Cube 2.14 Blog

Organizational development articles on topics like change management, human resources, transformational leadership, customer service and more.

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26 Aug 2015
Sticky Post By Posted in Human Resources Articles, Leadership Articles, Organizational Change Articles Permalink

No One Values Bland Corporate Values

Sticky Post By On August 26, 2015

It seems like most businesses, from mom and pop shops to corporate giants, are getting caught up in the trend of “defining company values.” While this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it can be pretty useless if not executed correctly.

Companies want to create unity among their employees, as well as project an image of solidarity, value, and respectability to potential customers or clients. This is all well and good, of course, but what happens when every business is making a move to show it? We end up with a great deal of generic, trend-following value statements that are ambiguous to both customers and employees. That pretty much defeats the purpose of defining values in the first place.

Often, the problems have been that the values are typically expressed with meaning-neutral (if not meaningless) corporate-speak, or that the values aren’t of a first-order nature. That is, they don’t touch on what truly constitutes the “good” for people inside and outside the organization.

Of course “customer service” is valued at any given company – what business doesn’t value their customers? They would be foolish not to provide great service to their patrons, but does this really have to be defined as a corporate value? The same is true for other generic values like “market leadership” and “commitment to employees.” Do a quick Google search, and you can probably find 20 companies with these same phrases listed among their company values – hardly a unique position.
If the point is to select and identify values for all employees to embrace, then these values have to be relatable, and more importantly, specific to each unique business. Overly generalized value statements come off as corporate jargon, and most employees will simply let this kind of talk go in one ear and out the other. To present values that are actually valued by employees, owners and management teams have to find factors that the staff actually identifies with. They have to be tangible.

Creating stellar core values isn’t exactly easy. You’ve really got to dig deep and figure out what is at the core of you business. That kind of soul searching doesn’t happen overnight and often takes someone outside of the company to take a look at your business. 

For workers constructing skyscrapers, perhaps “fearlessness” is a value that is both identifiable and extremely important to a job well done. For those handling dangerous chemicals, a “commitment to proper use of safety equipment” is something that employees can get behind. Corporate values should be important to the success of the business AND the direct interests of employees.

There is a great deal of emphasis on how to make corporate values “sticky” to staff members, but this is a classic case of putting the cart before the horse. If the ideas are to be truly valued, they have to be valuable to the people adopting them – specific, well-thought corporate values will be perfectly “sticky” all on their own.
**********

Anil Saxena is the President of Cube 2.14, an organizational development consulting firm that works with clients to increase both customer and employee engagement while decreasing turnover, improving customer retention, and increasing profitability within organizations.

Saxena is a certified High Impact coach and trainer and a Joint Application Design facilitator. He is also certified by both Rush Systems and IBM as a focus group facilitator. He is an inaugural member of Northwestern University’s Learning and Organizational Change program, and he earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology.

26 Aug 2015
Sticky Post By Posted in Instructional Design Articles, Leadership Articles, Organizational Change Articles Permalink

Yes, You Do Matter

Sticky Post By On August 26, 2015

One of the highest impact motivators for any person is to see that what they do has meaning.  Meaningfulness is a key driver to ensure that employees see the impact of what they do on the company’s:
 
• Ability to gain and retain customers;
• Reputation with the public and shareholders; and
• Potential partners
 
Essentially what you are showing employees is their Line of Sight –
 
Line of sight is the straight line that each and every employee has to gaining and retaining customers.  Regardless of their role, employees need to see their impact on customer satisfaction.  Understanding the impact their role has on the customer adds context to their actions and decisions. Line of Sight has also been used to refer to the connection employees have with their place of employment, or in many cases, the business values or strategy. It is about connecting employees to the business in some way, and ultimately this means connecting employees with the customers.
 
Without a clear understanding their role’s impact, employees can not see how they are making a difference.  This directly impacts:
 
• The care they take on their jobs
• The quality of their work
• How they interact with other employees
• How they talk about their jobs.
 
