by Jan Dwyer Bang on August 19, 2010
How does creating and managing expectations help create a culture of contribution? We will answer this question by taking a principle from customer service. In the book, “50 Powerful Ideas You Can Use to Keep Your Customers” the author, Paul R. Timm, Ph.D, says that our expectations are “perceptual.” They exist in our minds – and sometimes they are accurate and rational, but sometimes they aren’t. When we are customers, we evaluate our service based on the entire experience – that goes beyond the core product or service purchased. And guess what, our evaluation is based on our own expectations – did the service provider meet or exceed our expectations? (Paul R. Timm says that the key for gaining loyalty with our customers is not in meeting what the customer expects – but in exceeding it).
Here’s the take-away. Your employees and staff members have expectations when they decide to work for your organization. Part of your role as a leader, is to help your “customers” (your staff members) become engaged and committed and even “loyal” partners by constantly exceeding their expectations. You want to go beyond what your staff anticipate or expect so that they feel positive and energized to go beyond what their job entails. Here are some ways you can do this:
- Make job expectations explicit. Clearly communicate the job requirements and how employees will be evaluated.
- Provide frequent feedback for your team members so they know how they are doing in relation to the job expectations.
- Recognize each employee’s efforts, especially those employees who excel and do work beyond what is expected
- Get to know each staff member so that you can tailor your communication style to the individual
- As you get to know each staff member, discover or learn what each one anticipates and expects from you as a manager – and if possible, over deliver
- Review every “touch point” that your employee has with your department and find ways to deliver value (Some areas that you can look at include: how you orient a new employee, whether you are providing mentoring for new employees, what opportunities employees have to continue to learn and grow, the frequency of your one-on-one meetings with each employee, your consistency in providing performance feedback, recognition, etc.)
Perhaps you didn’t realize that your role as a leader has such a parallel to customer service. But your most important customer base isn’t those who purchase your products, it is those people who choose to work for you! And being aware of the power of expectations can go a long way in ensuring your staff feels good about working for you and your team!
As we conclude this series, let’s review, the 7 ways you can create a culture of contribution in your work team, community association, church setting, or volunteer organization:
- Hire the right people
- Engage your staff and your customers
- Enthusiastically promote others
- Offer benefits to be involved
- Recognize good work
- Reward contribution
- Create (and manage) expectations
Imagine the positive energy and productivity that you and your team could experience as you start to implement these steps to creating a culture of contribution! So here’s my question, which one will you tackle first?
by Jan Dwyer Bang on August 17, 2010
As we continue our “Creating a culture of contribution” series, we focus our attention on the subject of recognition. Here are some creative ways you can recognize your staff, team, or board members:
- Publicly recognize contribution. (Make sure you make recognition meaningful – some people would prefer more personal recognition – so the best thing you can do is ask your people how they want to be recognized)
- Tell staff what their greatest contributions were in the last week, month, and year.
- Let people know how their contributions are valued and how they contribute to your organization’s mission.
- When people fail, reframe the failure as an opportunity for learning.
Numerous studies show that recognition is the key to people feeling appreciated and engaged in an endeavor. By taking the time to intentionally share a few words of recognition, your employees and volunteers feel appreciated and engaged.
What can you say today that will help your staff or volunteers feel recognized?
by Jan Dwyer Bang on July 21, 2010
Employee engagement seems to be the “fad” these days. Yet engaging your employees is not a passing fad but rather, a crucial strategy to keep your employees and managers operating with optimism, intentionality in service delivery, and enthusiasm that will positively transform your organization.
Here are a few ways you can engage your staff:
- Consult with your staff before making any changes affecting their work.
- Value the differences in opinions and ideas.
- Listen to and respect your staff member’s opinions. Be open to new ideas and suggestions.
- When presented with a problem or question, ask how they might solve it.
- Recognize their contributions. Make it timely.
Remember that your staff members are perhaps your organization’s most important customers! Engaging your staff members shows them that you value them!
by Jan Dwyer Bang on July 16, 2010
In his book, Good to Great, Jim Collins provides evidence that those companies that are great put first things first – they get the right people on the bus (and the wrong people off the bus). In Mr. Collin’s words, they “did the WHO before they did the WHAT.” Sometimes focusing on the “who” means making rigorous, even ruthless decisions in order to build a team who all are exceptional and committed to the organization. The “what” (vision and mission casting) follows after you have the right people.
