Enlightenment, Incorporated

The Internal Brand

2011-10-16T16:37:00.000-07:00

Hey, first we are sorry for the long delay. The good news is that Jennifer and I have been really busy. We are both doing really interesting work, but we have remiss with our blog posts. We'll try to be better.

Recently, I had lunch with Larry Lubin of Lubin-Lawrence (www.lubinlawrence.com). Lubin-Lawrence has been helping the worlds’ leading consumer goods companies establish and implement brand strategies for decades. I got to know them years ago when one of my clients needed help with their brand image. They have a powerful methodology for helping companies understand what the most loyal consumers truly value about the brand. Their work led to a fundamental restructure of the company’s approach to the market.

The Lubin-Lawrence approach is based on the belief that a brand will be more powerful and meaningful if it plays an important role in the consumer’s life. Rather than focus on features and functions, they have a holistic research methodology for determining, or uncovering really, the experiences most sought after by the consumer and the fundamental human values that drive a particular consumer’s behavior.

One of our current clients believes that their culture provides a true source of competitive advantage and is interested in how to “brand” their culture, both internally and externally. My conversations with Larry and his partner Barbara Lawrence, have been about how to do that. In our conversations, I think we all realized the similarity between the external and internal brands, and more importantly why alignment between the two is so critical.

In both cases, the target constituency, the consumer or the employee, has to believe that their actions, either a purchase or their work, is aligned with their values. The lesson learned: great branding isn't about making you want to buy stuff it is about helping you discover meaning in your life.

Scott

Down With Performance Reviews!

2010-11-05T05:49:00.000-07:00

I am not a fan of Performance Reviews. My own experience has been that they consistently fall short of my expectations, and I'm speaking not only as a recipient, but as someone who has written my fair share over the years. They tend to be either too shallow to do much good, or they create an unnecessary rift with the employee who hopes (and often expects) to hear nothing but superlatives about their contributions.

I now have company in my views. Two authors—a professor from UCLA and an editor from the Wall Street Journal have written a book with a title that says it all: "Get Rid of the Performance Review!"

The writers, Samuel Culbert and Lawrence Rout pull no punches in their analysis. They believe the damage inflicted by reviews by far eclipses their benefit. Or as expressed by Culbert, reviews are "the most pretentious, fraudulent, ill-advised exercise taking place at companies." (Tell us how you really feel, Sam--)

Completely eliminating reviews, though, is not necessarily the answer. Behind the charade is actually a good intention: to shine a spotlight on the employee's true talents and contributions, and to find a way to develop their skills and capabilities. So it's more about changing the process and tools.

There are a lot of useful ways to accomplish this, but one of the more intriguing is to change ownership of the experience from being management driven to employee-led. We now expect employees to own their careers, so doesn't it make sense that they own the resources that help map and guide them on their chosen path? A review that therefore highlights the employee's achievements, written in their own words, and accompanied by a vision for future contributions, sets the stage for a meaningful discussion.

So if you want to engage employees rather than generate angst and anxiety, take a look at how reviews can be revamped to really focus on the employees' needs, preferences and aspirations.

Jennifer

Pornographic Management

2010-08-17T08:26:00.000-07:00

I believe that language is a powerful force that shapes who we are, and in turn shapes our organizations. How we describe our mission and values, how we communicate inside and outside our organizations, and even the nature of our conversations all have profound influences on our business.

As an example, what does the phrase "performance review" conjure up for you? For most people, words like "aggravation" and "pointless tasks" come to mind. Yet, despite the label the intention of a review is to create a vehicle for helping people grow. So after years of bad experiences and bad press, even the best review process will forever be branded in a negative way as long as it's called a performance review.

With language in mind, imagine my reaction when I ran across the phrase "pornographic management" while doing some research. It jumped right off the page for me, and I immediately needed to learn more. In an article by Stephen Long, http://www.europeanbusinessreview.com/?p=1510, he characterizes it as leaders who live under a cloak of fear—fear of making mistakes, fear about what's next in the economy, fear for their very survival—and as a result they work in a cautious, emotionless way. Strategies are followed to the letter of the law, blame is shifted, and everything becomes a "shrug"—that's just the way it is around here. The world becomes objectified and as a result lacks a soul.

Two things came to mind as I thought about the concept. First, to label this type of leadership as "pornographic" felt harsh yet right to me. Organizations that function in this way—and I've experienced it firsthand—create environments that stifle all energy and talent, promoting inertia and hostility. They're positively obscene.

At the same time, though, Long was describing a prevalent way of operating in many businesses today. Fear for tomorrow and worry that the bottom will fall out of the market again is promoting behaviors by leadership that are wrapped in intense anxiety. These leaders may not be intending to, but they are enacting pornographic management in their effort to serve the bottom line.