Want to drive performance?  Want to increase productivity?

Help employees understand the meaningfulness of their role and learn the Line of Sight to the customer!

How do you help employees find their impact on customers?

Anil Saxena is the President of Cube 2.14, an organizational development consulting firm that works with clients to increase both customer and employee engagement while decreasing turnover, improving customer retention, and increasing profitability within organizations.

Saxena is a certified High Impact coach and trainer and a Joint Application Design facilitator. He is also certified by both Rush Systems and IBM as a focus group facilitator. He is an inaugural member of Northwestern University’s Learning and Organizational Change program, and he earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology.

26 Aug 2015
Sticky Post By Posted in Customer Service Articles, Leadership Articles Permalink

Line Of Sight – Meaningfulness Can Leaders Help Employees See Their Impact On Customers!

Sticky Post By On August 26, 2015

Organizations that take the time to make connections and meaning between their employees, their customers, and the business create benefits for all involved. One of the most important factors is getting employees engaged in their work. If they do not find any meaning in their work, they will not feel connected to the business or its customers.
 
1. LEARN AND EXPLAIN THE PURPOSE OF EACH PROJECT AND TASK AS IT RELATES TO THE CUSTOMER.
Link actions back to impact on the customer.  This may take a bit longer and may mean a little digging, but it is well worth it in the end.

2. UNDERSTAND THE LINK BETWEEN WHAT YOUR TEAM DOES AND THE CUSTOMER.
Present that to the team and discuss what it means.  How will that impact their actions?  Make it a visual that can be seen by everyone on the team.  Start to ask the question – “How will this action impact the customer?” or  “How will this assist in gaining and retaining customers”

3. STRESS OUTCOMES – EVALUATE PERFORMANCE ON OUTCOMES.
In the context of supporting, gaining and retaining customers, people will generally do the right thing.  Focus on what they accomplish, not on the steps taken to get there.  Allowing for autonomy and focusing on gaining mastery will enable teams to do what is best for the customer in the long run.

4. ENCOURAGE EMPLOYEES TO TALK ABOUT HOW THEY IMPACT THE CUSTOMER.
Employees need to understand the link between what they do and the customer.  Encouraging them to find out on their own increases the likelihood of it sticking with them and informing their future actions.

Companies that don’t focus on gaining and retaining customers are doomed to not have to worry about either sooner than they think.  How are you going to clarify the line of sight for your teams? What other actions can you take? Please let me know.

Anil Saxena is the President of Cube 2.14, an organizational development consulting firm that works with clients to increase both customer and employee engagement while decreasing turnover, improving customer retention, and increasing profitability within organizations.

Saxena is a certified High Impact coach and trainer and a Joint Application Design facilitator. He is also certified by both Rush Systems and IBM as a focus group facilitator. He is an inaugural member of Northwestern University’s Learning and Organizational Change program, and he earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology.

26 Aug 2015
Sticky Post By Posted in Leadership Articles, Organizational Change Articles Permalink

Sowing The Seeds Of Mutiny – The Lunacy Of Just In Time Scheduling

Sticky Post By On August 26, 2015

EVERY COMPANY WANTS TO RUN A TIGHT SHIP BECAUSE IT IS IMPORTANT TO MAKE EFFICIENT USE OF RESOURCES AND TO SCHEDULE EMPLOYEES WORK HOURS TO MAKE SURE THAT CUSTOMERS GET THE VERY BEST EXPERIENCE.

But this mindset can go too far and begin to sink that tightly run ship…

Far too many organizations are pursuing this goal at the expense of their employees by employing a tactic called “resource optimization” or “just-in time scheduling.”

JUST-IN-TIME, OUT-OF-TOUCH

Just in Time Scheduling , widely used in the service industry, results in last-minute schedule changes with employers even sending workers home after they arrive for work or asking them to stay beyond the end of their shift.

This practice is ridiculous, really.

Time and time again, managers and corporate planners put policies in place that are meant to boost numbers or cut down on overhead, but actually work much better to anger and alienate their employees.

