ARE WE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE?

Are you reading one page of a book but your staff is on a different page? Worse than that, are they even reading the same book? In other words, are you taking a course of action, asking your staff to follow then turning and finding no one there? The best way to see that this does not happen is to make sure that you are a focused leader, that you empower your engaged employees, that they will in turn create loyal customers leading to growth and success.

Focused Leader - You may be the owner, the manager, or CEO but that does not mean you are seen as the leader. You appoint yourself CEO but your team will follow you if you are the leader.   As manager you can influence the process through which people recognize your leadership. You do this by creating an environment where people will join your team. They see the purpose of what they are supposed to do and understand the vision as well as the values of the organization for which they work. Today’s fast-moving business environment demands that the effective leader be both, a well-organized administrator and highly adept in understanding people’s basic needs and behavior in the workplace. Be open with your communication. Share your vision, values and goals. Also, share organizational results. A CEO who keeps results secret breeds distrust. The most successful businesses and business leaders conduct “open book” management. This is the way to gain trust and commitment.

Engaged Employees - Since the business environment is always changing and evolving, the way we do business and communicate must also change with the environment. Some engagement drivers may have shifted. Be aware. Many findings in older Gallop engagement surveys are important while other points relating to economy and generations have begun to show up. For example, the desire of employees to have the opportunity to do what they do best is still important as is being recognized for a job well done.

There is much room for improvement. A study released in October 2012 conducted by MSW Research and Dale Carnegie Training surveyed 1500 employees nationally. Results showed only 29% of employees are fully engaged while 26% are disengaged.   Bottom line is that in all of these surveys many employees listed similar key drivers for engagement, such as their relationship with their immediate supervisor, belief in senior leadership, and pride in working for the company. That needs to be addressed by business leaders. Disengaged employees do not contribute and worse, they could alienate your customers.

Loyal Customers – They are the key to success now and in the future. Careless unengaged employees can ruin a business by driving away customers. Do you and your team know how to measure loyalty, how to wow customers, and how to deliver on and exceed expectations?   The right people need to be placed in the right positions. Jim Collins talks about this when he says, “Get the right people on the bus, the wrong people off the bus, and the right people in the right seats”. Then focus of the vision, the goals, train, develop, and engage.

Once again it comes back to this. Focused leaders with engaged employees will result in loyal customers and more business success.

Would you like to learn how to create core values and culture that everyone follows?

Let Us Show You How.

call 914-953-4458.