same as taking away manufacturing employees’ equipment and still holding them responsible for their work.

So, in a challenging economy, it time to reassess whether you have a mushroom or an open-air culture:

1. Is there a constant flow of information from management to employees? This could be in the form of a weekly e-mail, post on an intranet or even a recorded call.

2. Is there an easy and effective flow of information from employees to management? Is it easy for employees to share what they hear, think about and are concerned with? This could be an idea center on the intranet, a special management e-mail site for ideas or comments or other idea centers.

3. Is every effort made to keep the organization aware and focused on events that affect the strategy, direction and business purpose? Constant repetition of the mission statement, key strategic objectives, customer service slogans, etc. helps employees stay aware of what is important among the significant distractions they encounter each day.

When we find ourselves in new or challenging territory, we frequently share less of what we know and think; we play our hand close to the vest. As we do this, our employees do not know how to respond. They need our guidance and constant communication to help them stay focused and to navigate a changing workplace. The best ideas for responding to any challenging or constantly changing environment do not come from being kept in the dark. We all work better when we love where we work.

Please contact me to help you develop a powerful employee-focused workplace culture. Be sure to forward this to someone who can benefit from it.

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Are You a “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” Workplace

Sunday, January 17th, 2010

No, I’m not talking about sexual preference. Instead, I want to know if you “don’t ask” your employees what they think, how they would handle problems and search for opportunities. I want to know if you “don’t tell” your employees critical information so they can be more successful in their roles. “Don’t ask and don’t tell” impacts how you gather, use and move information in the workplace.

Organizations that actively use their networks of employees, vendors and customers to constantly gather and assess information, are better informed, more nimble and more responsive. Organizations that share meaningful information about objectives, initiatives, problems, challenges and opportunities more actively engage employees to participate in a recurring value discussion.

To eliminate your “don’t ask, don’t tell” approach:
1. Regularly involve employees in discussions about the organization, its challenges, opportunities, strategy and vision.
2. Create an intranet or electronic location in which you post critical performance information so all employees are informed with accurate information.
3. Stay close to your customers and closer to your employees; regularly survey each about what they see, hear, think and imagine. Use this information to be better informed in the management of the organization.

Organizations with open and clear communications process information more easily and effectively. Create your “ask and tell” policy to benefit from today’s connections, networks and varied perspectives. Employees and customers have information – you need it.

For more information, help and tools to activate the performance power of your people, click on the “For Managers” and/or the “Hunt for Opportunities” sections on www.LiveFiredUp.com.See my Power Performance blog on www.Bizmore.com for more practical performance information.Small Business Resources

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When You Need Information, Google Your Employees

Sunday, October 4th, 2009

Monday Point of View:

Technology is amazing. In several clicks you can find the capital of Bulgaria, how many people were hired in a particular industry, in the US, in September 2009, and a recipe for banana cream pie, that is actually a healthy smoothie. Technology has allowed information to be rapidly acquired and shared. But more information isn’t always meaningful. Where do you get the right information to drive your business success?

Wait. Let’s see what amount of information we are dealing with. Presume all of the scientific knowledge known at 1 AD is 1 unit of information. Research was done and supports that it took 1500 years for that amount of information to double (by 1600). It then took only 250 years for that information to double to 4 units (by 1750), and only 150 years (by 1900) for it to double again to 8 units. Today, this doubling rate is every 1 – 2 years. There is no shortage of information; there is not shortage of knowledge. In fact, we are overwhelmed with both. How do you access meaningful information to make great decisions? You “google” or search, right?

Again, wait. Think differently about this. Instead of using Google, use what I call “Geople” (google your people) – this is actually my term that means check with your people. In an age of significant social connections, your people (employees and customers) are your eyes and ears to the world. They have access to millions of bits of information that can keep you informed. You need to know what the world is thinking, what trends are developing, what your competition is doing and what regulations may impact you. There is too much to know; it can’t be easily known or sourced by one person. This is where you need your power information sources – your employees and customers.

In our past industrial age, the manager had access to most of the business’ critical information; there was less information and access was limited. But today, in our highly-connected and information-rich intellectual age, the manager no longer has access to all the information. Today, employees and customers are the front lines to information acquisition, assessment and management. Employees and customers chat, tweet, blog, post, connect and share; using them allows you to gather more meaningful information. Today, you must be able to check in with your employees and customers in the same way you “google;” you must phrase great questions and listen for the responses. This keeps you informed about the world, challenges, opportunities, trends and other important information. This is how you expand what you know to improve your decisions and drive your success.

So, since employees and customers are the connection to meaningful information that will impact the company, how connected are you to them (so that they will openly and honestly volunteer what they know) and how well do you ask meaningful questions that generate the information you need?

“Connection through constant contact” – this is the new millennial phrase. Great managers must be in constant contact with their employees. Employees need to be in constant contact with their social networks and their customers. Customers need to be in constant contact with the company and their networks. This moves information; this allows all parties to be informed. But remember, contact is personal. So if managers do not take the time to learn how to connect emotionally and personally with their employees, to learn their talents, interests and values, then employees disconnect. If employees disconnect, customers disconnect.

A critical role of all millennial managers (today’s managers) is the connection and relationship development time with each employee. The “human edge” is what activates their greatest performance and loyalty. Not only must employees be intellectually connected to their work (they are good at what they do), but they must also feel emotionally connected to it (they love what they do and have a strong personal rapport with their manager). In fact, the emotional connection has a stronger impact on loyalty and performance than the intellectual connection. It is more critical than ever that you spend time building a rapport with your employees. Otherwise, it is like losing Google as a search tool.

Organizations that have extraordinary customer service are first employee-focused organizations. As employees feel supported, challenged and responsible for their performance, they are more engaged and committed to their customers. This connection is what activates customer loyalty. Loyal customers share what they hear, what they think, the changes they want to see, the things that work and the things that don’t work. Disconnected customers don’t tell you what they think. They withhold the information from you – if they return. So, build constant contact with each employee and show them how to do the same with each customer.

Finally, get good at asking meaningful questions. Just as Google searches are less meaningful with poor search words, the quality of your information received from employees and customers will be poor if you do not ask the right questions. Ask great open-ended questions – to get them to talk, share and explain. Ask about ideas and ways to improve. Ask about details and perspectives. Get out of your office and talk to people. Blog. Chat. Send e-mails with questions, challenges and opportunities. Then, listen to the answers. Take notes. Answer back. Be responsive. Be appreciative. Share how you use the information you receive to encourage the employees and customers to continue to share. This gathers, shares and uses information.

We are in the age of instant access to information. Great. That doesn’t always make us smarter. Today, “Geople” (ask your people) to help you stay in control of your constantly changing business. Your employees and customers are your eyes and ears to the world. Stay in constant contact. Build your contacts and develop a culture of sharing meaningful information. This is critical in a world that doubles what it knows every year or two.

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