Retail companies (Whole Foods and Container Store, among others) are notorious for this, rotating their employees’ schedules to meet customer demand, and inadvertently disrupting their personal lives in the process.

The flexing schedule is meant to keep costs down and provide improved service for customers, but instead creates resentment among workers who can’t plan other responsibilities around an unpredictable schedule.

BAD FOR BUSINESS

It sounds great in a corporate board to utilize employees or resources only when they are needed. That is not to say employee scheduling should not be managed or maybe even automated – that would be naive.

But scheduling employees to open the store one day and close the store the very next day is not only bad for them,but also bad for business.  Employees who don’t feel like they have some control over their time can leave work feeling left out, in the dark, and like they have no control of their lives outside of work.

If employees feel like they are getting the runaround from management, or that their interests are secondary to profit, the only outcome is reduced job satisfaction and plummeting morale.

If the ship metaphor holds, these are grounds for mutiny.

RIGHTING THE SHIP

Little by little, managers and corporate policy-makers are starting to understand the importance of happy, engaged employees – according to Vineet Nair in his recent book Employees Come First, Customer Come Second:

“If you do not put the employee first – if the business of management and managers is not to put the employee first – there is no way you can get the customer first.”

Plenty of companies are still out there making decisions based on dollar signs instead of their employees’ best interests.

If only they understood that if they put their staff members first, necessities like efficiency, teamwork, and great customer service improve naturally!

Until companies realize that personally invested, contented employees are their greatest asset, there will continue to be this kind of poor decision making that keeps workers and managers at odds, hurting the productivity of the business at every level and sowing the seeds of mutiny.

What good is a captain without the support of his crew?

So, how are you managing the scheduling for your employees that works best for everyone involved? How can you work to keep the right balance of employee engagement with profitably and productivity and avoid a mutiny? How close are YOU to irritating your people to where they make YOU “walk the plank?” I would love to hear your thoughts!
 
This post originally found on Linked2Leadership.  Make sure to check them out!

Anil Saxena is the President of Cube 2.14, an organizational development consulting firm that works with clients to increase both customer and employee engagement while decreasing turnover, improving customer retention, and increasing profitability within organizations.

Saxena is a certified High Impact coach and trainer and a Joint Application Design facilitator. He is also certified by both Rush Systems and IBM as a focus group facilitator. He is an inaugural member of Northwestern University’s Learning and Organizational Change program, and he earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology.

26 Aug 2015
Sticky Post By Posted in Human Resources Articles Permalink

3 Great Ways To Scare Off Potential Employees

Sticky Post By On August 26, 2015

Here are three sure fire ways to not only lose the people you have but also scare off any great potential employees.

1. Use layoffs as a way to “meet the quarterly numbers”

Although proven time and time again, somehow organizations STILL use layoffs as a tool.  Layoffs are NOT a good tactic to remedy short term budget crises.
 

More than anything, layoffs — and the potential for layoffs — causes a sense of panic within the employee base. – Mr. Van Gorder, CEO Health Scripps
 
2. Don’t allow for flex-time, working from home, job-sharing or other alternative work arrangements

Somehow during economic programs like flex-time, working at home or alternative work weeks seem to lose their luster.  But why?  Is it because they are less effective?  No.  Most organizations see these types of work arrangements as “perks”. But they are not perks.  They are the new way of work and actually work to INCREASE productivity

Companies are finding that flextime boosts productivity, and more and more of them, including Kraft Foods (nyse: KFT – news – people ), Texas Instruments (nyse: TXN – news – people ) and First Tennessee Bank, are taking advantage of it. When employees manage their own schedules, their stress levels decline and they focus better on their tasks. – Emily Schmitt, Forbes

3. Don’t focus on results

There are still too many organizations that operate under the misconception that working longer hours (night, weekends, through holidays, etc.) shows how dedicated an employee is.  Often, employees that don’t put in that “face time” are seen as “not dedicated”.  Unfortunately, there is nothing further than the truth.