Here’s the take-away for you and your organization. Are the right people on your team? Collins says that the moment that you need to tightly manage someone is when you made a bad hiring decision. The best people just need to be guided, not controlled. Or take a look at the skill level of your managers. Are they aware that their number 1 priority is to provide guidance and coaching for their staff? Do they have the skills to help a marginal performer transform to an exceptional worker? Are you allowing the wrong people to continue to divert energy from your high performers?
What about your organization’s hiring policies? How much time are you taking to ensure that the right person gets hired? When I was looking for a job, I was always impressed when a company spent a lot of time on the interviewing process. Indeed, when I was hired at Weyerhaeuser Company as a training consultant, the interviewing process included my meeting with several team members, my conducting a training session for their staff, and my participating in a rigorous assessment process so that they could see that not only did I have the skills, but that I would fit in with the company culture.
My next entry will focus on another way you can create a culture of contribution – by engaging your staff and your customers.
by Jan Dwyer Bang on July 16, 2010
I love this term! I first heard this term from Sally Zeiger Hanson, former Executive Director with the Puyallup/Sumner Chamber of Commerce. Though I am relatively a new comer with the chamber, I have been impressed with the way the chamber members have been supportive and encouraging to one another – with a real focus on helping other chapter members grow their business. I believe that this “culture of contribution” permeated from the leadership to the members.
What can happen when you can instill a “culture of contribution” in your organization? I contend that people will experience a positive energy and enthusiasm that can translate to customers. I believe this kind of culture inspires people to want to do their best and motivates others to get involved. And customers can recognize this kind of positive enthusiasm and want to get involved.
How can you create a culture of contribution in your association, team, organization, or board? Here are some ways:
- Hire the right people
- Engage your staff and your customers
- Enthusiastically promote others
- Offer benefits to be involved
- Recognize good work
- Reward contribution
- Create and manage expectations
In my next 9 BLOG entries, I will flesh out every one of these elements.
by Jan Dwyer Bang on March 25, 2010
I don’t know about you, but I can always tell when an organization has an incredible service culture. I’m thinking of a Safeway that is near my home. Every time I frequent this store, I am amazed by their high level of friendliness, personal attention, and extraordinary service. From the people who keep the vegetables fresh, to the person at the cash register, to the person bagging my groceries, there is a consistently high level of service that permeates the entire environment. The store even has people who are available to answer questions. Indeed, they seem to be particularly adept at picking up confused looks on their shoppers faces.
The other day, my doctor prescribed Omega 3 Fish Oil (don’t worry, I didn’t know what it was either), and I stopped at my favorite Safeway. After wandering around various aisles, one of their staff members saw my dazed look on my face, and quickly came over to ask if I needed help. He didn’t know what Omega 3 was either so he brought me over to the pharmacy and introduced me to the pharmacist who proceeded to explain all about Omega 3. And he pointed me to a bottle that was on sale! Turns out that the person who came to help me was actually the manager of the store! When service permeates through a team, department, or organization it usually is because there is a leader who models service every day.
- Are you a leader? Are you modeling the service behaviors that you desire your staff to demonstrate every day? What kind of environment are you helping to create with your attitude and behavior?
- Are you an employee? What can you do to go the extra mile to help an external customer? Or to help your teammate?
- Are you a wife, a husband, a boyfriend, a girlfriend, a family member, a colleague, or a friend? How can you do something special to make their day?
by Jan Dwyer Bang on March 19, 2010
by Jan Dwyer Bang on March 9, 2010
What do the Oscars have to do with leadership authenticity? A lot! Interestingly enough, we can learn a lot about what makes an authentic and effective leader from what makes a great movie! In this sixth excerpt on leadership authenticity – we will be looking at the importance of leaders telling their own story. Who can we better learn from than one of the best story tellers in the film industry - John Lassater - who is the American Animator & Director and Chief Creative Officer at Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios. Sunday night, in a taped interview during the Oscars, Mr. Lassater made this statement, “The tools alone won’t earn you an academy nomination but a great story will.” And indeed Mr. Lassater should know – the widely successful animated film “Up!” – (which is the only movie ever nominated for both best film and best animated film) won the Oscar for best animated film this year. The core of the story – about a young woman and man growing up, getting married, and living life launched a fascinating adventure about an old man and his discoveries in a far away land.