People are starting to see this as "normal," or just the way it is. But it makes me wonder, if we start calling it what it is—pornographic—will it prompt leaders to search out new behaviors, or at least push aside the fear and begin a shift toward an optimistic future? And have you witnessed examples of pornographic management? Would love to hear your comments!

Jennifer

Apple’s “Multiplier Factor of Excellence”

2010-07-07T12:34:00.000-07:00

Steve Jobs is the face of Apple, and much has been made about how powerful his presence is in the organization. Perhaps more than any other company in the marketplace, there is a belief that Apple's very existence depends heavily on Jobs himself. This was made clear in recent years as Jobs has fought cancer; you could see the stock price fluctuate as his health reports leaked into the marketplace.

But it doesn't take much thought to realize the absurdity of such a bias. Yes, Steve has a strong influence on Apple's mission, processes and products. But to suggest that he single-handedly carries the load of $32 billion in revenue, 34,000 employees and bunch of cool products, just doesn't make sense. So what's the real secret behind Apple's success?

During the recent announcements of their new product, the iPad, Wall Street discussed how Apple distinguishes itself among its competitors. One reporter shared the following observation:

Truly outstanding designers, engineers and managers, Jobs says, are not just 10 percent, 20 percent or 30 percent better than merely very good ones, but 10 times better.

So while Jobs may not be the super hero that the world makes him out to be, he's still a brilliant guy. He's figured out that to create world class products that people line up for takes more than expressing his own ego. It takes a phenomenal team, and Apple has done an incredible job of finding, motivating and growing a very talented group of individuals.

With Jobs as the face of Apple, they have a strong and smart personality to represent them in the marketplace. But what really makes him smart is the fact that he understands it truly is about talent—just not his alone.

Jennifer

“Dear Abby” Has Interesting Company

2010-06-08T10:43:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I shared a post in which "Dear Abby" commented that the flood gates are poised to open in businesses across America, resulting in the exodus of employees who are profoundly disappointed in how their organizations handled the cost cutting associated with the recession. Well, it appears that Abby is in good company and it comes from an unexpected group within the business world.

Robert Half and Associates recently conducted a Chief Financial Officer survey which examined the "lessons learned" from the recession. I assumed as I anticipated their likely answers that the majority of attention would be given to concerns such as, "Reduce costs sooner," or "Be willing to take on more organizational risk to alleviate financial risk." However, the response that was considered #1 was: "Place greater focus on maintaining employee morale."

Business, by its nature, is left-brained and pragmatic, and CFO's in turn are essentially the poster children of this perspective. It was therefore with both interest and surprise to see this group step back and recognize the implications of the financial decisions that were made. While the distress felt across organizations as waves of employees were laid off and comp and benefits were cut would be hard to ignore, it could also have easily been rationalized. After all, better to hurt a few rather than lose the entire the company. These CFO's therefore get bonus points from me for their willingness to acknowledge the unintended consequences of some of the decisions that were made.

And, the good news is that an investment in building a substantial, employee-centered culture pays off not just today, but also in the future. Research by Barbara Frederickson of the University of North Carolina has shown that a foundation of strength and positive emotions tends to create resiliency; people are far more forgiving during a crisis if they see it as an anomaly rather than as more evidence of cynicism and distrust. So there's no time like the present for CFO's and their fellow leadership team to make investments in employees, and therefore investments in the company's future.

Jennifer

New World/New Rules

2010-05-17T20:31:00.000-07:00

I recently read an interview of Jeff Bezos, the CEO of Amazon.com. The focus of the article was on the Kindle, their ultra-cool wireless reader.

When the Kindle was launched, the breakthrough wasn't in the concept; the first e-readers were introduced over a decade ago. But they were the first to finally get it right, addressing everything from the light weight of the hardware, an easy to read screen and access to a wide-range of books.

But I think the real breakthrough was that it was Amazon that put the whole package together, and not Apple, Intel or even Research in Motion, all of which are in the business of manufacturing computer hardware. After all, Amazon is a retailer; they're supposed to sell other people's stuff, not make it. Yet they broke some rules and did it anyway.

I like Jeff's explanation for how this came about. Here's what he said:

"There's a tendency, I think, for executives to think that the right course of action is to stick to the knitting—stick with what you're good at. That may be a generally good rule, but the problem is the world changes out from under you if you're not constantly adding to your skill set."

Maybe Jeff should have said, "It used to be a good rule." We're all witnessing how quickly products and services are becoming obsolete. That suggests that companies need to assume they're going to have a short lifespan, or instead they need to become much more creative and much more aggressive about how they define themselves in the marketplace.

Amazon took a risk when they stepped out of their routine, but it has clearly paid off. The Kindle is now their #1 selling product. I can't wait to see what their next reinvention is going to be!