Simply put, punching a time clock makes no sense for professionals. Their contribution is not the time they spend on their work but the value they create through their knowledge. – Robert C. Pozen Senior Lecturer at Harvard Business School

• The recent uptick in employment,
• The strengthening economy
• The vast majority of employees are not engaged at work

All three of these facts indicate that employers need to start thinking of how to KEEP their best employees.
 
What are you doing to make sure your best are not thinking of leaving AND you can hire the best when you need them?

Anil Saxena is the President of Cube 2.14, an organizational development consulting firm that works with clients to increase both customer and employee engagement while decreasing turnover, improving customer retention, and increasing profitability within organizations.

Saxena is a certified High Impact coach and trainer and a Joint Application Design facilitator. He is also certified by both Rush Systems and IBM as a focus group facilitator. He is an inaugural member of Northwestern University’s Learning and Organizational Change program, and he earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology.

26 Aug 2015
Sticky Post By Posted in Leadership Articles, Organizational Change Articles Permalink

5 Reasons Diversity Is Good For Your Business

Sticky Post By On August 26, 2015

We all know that diversity is a good thing.  Every major city on the planet is a giant melting pot of ethnic and cultural backgrounds, not to mention the plethora of subcultures that don’t necessarily fall along the lines of ethnicity or gender. Technology makes the world a little smaller. All of us are exposed to those in almost every aspect of our lives.
 
This diversity is, of course, also present in the business world. Companies have increasingly diverse staff members. But is diversity really good for creating high performance cultures?  Absolutely.
 
Here are five reasons why having a diverse workforce increases productivity and profit:
 
1.    It Strengthens Employees
 
At the most basic level, a diverse staff makes each individual employee a stronger asset to the team. Diversity breeds cultural awareness, tolerance, and compassion – all of which are admirable qualities in and out of the workplace.
On the job, these attitudes help navigate stressful situations, keep a level head, and make employees all the more likely to go the extra mile to meet the needs of customers or clients. Exposure to different backgrounds and lifestyles can help employees step outside themselves – which in turn means better identifying with customers and clients, as well as fellow employees.
 
2.    Globalization
 
As the world marketplace gets smaller (and more companies are doing business internationally, hiring virtual employees, or expanding into new markets), representatives of these businesses will undoubtedly be met with language and cultural barriers. Having a diverse population of employees helps overcome these difficulties in two distinct ways.
 
First, much as diversity strengthens employee resolve and builds compassion, having experience learning a new culture or navigating a language barrier with a coworker is excellent training for conquering these obstacles in the field.
Similarly, a diverse group of employees may even contain an individual who speaks a particular language, or who has visited a particular region. This could be an invaluable advantage when competing against other globally active companies.
 

“Unlike in the past, when diversity was confined to the equality of opportunity for individual employees, diversity is now central to increasing the competitiveness and innovation of a company.” – Jill Lee, Siemens Head of Diversity
 
3.    Build Customer Connections

Because diversity is more than ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, disability, etc., and can encompass a whole host of other preferential and/or inherited traits, employee diversity is a great way to connect with the broad spectrum of your customers.
 
If a customer communicates with someone they can relate to, it will help put them at ease.  This in turn fosters trust. Because diversity has become such an important part of many companies, many customers will recognize and appreciate efforts to build and maintain a diverse team of employees.
 

“When we are inclusive and embrace diversity of people and ideas we are more accessible to our customers.” – Marilyn Pratt, Director Community Advocacy, SAP Community Network
 
4.    Attract Talent
 
Just as customers will identify with your diverse employees, so will prospective employees. By maintaining a diverse workforce that breaks down cultural barriers and fosters innovation, the best prospects will seek you out to be part of the team.

Employees will naturally share their experiences with one another, learning about different backgrounds and lifestyles and building their personal understanding. This offers an engaging and educational setting for doing business.  When you can offer that type of environment word travels fast.
 