Here are some of the ways that stories can help you as a leader build authenticity:
- Effective leaders tell “their own story.” Why? Because stories can powerfully connect you with your management team and staff members. Leaders can be more “real” with their staff by telling stories about their lives, their insights, and their experiences. And leaders who tell their own stories can be perceived as more authentic leaders -which goes a long way to enhancing trust in the workplace.
- Successful leaders share “failures” as well as successes. Watch what kind of stories you are telling. It is those real-life stories about your own failures and set backs that can help people see you as a human being.
- Effective leaders constantly develop their story telling ability. Telling good stories is both a craft and a skill. Get help with telling your stories. As a coach, I have been privileged to come alongside a number of leaders as they develop and deliver their stories – through both spoken and written word.
- Great leaders use the power of stories to communicate corporate culture. Corporate story telling can be a great vehicle to cement vision, mission, and values. For more information on the power of corporate storytelling, I would encourage you to check out the book entitled, “Around the Corporate Campfire” written by a friend and colleague, Evelyn Clark. (For more information about Evelyn Clark, you can go to www.CorpStory.com).
So – as we wrap up our series on leadership authenticity – here’s some questions to ponder:
- Are you telling stories?
- What kinds of stories are you telling?
- Are you telling stories in the most effective manner?
- Are you using stories to help you create a specific corporate culture?
by Jan Dwyer Bang on March 5, 2010
Those of you who are familiar with sexual harassment may be familiar with the words “hostile work environment.” A hostile work environment exists when an employee experiences workplace harassment and fears going to work because of the offensive, intimidating, or oppressive atmosphere generated by the harasser. (Wikipedia). Though the behaviors of most leaders would not be examples of this sort of hostile work environment, they nonetheless may find themselves engaging in actions that can create an “unsafe” work culture. One of the signs of an unsafe work culture is an environment where you find people spending an inordinate amount of time documenting their behaviors and feeling fearful of making mistakes vs. an environment where people are expending energy on positive creative problem solving.
As a leader – you need to create a “safe” and “creative” work environment – so that people can more fully use their skills and abilities in alignment with your organization’s goals and objectivites.
What are you doing today to create an energetic, engaged, workforce – fullly present to solve your organization’s problems? Indeed, safety = creativity!
by Jan Dwyer Bang on March 2, 2010
In previous excerpts, we’ve talked about “owning our failures” and what can happen when we create an environment where creativity and risk taking can flourish. In our last excerpt we talked about how we can accept responsibility for our thought lives. In this fifth excerpt, we’ll be addresssing the importance of accepting responsibility for our entire lives.
What does accepting responsibility mean – especially as a leader? Accepting responsibility means that we fully own our gifts, our strengths, our experiences, our education (or lack of it), our weaknesses, our setbacks, our personalities. and our leadership. Only when we fully “own” who we are can we make the kind of impact that we can only make.
Have you ever considered that you are the only one in the entire universe with your set of gifts, strengths, experiences, education, family background, and leadership acumen? We accept responsibility for our lives by doing the following:
- Accepting responsibility for the choices and decisions we make
- Accepting responsibility for our own leadership development
- Owning what we choose to think or feel
- Not blaming others for what happens to us
- Not taking responsibility for someone else
- Letting go of resentment towards others for the hurts you feel
As a leader – you need to model an environment where staff members take responsibility for their behaviors and actions. One of the ways you can help create a healthy and productive work environment where people accept responsibility (besides modeling this yourself), is to train your leadership team and staff that covering up mistakes, blaming others, or engaging in destructive gossip is simply not tolerated. Indeed, some organizations include accepting responsibility as a part of their core values. I love this quote on the importance of taking responsibility:
“Success on any major scale requires you to accept responsibility . . . . In the final analysis, the one quality that all successful people have is the ability to take on responsibility.”
— Michael Korda
Editor-in-Chief, Simon & Schuster