Jennifer

Even “Dear Abby” Knows the Score

2010-05-07T09:13:00.000-07:00

I still like to read the print version of the newspaper, and when I'm paging by "Dear Abby" I'll usually take a quick look at the trials that other people are having. While the juicy stuff is often about a social or family dilemmas, businesses should take notice of a recent post.

"Bitter in the Northeast" wrote in to complain about her job situation. Apparently, she is a good performer, based on her reviews, but because of the economy she hasn't had a raise in two years. If things were bad across the board, she wouldn't mind too much, but she's observed that the company owner has recently bought a new luxury car and taken some nice vacations. Her question to Abby was, does she have a right to be upset and feel that she's being taken advantage of?

Here's what Abby said, in its entirety:

"If your employers are claiming poverty while indulging in conspicuous consumption, your feelings are understandable. And as soon as the job market improves, I'm sure you will be only a part of the stampede of fellow employees seeking another job. With your outstanding reviews it shouldn't be too difficult to find one. Bide your time."

As the economy starts to warm up, the smartest and most talented employees will be thinking the same way—how has my company treated its employees during these past difficult months? Is this the kind of place I want to continue to make as my "business home"? And if "Dear Abby" is even arguing to leave rather than negotiate an equitable solution, than you know the predicted "stampede" is starting to form on the horizon.
Jennifer

Opportunity in Strengths

2010-04-16T07:42:00.000-07:00

One of the strategies we use in our change practice is to start new initiatives by learning more about an organization's strengths. There is a lot of great research emerging that demonstrates that if you start change efforts by focusing on what's working well, you set the stage for a better solution.

We sometimes get push back on this concept…isn't it a distraction? Wouldn't it be better to get right to the problem so we can solve it and move on? While that may feel like the most direct route, it's not necessarily the fastest, especially if you judge the effectiveness of your effort by the quality of the solution, the degree of commitment and even the total time expended to achieve the end goal.

That's because when you start with strengths, it sets a series of positive changes into motion…you feel less defensive about the problem because you've been reminded of what's right in your world; you're actually more creative in your thinking (this has been proven by neuroscience); your strengths may serve as a resource for the solution you choose, so it's good to be clear on what they are. There are more reasons, but you get the idea. You might think of it as "priming the pump;" if you take that extra step up front, it will save you a lot of additional effort along the way.

A researcher at Berkeley, Dr. Christina Maslach, has uncovered the same idea through her work, and ironically enough she studies job burnout. According to Dr. Maslach, it's not particularly useful to focus on the trouble spots in a company in order to avoid burnout. As she says, "It's not just about how you get rid of the negative - it's how do you build the positive?" And when you start with what works well, you set a clear, positive direction for whatever you choose to do.

Jennifer

The Social in Social Media

2010-03-22T12:38:00.000-07:00

Social media is a hot topic in business, and it should be since it represents great new sales and marketing capabilities for companies to explore. But some of the real value of this technology is often overlooked as we focus on its edginess and efficiency. Ultimately, I believe the greatest power in these new tools is in their ability to connect people.

This statement isn't meant to be either obvious or casual. One of the most important theories in change management today is that change is a function of people coming together and having conversations that impact thinking and prompt behaviors and actions. Essentially, "words create worlds." The universe isn't a fixed entity. It's dynamic and constantly evolving, and the force for these ongoing changes comes from people.

When Scott and I are with clients, we put this theory into motion. Right from the beginning, we listen and ask questions, with the goal of understanding not just the client's current environment, but to put our finger on the pulse of where they want to take their company in the future, and the bigger the thinking, the better. And these conversations aren't just with leaders; they're with literally everyone in the organization. We know from experience that the more people who are engaged in the process, the easier it will be to bring the solution to life.

The first reaction of people when they hear this is that it sounds slow and cumbersome. How do you achieve a common vision? Isn't it easier to make fast decisions with a small group and then move on to implementation? But just the opposite turns out to be true. Since everyone becomes actively engaged in the upfront thinking that leads to decisions and actions, they really get it. That means you don't need big communications campaigns or the challenge of "selling" your vision. They're ready to go, and boy, can they go! Right now, we have a client that says he can barely keep up with all the changes that are starting to happen inside his business, all of which is being done by teams of people across the company. And he can't be more delighted with the direction they're taking.

So we welcome all that social media brings us, since it enhances our ability to engage people in exciting conversations that can change the future.

Jennifer

Zappo’s Weirdness Culture

2010-03-10T12:39:00.000-08:00

I friend of mine recently said, "If you're going to talk about culture, then you have to talk about Zappos." Since I agree with him, thought I'd check that assignment off my list!