5.    Combined Insight

This is quite possibly the single most important reason for having as diverse a staff as possible: the more minds you have working on a problem, the more different solutions you can come up with. With diversity comes different ways of viewing the world, different upbringings, skills, communication styles, etc.
 
When faced with a challenge in your business, a team of employees with the exact same background may all propose a similar solution.  But a group with a wider range of experiences and opinions may be able to come up with dozens of answers to a single question. Simply put, diversity in the workplace is a way to harness the lessons learned across age groups, country lines, or gender roles. It grants access to multiple perspectives on any given issue, and requires that each and every one of these perspectives be tempered by the others.
 
As we become more connected as a global society, diversity is not a choice. It is both the reality of the world around us, and an absolute necessity for companies that want to remain competitive in the modern world.

Anil Saxena is the President of Cube 2.14, an organizational development consulting firm that works with clients to increase both customer and employee engagement while decreasing turnover, improving customer retention, and increasing profitability within organizations.

Saxena is a certified High Impact coach and trainer and a Joint Application Design facilitator. He is also certified by both Rush Systems and IBM as a focus group facilitator. He is an inaugural member of Northwestern University’s Learning and Organizational Change program, and he earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology.

26 Aug 2015
Sticky Post By Posted in Human Resources Articles Permalink

3 Reasons Your Employee Engagement Survey Isn’t Working

Sticky Post By On August 26, 2015

“Employee engagement” is a trend that seems to be continuing to gain strength.

• It’s on  the tongues of HR departments across a panorama of industries,
• Preached by gurus at company retreats,
• Worried about by leaders and managers at all levels

There is ample research that shows the connection between engagement, customer loyalty and profit.

Having happy, personally invested employees is essential to the continued success of any company.

It can be the difference between

• A company with consistent repeat business and
• A company that destroys itself from within.
 
There are hundreds and hundreds of surveys and companies that provide them.  Unfortunately,  Most of the surveys are actually doing very, very little to foster real, live employee engagement.

“By misunderstanding, mismanaging and mis-measuring employee engagement, we are failing to provide a signal to our nation’s most valuable resource” – Dov Seidman
 
Here’s why:

1.    The Questions Aren’t Actionable
 
There has been ample research regarding powerful, effective and actionable employee engagement survey questions.  However, many engagement surveys involve questions that no manager can take action on:

• Have you been surprised by the behavior of people at work whom you thought you knew well
• I understand CME Group’s corporate goals and growth strategy.

Both questions are valid and interesting, but not very actionable by a front line manager.

Questions should be straightforward and easy for each manager to act upon, for example:

• My successes are recognized by my manager and coworkers

The surveys can (and do) measure an employee’s general feelings about the workplace and their particular position in it, but questions that can not be acted upon easily cause confusion and resentment.
 
2.    All The Emphasis is On the Survey
 
When implementing employee engagement surveys, companies (especially larger ones) put all the focus on the survey itself – requiring participation, collecting and analyzing data, distributing results to managers – instead of on the purpose of the survey: assessing and fostering employee engagement.

Focusing on the survey and reports can be  rabbit hole of resource usage, without much positive change to show for it.

The survey is a tool to encourage conversation.  However, if all the energy is used on conducting the survey, it can actually work against dialogue.  Make sure that they survey is used to promote conversation NOT just taking a survey.
 
3.    Too Much Time Between Surveys and Results

Even if engagement surveys are masterfully executed, capture truly relevant data, and lead to actionable plans for change and development, too much time between survey and results is deadly to engagement. The survey is top of mind when the survey is taken. If survey results take a long time to process, employees often feel like their opinions don’t matter or that the company has something to hide.

Given the advances in survey technology, there is no reason that results take any longer than two or three business weeks to be available.

Employee engagement is extremely important, but has to be addressed in productive ways. There are some key things to remember about leveraging the power of employee engagement

• Since front line managers are the key to engagement, make sure the survey is actionable by them.
• Don’t emphasize the survey emphasize the dialogue after the survey. Use the survey to promote communication!
• Don’t try to make the results sound perfect or “positive”.  Focus on getting result out quickly. Then, give your front line managers the tools to talk about engagement and weave it into their every day routines.
 
