This blog is about the relationship between organizations and the people who work for them. And, it’s dedicated to the millions of people around the world who go to work every day wanting to do a great job.
Archive for January, 2011
Random Posts:
The power of small gestures
It’s a crazy thing, but people are more motivated by small gestures of recognition than you think. And, I’m talking really small gestures. Saying thanks. A quick e-mail. A phone call. A gift card from Tim Horton’s [well in Canada anyway].
People like to be recognized for the work they do. Especially when they know the hurdles have been huge and the work is good.
I’ve been reminded of this on two big projects this week.
The first is a major internal announcement. The team has been working straight through the past two weeks and overnight last night. It’s been complex and extremely challenging even as these kinds of projects go. The frequent thanks and recognition from the senior leader has built incredible energy even when by all rights the team should be flagging.
The second is a web redesign project for a not for profit. This morning I got two e-mails from volunteers wondering why they hadn’t had a single thanks for the work they’d done. Turns out the thank you was in the mail, but demonstrates another point about small gestures. Timing matters. The closer they are to the work that’s being recognized the better.
Lesson for today: Small gestures of recognition given immediately and often are incredibly powerful motivators.
Question for the day: When’s the last time you said thanks for a job well done?
Random Posts:
Losing the spark.
I’ve been thinking a lot about this this week. I’ve been recruiting and interviewing and orienting interns and volunteers for a roof top garden project I’ve been working on for the past couple of years. It’s turning into a pretty significant urban farming project in the heart of Montreal’s most commercial area on 6,200 square feet of our church hall’s roof. We want to create a sustainable business by selling part of our production so we can give the rest [hopefully most] of it away.
And here’s the thing. Talking about the project just gets people excited. And I mean everybody. My barista. My relatives, friends, clients, neighbours. Old people. Young people and pretty much everyone in between. Gardeners and non-gardeners. It’s easy to care about and talk about. And guess what people are interested. They want to figure out if, when, and how they can help. And every hurdle that comes up [and believe me there are many], there’s someone there with a way to get over it, around it, under it. It’s just amazing the energy the project attracts.
When I’m working on client projects it is rare to feel the same way. The things we find ourselves trying to share with employees are hard, or somehow become hard, to talk about and even harder to have people care about. Somewhere we lose the spark.
Have you ever noticed that? Is there anything we can learn from grass roots projects? If so, what do you think it is?
Random Posts:
“True confessions of a Disney employee”
If you, or your organization, hire under 20s, beware. And man you better be good [or have great food] … Seriously. Even if you don’t hire under 20s, Swoozie and kids like him are your future employees. here comes gen Y. Are we ready?
So, here’s a little insight as Swoozie shares what he thinks about Disney, his bosses, his colleagues, their culture, the ‘brainwashing’ and… the food.
Random Posts:
Mobile crazy
As the year begins, it seems like everybody is talking about mobile and the growing demand for ‘mobile hubs’. Single devices that can do ‘everything’, ‘anywhere, ‘anytime’.
It’s not a new story. Our insatiable appetite for connecting to information and people and things is being fuelled by new technology and new apps that make it easy to get whatever we want, whenever we want and wherever we want.
You see it on the street. You see it in cafes. You see it in your own TV room. Yes, we’re mobile crazy. So what’s happening at work?
I think it’s interesting that I haven’t had a client ask about mobile technology since the early days of the cell phone – when it was decided that guys that drive trains or go up poles had hands that were too big to handle the technology. Today many employees are able to work remotely. And most employees – even those with big hands – have company cell phones and laptops. And some have smart phones.
But are we thinking about how we can make it easy for employees to get whatever they want, whenever they want and wherever they want to do their jobs. Are we planning for a workforce that could be fully mobile. So I’m curious about what kind of thinking is going on in your organization and what you think the implications are.
Would being fully mobile make it easier for your workforce or parts of your workforce do their jobs?
Are you and your colleagues thinking about supporting employees with a single integrated mobile device? Should you be?
How would it change your workplace?
Is your intranet mobile accessible? Should it be?
What kinds of hardware and apps would employees need/want that they don’t have today?