Zappos started in 1999 as an online shoe retailer, and much like Amazon got their start with books, they've expanded into other retailing categories. From the consumer's perspective, they're passionate about service and believe that sets the stage for their business model and growth potential. But viewed from inside the company, they achieve this vision through one primary means: by creating a fantastic culture. In fact, the CEO, Tony Hsieh, describes culture as his number one priority.

What is Zappos like? They work from a set of ten core values. Some of these values are common among other businesses ("Deliver WOW Through Service," "Build a Positive Team and Family Spirit"). The one though, that I think speaks to the heart of who they are is "Create Fun and a Little Weirdness." "Weird" is their way of saying they value the individual…that everyone has something unique to offer, and it's those special talents that will make the difference in Zappos' success. So they're all about finding ways for each person to make a contribution and stand out from the crowd.

It was also weirdness that drove the creation of the values, as well as the ongoing evolution of the culture. When they were first starting out, Tony asked the organization to identify the values that would be most important, and they spent a year working through the discussion. So in the process, they imagined the company they most desired, and collectively gave it some shape and form. With that as a foundation, they now expect everyone to continually bring their culture to life, in whatever they choose. (By the way, that means their culture is constantly evolving to meet the needs of its employees, so a company who tries to "copy" it is going to be chasing a moving target!)

And by the way, Amazon bought Zappos last summer for close to $900 million, so a focus on building a fantastic culture clearly leads to the kind of business success investors are looking for.
Jennifer
P.S. If you do want to learn the secrets of Zappo's culture, then buy their book about it. It's written by the employees every year!
http://www.zappos.com/zapposcom-gear-zappos-culture-book-2009-edition-n-a

More Evidence that Engagement Pays Off

2010-02-19T06:59:00.000-08:00

Another study was recently published which makes the link between employee engagement and profitability. This one was done by the Workplace Research Foundation in cooperation with the University of Michigan. (Full disclosure: Michigan is my alma mater. Go Blue!)

This was a hefty project. It took place over seven years (2001 to 2007) and looked at survey data from 3490 employees at 841 corporations that were listed in the Wall Street Journal 1000. Apparently this WSJ index covers 98% of the US gross domestic product, so the sample clearly cuts across Main Street.

What the researchers learned was that for every five points added to a firm's Employee Motivation Index—the instrument they used to measure engagement—it returned an additional 2% in stock price the following year.

Palmer Morrel-Samuels, PhD, was the lead author of the study. In describing his perspective on engagement, he makes a point to distinguish it from employee satisfaction. A satisfied employee is not necessarily productive; they may simply like the work environment. In comparison, when an organization is encouraging engagement, "It has to do with the intellectual challenge, pride in developing a sense of mastery and the need to make a contribution to both your job and society."

I've always believed that an enlightened organization sets in motion a wonderful virtuous circle of success. As employees become more engaged, they act in ways that benefit the organization and its customers. This in turn generates a handsome profit for the company, creating a solid financial foundation as well as the ability to reinvest in their best asset—their people. So for anyone needing a reminder, this study once again demonstrates that businesses and the people they touch all benefit from a healthy, vibrant workplace.

Jennifer

People are Messy

2010-02-09T14:21:00.000-08:00

I recently facilitated a conference for the Forum for People Performance Management, and one of the livelier discussions was on the theme, "People are Messy." We were grappling with the idea that businesses have a wish for employees to be entirely predictable and dependable in their behavior. By this we mean they're never absent at inconvenient times; they never make a mistake, especially when it really matters; they don't bring personal concerns with them when they show up for work, whether it's broken pipes or sick children; the list goes on.

But in reality, people are messy, and we're messy because we're human. Things go wrong in our lives, mistakes are made and companies are impacted. However, instead of creating policies with the intent of limiting or controling the messiness, what if we simply accepted the reality of it, and designed organizations that acknowledged it?

For example, what if you abandoned the idea of set office hours, and instead told everyone to establish their own work schedule? That's what Best Buy did. Or what if you enacted the belief that productive work can happen anytime and anywhere, and rather than assign everyone a dedicated cube, you had them check out a desk to work at (assuming they needed to be in the office that day.) This practice is called hoteling, and IBM and Microsoft are among the many that use this strategy.

These are simple examples, but the idea is that when you take actions that are designed to reign in the messiness, you're probably going to fall short of your vision. And you also end up with unintended consequences. In the end, you're better off creating a system that can be easily adapted to the needs of many. The result will be an environment that ultimately brings out the best in people, even when they're being messy.

Jennifer

Pizza with Purpose

2010-02-01T08:57:00.000-08:00

If you get a chance, pick up the February issue of Inc Magazine and check out the cover story on Nick's Pizza and Pub.

Nick's is a Chicago area restaurant started by Nick Sarillo in 1995. There are two locations, and they're enormous places designed to provide a great meal and a place to gather for family and friends. And while every town in America may have a pizza place, none are like Nick's.