Engagement done well can drive high performance.  But, if engagement is treated like just another program it can actually be detrimental.  
 
What is your company doing to build a culture of employee engagement?
 
Anil Saxena is the President of Cube 2.14, an organizational development consulting firm that works with clients to increase both customer and employee engagement while decreasing turnover, improving customer retention, and increasing profitability within organizations.

Saxena is a certified High Impact coach and trainer and a Joint Application Design facilitator. He is also certified by both Rush Systems and IBM as a focus group facilitator. He is an inaugural member of Northwestern University’s Learning and Organizational Change program, and he earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology.

26 Aug 2015
Sticky Post By Posted in Change Management Articles, Instructional Design Articles, Organizational Change Articles Permalink

The Real Secret To Business Success

Sticky Post By On August 26, 2015

COMPANIES ARE ALWAYS TRYING TO FIND THE SILVER BULLET TO MAKE THEIR BUSINESSES SUCCEED. THEY TURN TO ADVISORS/CONSULTANTS FOR HELP.
 
THE GOAL OF ALL THE

• advice ,
• articles,
• books,
• videos,
• seminars,
• webinars, and
• training programs

related to business is the same.
 
EVERY METHOD FOR

• attracting social media followers,
• getting more responses from advertising,
• improving customer service, or
• developing high-quality products
 
have one single goal, and it’s the only thing that leads to a company’s success:gaining and retaining customers.
 
Newsflash – If you aren’t attracting new customers – and hanging on to the ones you’ve got – your business is doomed.
 
SO, IF THAT’S THE END-ALL, BE-ALL OF SUCCEEDING IN BUSINESS, HOW DO YOU MAKE THAT HAPPEN?

Beyond the tips and tricks you can learn from the endless stream of internet advice, it is of the utmost importance to instill this value in your employees. From the part time custodian all the way to the CFO – it is the responsibility of each and every member of the organization. They need to understand the Line of Sight to the Customer, the impact their role has on gaining and retaining customers.
 
When all employees understand the impact they have on this “make or break” component of your business, every action they take on the company’s behalf should reflect this knowledge.
 
Every action and reaction should be through the lens of “How does this impact the customer”.  Processes, procedures, products, etc. must be built around that fundamental concept.  Therefore:

• Having employees work until close on Monday and then open Tuesday hinders the customer experience and is not effective for the employee.
• Creating complex processes to submit and be reimbursed for expenses because ONE person does not support gaining/retaining customers.  It also makes those in positions to gain/retain customers feel like the company is not supporting them.
• Creating goals for internal departments that work to pit them against each other undermines the customer experience
• This list really could be endless, right?
 
When employees understand that, as individuals, they each play a vital role in building repeat business, they will see additional value in the role they play for your company.
 
A single bad experience can turn a customer off to a company for good, and send them right down the street to the nearest competitor. This means that whether they are:

• Packing shipments to go out,
• Ringing up customers at a cash register,
• Planning distribution routes, or
• Making company-wide policy decisions;

it’s the responsibility of every employee to offer each customer an experience that will make them come back of their own volition. That is why each and every employee knowing the Line of Sight to the customer is so vital!
 
You must gain, and more importantly, retain customers to achieve success: this is the ONLY way to create a truly successful business.

Anil Saxena is the President of Cube 2.14, an organizational development consulting firm that works with clients to increase both customer and employee engagement while decreasing turnover, improving customer retention, and increasing profitability within organizations.

Saxena is a certified High Impact coach and trainer and a Joint Application Design facilitator. He is also certified by both Rush Systems and IBM as a focus group facilitator. He is an inaugural member of Northwestern University’s Learning and Organizational Change program, and he earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology.