What implications will this have for the content you develop?
And when and how should internal communications be part of the discussion?
Or would “mobile work hubs” be crazy?
I’m hoping to hear from you.
Random Posts:
Great idea # 3: Building pride – The Hudson Bay Company story
An occasional post on a really great idea for employee communications
– simple and high impact.
For those of you who don’t know, The Bay was incorporated “…by British royal charter in 1670 as The Governor and Company of Adventurers of England trading into Hudson’s Bay” making it “… the oldest commercial corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world.” [source] I grew up knowing it as The Hudson Bay Company. Somewhere along the line it became HBC and The Bay.
And somewhere along the line the adventure was over. The Bay had become a tired and dowdy department store owned by venture capitalists. You couldn’t even find a Hudson Bay Company Point Blanket anywhere in the store.
And somewhere along the line over 70,000 employees and millions of customers had lost the spirit. Products were uninteresting. And the service was nonexistent or surly.
Enter Bonnie Brooks, Chief Adventurer (aka President and CEO), The Bay, Hudson’s Bay Company. The store, here in Montreal, looks the same from the outside. But inside there’s a lot going on and it’s all good.
In the two years since she was named, Bonnie Brooks has managed to transform this dying department store. And she’s done it by going back to basics: Building pride in the founding spirit of adventure and discovery. The things that connect the business to this incredible 400 year history that had been lost. And, she’s managed to take mostly hourly minimum-wage employees with her by building their pride – in the institution, in leadership and in the work they do for customers every day. Genius.
She’s “invited employees on a mission”. A mission to engage with the business and their customers. And they are. Their pride in the company and what they are doing is palpable.
She’s managed in a very short time to reignite pride in the institution and the heritage and tradition of the past. She’s changed the employee experience. And in doing so she’s changed the customer experience.
A simple idea. Incredibly well executed. Good for employees. Good for customers. And good for The Bay.
Congratulations Bonnie!
PS: The iconic blanket stripes are now trademark protected and you can now find the Hudson Bay Company Point blankets, pillows and other gift items that reflect the traditional bay colours and spirit in their in-store boutiques.
Random Posts:
The sustainable relationship quiz
I just finished reading an article in the New York Times – The Happy Marriage Is the ‘Me’ Marriage. Of particular interest since Michael and I just past the 35th anniversary of our meeting on – too cliché – New Years Eve (and yes I was just 5). Skip ahead to the ‘sustainable marriage quiz’.
The more I looked at the questions, the more I thought there might be something here to explore in terms of the institution and employee. So, here is the modified quiz:
“Answer each question according to the way you personally feel, using the following scale. Answers range from (1) not very much to (7) very much. Then, add up your scores and check the scale below to see how your own relationship ranks.”
- How much does being with your organization result in your having new experiences?
- When you are working, do you feel a greater awareness of things because of your work?
- How much does your organization/do your colleagues increase your ability to accomplish new things?
- How much does your organization/do your colleagues help to expand your sense of the kind of person you are?
- How much do you see your organization as a way to expand your own capabilities?
- How much does your organization/do your colleagues strengths (skills, abilities, etc.) compensate for some of your own weaknesses as a person?
- How much do you feel that you have a larger perspective on things because of your organization/colleagues?
- How much has being with your organization or working you’re your colleagues resulted in your learning new things?
- How much has working in your organization or knowing your colleagues made you a better person?
- How much do your working relationships increase your knowledge?
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Scores [as per the original quiz] |
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60 and above — Highly Expansive. You are gaining a lot of new experiences and reaching new goals as a result of your relationship. Chances are you have a happier, more sustainable relationship as a result. |
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45 to 60 — Moderately Exciting. Your relationship has led to moderate improvements in your life and some new experiences. But there’s definitely room for improvement. |
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Below 45 — Low Connection. Your relationship is not creating opportunities that help expand your knowledge and make you feel better about yourself. Make an effort to share new experiences with your partner to improve your relationship. |
If you’re working in an organization try it out yourself. Ask your colleagues to try it out. What do you think? Any insights about your organization? Your relationship with your organization?
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Recent posts
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