Rather than focus on the taste of the crust or the speed of the service, his enterprise is about "Pizza with Purpose." He has established his business as a true partner in the community, and has created a culture that trusts his employees to work intelligently and respectfully without a "command and control" environment—and they're primarily teenagers!

He regularly hosts fundraisers for all kinds of local non-profits, and then donates 100 percent of the gross profit for the day. Right now, he's also offering "Half Price Mondays" in the dining room, and half price for takeout on Tuesday until the unemployment rate goes down.

From an employee perspective, he describes his approach to leadership as "trust and track," which is a deliberate alternative to "command and control." Essentially, he has a culture and process which trains his employees, trusts them to perform well, and then tracks their progress to the company's goals. He considers it the heart of his business success.

I got the chance to meet Nick last fall, and at first he strikes you as just a regular guy running a fun business. But when he gets going, his passion for his employees becomes clear. As he says in the article, "People really do want to have a meaningful place to work," and as he's clearly proven, the path to achieving that vision can even be by making pizza!

Jennifer

Yikes!

2010-01-18T18:39:00.000-08:00

A recent survey done by Manpower, Inc. indicates that about 60% of people are actively looking for a new job and that another 21% are now actively networking for better opportunities. Unfortunately, this confirms a number of other recent surveys on the subject. Anyone who has been through this knows that once people start looking, the opportunities will come and people will leave, even after the business starts to rebound.

Wow! That should give any executive cause for concern. Even if you think everything at your company is hunky-dory, these numbers say you’re wrong. 81% of your people are looking!

Granted, much of this sentiment may be just “recession burn-out.” Everyone – the restructured, the down-sized, and the survivors alike – are tired. This has been a grind. The turmoil, stress, and anxiety have been intense. No wonder a significant majority want to move to some place that is better, more fun, less stressful.

That said, it still says that the time to act is now. The good news is we are fickle creatures – as happy as our current assignment, our current boss, our last positive experience. It doesn’t take much to get people re-engaged. What people want is to know that they are making a difference, that their contribution matters, and that they bring something special and unique to the business.

These are easy issues to address. They don’t require massive investment! They just require that we stop thinking about the next fifteen minutes and really start thinking about the future.

As Red, the Morgan Freeman character in Shawshank Redemption, so aptly said, “Get busy livin’ or get busy dying!” Time to get busy livin’. The time to hang on to your best people is now – before their phones start ringing. No time like the New Year to focus on your top priorities, right?

Scott

A Network or a Pyramid?

2010-01-12T05:30:00.000-08:00

Although many organizations still have some form of pyramid structure to organize and connect their employees, it is rapidly fading into the background as more businesses recognize that the real work happens in a "network" fashion. Like bees in a hive, the work of employees' cuts across organizational boundaries as teams are formed from members around the world, and then quickly disbanded as activities are completed and other projects call.

Perhaps one of the biggest enablers for this new way of working has been the advent of communications technology. Starting with e-mail and then escalating to our current world of texting, tweets, blogs, chat rooms and more, we have new and effective ways to reach out and connect to our collaborators.

What's interesting is that it's taken the youngest generations—those in their teens on through their twenties—to show us the real potential for these capabilities. When e-mail first came out, business embraced it as a tool to become more efficient…you no longer needed a stamp to send your message, and it could now get there faster, thus yielding quick and tangible benefits. What's not to like?

Gen Y, though, sees today's form of communications as much more than a handy resource. Instead, it's a vivid demonstration of how connected the planet is, and how information and relationships are simply a few keystrokes away, making communications technology a great equalizer. From a business perspective, this tears down more of the rules and boundaries that pyramids represent. As stated by an HR Manager in a recent Wall Street Journal interview:

"Young people today want accessibility. If they have a problem or suggestion, they'll e-mail or text senior managers, or even the CEO. They don't have the old-school notion that there are appropriate communication models. They've grown up in a freedom-of-information era."

So the next generation doesn't just see networks as a means to organize themselves and their work…they think like a network. And a workplace that thinks similarly will be creating a great place to work that attracts the best of today's talent, regardless of their age.

Jennifer

Complexity as “The Candle Problem”

2010-01-05T13:19:00.000-08:00

As an observer and analyst of change in the world, Daniel Pink is among the best. He coined the phrase "Free Agent Nation" long before it became the new attitude for employees in the marketplace, and he's an advocate for embracing the "right brain" in business and breaking our dependence on pure logic and order as the keys to success. Now in his latest TED.com video, he tackles the idea that the workplace consistently demands that employees apply complex, sophisticated thinking in order to perform their jobs, and that as a consequence, organizations need to take an entirely new view on how to motivate performance. What he describes is an enlightened organization.