26 Aug 2015
Sticky Post By Posted in Instructional Design Articles, Organizational Change Articles Permalink

The Mechanics Of Productivity – We Are Not Machines!

Sticky Post By On August 26, 2015

SPENDING MORE TIME CHOPPING MAKES MORE FIREWOOD?

For years and years, the common conception has been that more hours worked equals increased productivity – the more time spent on the job, the more work gets done.  But, is that really the truth?
 
Recently, when I was at a client function and overheard two colleagues discussing the number of hours that they put in on a daily basis. The first gentleman said that he works until eight or 9 PM every night and never got to see his kids. The other, bragged that he worked until seven went home had dinner turned on his computer worked some more and worked the weekend. But does that make them more productive, effective and able to produce more results?

HUMAN ≠ MACHINE

When factories need more parts made, they extend the shift hours. When a firm sees a spike in business, they expect employees to stay later to meet the increased volume. Even when long hours are not based on a company-wide need, it has been a long held belief that “going the extra mile,” and spending more time on the job than others is commendable, productive behavior to be admired.
 
This is a perfectly logical conclusion for dealing with automatons, but hardly makes sense for real, live people. As management mentality continues to shift toward employee engagement, shared expectations, and other “worker-centric” practices, it is becoming very clear that more time spent working does not necessarily translate to more work getting done. Human beings, after all, are not machines.

MORE DOES NOT ALWAYS EQUAL BETTER

There are numerous studies and articles (Stop Working More than 40 Hours Per Week & They Work Long Hours, but What About Results? just to name two) written to dispel this misconception. It has become quite clear that employees are more productive when they are:

• Well-rested,
• Happy, and
• Able to “refuel” themselves from time to time.
 
People get stressed, they get tired, and they lose momentum in the face of monotony. Each of us can recognize the benefits of a short break to “clear your head,” or remember a time that temporarily walking away from a problem was key to finding the solution.
 
In an article in the Harvard Business Review, Tony Schwartz discusses this Law of Diminishing Returns as it pertains to the workplace, saying:
 

“It’s not just the number of hours we sit at a desk in that determines the value we generate. It’s the energy we bring to the hours we work. Human beings are designed to pulse rhythmically between spending and renewing energy. That’s how we operate at our best. Maintaining a steady reservoir of energy — physically, mentally, emotionally and even spiritually — requires refueling it intermittently.”
 
Workers in all sectors can actually get more done (in less time) by taking steps to stay fresh and alert on the job. Not only will employees get more done, they will be happier about doing it, and this is the path to true engagement and personal investment in a company.
 
To keep a business running like a well-oiled machine, managers have to understand that employees are NOT mechanical – one can’t simply turn a dial and expect increased results.
 
What do you think?

Anil Saxena is the President of Cube 2.14, an organizational development consulting firm that works with clients to increase both customer and employee engagement while decreasing turnover, improving customer retention, and increasing profitability within organizations.

Saxena is a certified High Impact coach and trainer and a Joint Application Design facilitator. He is also certified by both Rush Systems and IBM as a focus group facilitator. He is an inaugural member of Northwestern University’s Learning and Organizational Change program, and he earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology.

26 Aug 2015
Sticky Post By Posted in Leadership Articles, Organizational Change Articles Permalink

When The Organization Attacks (Killing The Messenger Management Part Deux)

Sticky Post By On August 26, 2015

Failing or faltering organizations are quick to point out the unfairness of a system, the weakness in the economy and problems with unions.  Seldom do they admit their part in their own failure and/or eventual demise.  
 
What’s worse is when their own accountability in the situation is pointed out, they attack…the person that pointed it out.
 