First, Pink makes his case for complexity by introducing what he calls "the candle problem." I won't give away the details as it makes for a fascinating presentation, but bottom line, what he describes is a workplace that's less about performing predictable tasks, and more about empowered individuals working to solve difficult problems on a routine basis.

He then goes on to argue that the typical carrot-and-stick approach to motivating performance is ineffective in such an environment. Instead, he suggests that three elements need to be in place to engage employees: Autonomy, Mastery and Purpose.

In our view of an "enlightened organization," we make the same argument but simply phrase it in terms of outcomes. Enlightened employees are continually responding to two critical questions:

What is my unique value?

Am I making a difference?

When employees are continually challenged to bring their "A game" to work, have the freedom to demonstrate this value, and then can vividly see that they're personally contributing to a higher goal, you've created a healthy, dynamic workplace full of growth and opportunity.

Check out Daniel Pink's video below.
Jennifer

Social Media: Learning From Slime Mold

2009-12-17T08:47:00.000-08:00

Much of the buzz about social media has been about how to utilize it for marketing. As you might expect, there a lot of spaghetti getting thrown on the walls as people try to determine what works. For some good guidance on the subject, check out http://customersrock.net or www.thesocialgathering.net. The numbers are astounding. If you haven’t seen it, check out this YouTube video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIFYPQjYhv8

Convinced?

But these numbers aren’t getting generated because everyone thinks this is such a great marketing vehicle. This is happening because of social media’s innate power to connect us to each other in ways not even imagined two decades ago.

We are interested in social media not because it offers a way to accomplish marketing goals, but because it offers organizations a way to evolve to their true nature. One of the main points in our book is that organizations should not be thought of as machines, but as living, evolving complex adaptive systems. Just like slime mold! Like beehives and ant hills, slime mold offers some great lessons about adaptive systems.

One of the characteristics of healthy complex adaptive systems is that there is a seamless flow of information and immediate feedback between the individual cells, or modules. While traditional organization structures served to stifle the flow of information, social media offers organizations a way to let the information flow uninhibited between parties.

While there are horror stories of viral communications spiraling out of control, the connections are happening whether you like it or not – you can’t control it. However, you can embrace the potential. Enabling your people to connect without filters and restrictions frees the organization. If you have good people, they will do the right thing.

Learn from slime mold – let them connect.

Scott

Not Your Parent's Retirement

2009-12-11T12:57:00.000-08:00

OK – the recession is officially over. Glad that’s past us. So why such high unemployment? One reason is that the earnings that have partially restored the stock values have been based on cost cutting, furloughed employees, and aggressive financial restructuring. Maybe the bleeding has stopped, but we don’t have lift-off yet. Based on the stubborn reluctance of the financial industry to reinvest in their customers and businesses to shed the fiscal conservatism that saved their skins, this recovery may be a long slow ride.

The impact on those Boomers facing retirement will be profound. We know that the financial crisis took a bite out of retirement savings. While some losses have been recouped, this was still a generation with the lowest savings rate in history. In short, a great many people were really unprepared for retirement and will have to work longer than planned.

The good news is that the economy will need them. Because the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts a shortage of prime aged workers (25 to 54 years), companies will have to find ways to retain these workers. For some companies, the impact will be profound. It is estimated that 65% of Boeing’s workers are eligible for retirement in five years!

The options to keep aging Boomers productively engaged will be many. The migration to free-agency, the reduced need to be physically present, the outsourcing of rote labor, and the adoption of technology will create a much more flexible and capable senior workforce.

One of the main strategies for reducing cost has been to offer packages to the higher cost, senior workers. It worked! Unfortunately, many businesses may soon have to turn around and figure out ways to keep the ones they will need to grow the business when the market finally turns.

Scott

The Deep Roots of “Control”

2009-12-07T10:27:00.000-08:00

In my last blog post I talked about how much opportunity there is in shifting from a desire to control our surroundings, to instead view chaos as a reality to embrace. While the dynamics of chaos can feel confusing and sometimes frustrating, it brings with it great energy. It's also a real hothouse for innovation.

I was recently reminded of both how pervasive our view of creating a logical, orderly world is, as well as the opportunities that can emerge if we can just let go and love the chaos. The New York Times science section had an article that described some forms of cancer that broke with the normal pattern (and expectation) of "linear growth." Apparently, researchers had tracked a variety of tumors which shrank or disappeared on their own, defying the medical belief that cancer has a natural, continuous progression of negative mutations. As they puzzled to understand this finding, they ultimately concluded that their underlying thinking was flawed. Cancer isn't linear, it's a dynamic process. Its growth isn't simply a function of the immediate cells that surround it, but rather is a result of interactions with the entire human body, setting the stage for unexpected and sometimes positive changes.

The critical implication is that rather than treat cancer as an isolated entity that can be controlled through surgery or chemotherapy, it needs to be healed in context of the entire system. Scientists need to study more deeply how cancers interact with the immune and endocrine systems, among others, and then devise holistic treatments. And other variables, such as nutrition, stress and exercise may also play far greater roles than medicine typically considers, as just one resulting example.

So the medical profession, like business, is starting to understand that thinking in terms of linear processes may not be the only way to view the world. And by actively considering the reality—and the value—of the chaos around us, we may uncover exciting new ways to solve difficult problems and make powerful changes in our lives.

Jennifer

It’s Time to Love the Chaos

2009-12-01T09:02:00.000-08:00

Left-brained, linear thinking is pervasive in our culture. Many of today's professions, including business, law and all the sciences, are based on a foundation of knowledge creation through data collection and analysis. With the right amount of information and careful thought, every problem can be solved and every task can be organized into an orderly process. We can smooth out the chaos and create control.

But as our world becomes increasingly complex, we're finding our ability to tame the chaos has its limits. Our processes start to fail so we add more steps, but then they become too cumbersome to manage. Our data seems insufficient so we collect more, but its volume overwhelms us. We build in quality checks and balances, but before long we have a bloated bureaucracy. How, then, do we get our arms around the craziness and create the order that we desire?

The answer is: you don't. The new game in town, especially in business, is to let go of control, let go of the chain of command, let go of step-by-step thinking and instead embrace all the energy and insight that chaos has to offer. We live in a complex world, and by designing systems that leverage, rather than fight the chaos, we create flourishing enterprises that bring out the best in our business. And even better, it brings out the best in our people.

Does this mean we abandon our systems and let things go wild? Not at all. But instead of making processes the center of our business and expect people to adapt, we need to make our people the heart of our business, and offer resources and tools that uniquely suit them. We need to trust in the intelligence and ability of our people. Only then can we expect to work our way through the tough problems that we're all facing in today's environment.

So instead of thinking about how to get rid of the chaos that occurs in a dynamic business environment, we need to see it as a positive reality, something to embrace and draw energy from.

It's time to love the chaos!

Jennifer

You've Done Gallup.....Now What?

2009-11-20T07:34:00.000-08:00

When we ask if a company is investing in engagement, we often hear, “Oh, yeah, we have Gallup.” Even I have relied on Gallup as a measure of my team’s level of engagement. Unfortunately, many executives believe that using Gallup will solve all of their engagement problems when in fact, doing a Gallup survey is just the first step.

Gallup determines the level of engagement of your people by asking 12 basic questions they’ve honed by surveying millions of employees. Make no mistake, Gallup knows how to do research. It is no coincidence that the world relies on Gallup to learn about everything from Swine Flu to Sarah Palin. Engagement is just one of many research products Gallup offers.

Unfortunately, the Gallup questions are really designed to assess the level of engagement but are only partially useful in helping you focus on what you need to do to make improvements. While “having a best friend at work” may be a great indicator of your level of engagement, what’s a manager supposed to do with that?

Another limitation is that the issues are usually reported at the manager level, so that’s where improvement initiatives are typically generated. That is fine as long as that is where the problems exist. The risk is that the process to address more systemic issues can devolve into multiple, fragmented and disassociated initiatives. If the problems are more structural, there may be no mechanism for escalating the problem, or if there is, top executives may not have a true understanding of the root cause issues.

What this means is that while Gallup can represent a good start to addressing engagement, believing that it provides a “comprehensive solution” to systemic issues will leave both management and employees disappointed.

Scott

Everyone Gets A Trophy

2009-11-13T10:23:00.000-08:00

It is human to complain about the younger generation. The current sound bite about the Millennials (Gen Y) is that we have so coddled them and programmed their pre-adult existence, that they have developed very unrealistic expectations about how hard life can be, how long it takes to develop deep expertise, and how we all need to deal with unpleasant people and situations at work. The fear is we have raised a generation of dilettantes, incapable of toughing it out or working through difficult issues.

While there may be some truth to the claims about Millennials, expecting them to grow-up, tow-the-line, shape up, and get with the program is silly. Like it or not, these kids are products of the world we created. They expect challenge and growth opportunities in their work. They want to save the world. And they have a very clear perspective about how well traditional companies treat their workforce when faced with the prospect of not making this quarter’s earnings projection. Many truly believe they are on their own – responsible for their own development, financial security, and career path.

While dangerous to make broad generalizations, my experience is that they are just as smart, hard working, creative, and dedicated as their elders. When given the chance, they will work their tails off for something they believe in. They just happen to be much more skeptical about traditional business. Do you blame them?

So rather than ignore the critical issues which truly define this generation or hope that they will become more like Boomers as they age, we should all embrace the energy and passion that this generation offers. A company that demonstrates that it truly has their interests at heart, will be rewarded with a highly committed and engaged workforce.