Examples

• A recent client became enraged when the results of a survey showed they were not trusted as a leader/manager. They lashed out at the consultant for presenting the data.  Accusing the consultant of trying to undermine them.  Even though the same survey showed that people respected their knowledge, he said the survey was invalid.  When the meeting was over, he tried to cancel the rest of a three-year contract.
• Recommendations delivered by an internal group of high potential employees indicated that leaders needed training in building relationship and encouraging creativity.  The senior team took offense to the notion that they were not providing training and told the team to go back and revise their recommendations.  Three of the members of the team were taken off the high potential list and the team was disbanded prior to completing the second round of recommendations
• A senior leader at a large financial institution was reported to have attempted to fire three members of an employee focus group that gave feedback criticizing his leadership style and “being intimidating”.  When he couldn’t fire all of them, he made sure to let their managers know how upset he was and they should be “watched”.  The employees were responding to the question “What are areas about my leadership that could be improved?”
 
SIGNS THE MESSENGER BETTER BE WARY

1. There is a history of messengers getting “whacked”.

No, this is not a bad mob movie reference.   There are organizations that have a history of dealing with people that give messages that don’t paint a great picture by getting rid of them.  Those “messengers” can be fired, have contracts cancelled, demoted, or given assignments that force them to quit.  There are many organizations with this reputation.  Two that may be familiar are Kodak and the now defunct Eastern Airlines.
 
2. The initial reaction to bad news is to change it to something more positive sounding

When the first reaction is to change anything that may be construed as “not good news” to something positive sounding, be ware.  This means that leaders don’t appreciate news that doesn’t paint a positive picture (or the people delivering it don’t know how).
 
3. When bad or unflattering news is shared, the initial reaction is defense…or attack

Messengers should be very worried when the reactions to news or recommendations are

• Undermining the vehicle delivering the message
• Immediately providing rationale for why the issues occurred in the first place.
• No acceptance of fault or even glimmer of accountability for the situation causing the news/recommendations.
 
FIGHTING FIRE WITH WATER – OVERCOMING THE KILL THE MESSENGER MENTALITY

1. Don’t tell me it’s raining, tell me how to build the ark
Always follow bad news or a tough recommendation with a solution or idea to turn the situation around.  No one really likes to hear bad news, but a solution or remedy to the issue(s) will go a long way.  This is not license to sugar coat anything.  
It can allow for a little more latitude with delivering bad news because there is a solution or method to impact it right away.
 
2. Rip the Band-Aid off quickly
There is no reason, when giving feedback or relating bad news, to do a lot of build up. It is much more effective to just get to the point so that a discussion about remedy can immediately follow.  Unfortunately, there is a tendency to drone on and on prior to delivering news.  Everyone knows that the news is coming.  Deliver the news professionally and rapidly.
 
3. Be ruthlessly compassionate
My British colleagues were masters at delivering bad news well.  They did so by being professional, polite and unflinching in their delivery.  No matter the news, they would make sure the message was delivered in a kind, straightforward manner.  They responded to anger with politeness. They responded to cynicism with matter of fact answers.  There was no doubt the news was not good, but no one felt beat up when it was delivered.
 
4. Know the reaction is not about the messenger
The initial reaction to any bad news is never about the person delivering it (unless you insult or do bodily injury while speaking).  The reaction is really about the person who has it. A leader who yells or throws a tantrum (yes they do that) when bad news or feedback is shared is showing his or her insecurities.  The objective is to get past the initial reaction with tact and politeness so that a real conversation can ensue.
 
No organization can survive without knowing the good, the bad and the ugly of their operations, sales, employee issues, customer service, etc.  The only way to correct issues is to discuss them out in the open and come up with methods to combat them directly.  People can’t be afraid to tell the truth. They must understand how to bring it up so that it can dealt with rather than them being attacked.
 
What successful tactics have you seen in delivering bad news?  What is the worst bad news reaction you’ve seen?

Anil Saxena is the President of Cube 2.14, an organizational development consulting firm that works with clients to increase both customer and employee engagement while decreasing turnover, improving customer retention, and increasing profitability within organizations.

Saxena is a certified High Impact coach and trainer and a Joint Application Design facilitator. He is also certified by both Rush Systems and IBM as a focus group facilitator. He is an inaugural member of Northwestern University’s Learning and Organizational Change program, and he earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology.

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