Scott

“Top Workplaces” in a Tough Economy – Part 3

2009-11-07T04:24:00.001-08:00

I'm back again with one more post on the Detroit Free Press "Top Workplaces" report. (Scott was nice enough to let me "hog the blog," but he'll be offering up some new insight next time.)

As previously shared, this particular study used an employee survey to identify the region's top workplaces. Participants not only rated their organizations on a variety of factors, but they also rated these factors in terms of importance. This prompted me to wonder…which questions were important to the employees, and which they also indicated that their organizations performed positively? As I scanned the lists, I found one clear winner.

Third on the list of importance was: "This organization operates by strong values and ethics." And this same question was number two on the list that demonstrated how well their organizations performed. Values and ethics therefore appear to be a sweet spot; employees consider this a critical expectation in the companies they're a part of, and the best businesses act in ways that convey true integrity.

An organization's values are less about talk and more about visible action, and this past year was "Exhibit A" in demonstrable values. Every business had to make very difficult decisions, decisions that had a profound impact on their people. Some used blunt force, using a ragged bottom line to defend layoffs, salary reductions and increased workloads. Others took a different approach, and were both business-like but empathetic, still making some of the same decisions but finding ways to do so with care and concern.

One interesting example was a law firm that offered one-year sabbaticals to many of their attorneys. They gave them a modest salary, continued to pay benefits, and in return asked that they use the time to develop their capabilities in some way. As a consequence, the firm was able to reduce their payroll, retain talented employees and offer them a chance to recharge and grow. Everyone was happy with the solution, and when the economy warms back up, they'll be in a position to take full advantage.

If you're interested in checking out this study, go to http://www.freep.com/ and click on "Best Workplaces in Detroit" on the front page.

"Top Workplaces" in a Tough Economy – Part 2

2009-10-29T07:07:00.001-07:00

In my last post, I introduced a study conducted by the Detroit Free Press which identified the "Top Workplaces" in Detroit. They used a proprietary survey which asked employees about a variety of workplace factors, as well as their relative importance. It was the importance questions that really caught my eye, since they provide some insight concerning what employees are looking for from the companies they work for. So what did they have to say? Today I'll share the top two.

The number one, most important workplace factor was "I believe this organization is going in the right direction." This statement seems to speak to the trust employees place in their organization's ability to weather the economic storm, as well as the hope they place in their collective future. A truly great company is therefore one that can take the hard blows we've all endured, yet leave everyone believing that the future is still bright.

The number two spot had a question that was just as powerful and just as interesting. With only a one percentage point of difference, the second most important factor was "I feel genuinely appreciated at this organization." This is another way of saying, "my presence and my contribution matter." When you're just a face in the crowd, it's easy to feel disengaged. But when the people you work with—whether it's your manager, your peers or your customers—let you know that you provide them with real value, then it becomes easy to come to work every day. And the top workplaces are designed and managed in ways that allow everyone to make a difference.

Next time I'll do one more post on this study by sharing the third most important question, and as with the other two I've shared, it's a real building block for any enterprise that wants to thrive in today's complex world.

Jennifer

“Top Workplaces” in a Tough Economy – Part 1

2009-10-21T18:41:00.001-07:00

I was commenting to Scott that all my blog posts start with research, but as a confessed "junkie," I find that research is a great source for shaping new ideas, as well as a way to catch a glimpse of what's emerging on the horizon. So imagine my delight when I opened the Sunday paper and found an entire section devoted to the "Top Workplaces" in Detroit! And there was so much in the coverage that I'll share it over several short posts.

My first observation is to say that Yes, there are still great places to work in Detroit, despite the difficult economic environment. In fact, 32,000 employees participated in the Detroit Free Press sponsored survey, which was used to select the best companies from each of three size categories (Large/500 or more employees; Medium/150 – 499; Small/up to 149).

The survey itself consisted of 20+ questions that looked at how employees feel about various workplace factors, such as their trust with leadership and opportunities for personal development. In addition, they were also asked to rate each question in terms of their importance.

Between the two lists, there were plenty of interesting insights, beginning with how the questions related to compensation and benefits stacked up. There was one question which asked whether the pay was fair, and another which asked whether the benefits were competitive for the industry. Typically, these types of questions get "negative" responses—most of us think we're worth more than our salary suggests. So I wasn't surprised to see these two questions in the bottom third.

I was surprised, though, where these two rated in terms of importance. In similar surveys, a key insight is that compensation is never the most critical, and that was true in this case. But in this economy, I thought they might at least be in the top quartile. However, I was wrong. They were dead last. So even when times are tough, the best places to work keep their employees by offering much more than a decent salary and benefits. And in coming posts, I'll pass along some info on what this talented group of employees value the most.

Jennifer