I don’t watch American Idol. And from what I’ve seen on the Facebook threads and Twitter streams of friends and followers I am probably even less inclined to ever watch it.
From what I gather American Idol has become a Popularity Contest, not a Talent Contest. Even USA Today has a story about it this morning and how a guy was finally booted off the show. This should surprise anyone???? You’re letting the audience decide who stays; an audience of screaming young girls. Hello! Am I the only one getting this? I thought the judges who have/had musical talent (yes, people are still questioning Paula) were the experts?
Now granted to make it to the finals you need to have some talent; so I guess those who watch it can sit back and at least be entertained. The “real” winner may not emerge, but the show should be good. And who knows, maybe that winner will rise to the occasion when the final record deal is cut? Or maybe like some of the other contestants they will see the writing on the wall and get out of the Idol contract and write their own deal?
But there is a parallel here to organizations and the process taken to choose people to advance. Often times leaders pick the Golden Child, the Flavor of the Month, or the New Wind to be the future of the company. People are chosen not necessarily for skill set, but because they are liked. While that may make sense for some, it can easily destroy employee morale and the employee experience for those who feel they are giving their life to an organization. But maybe there is some logic here…….
After all you can teach people skill sets; it is much harder to teach them how to have a pleasant personality, not backstab, not be cut-throat, and be nice.
Once again reason to love Canadians……………
In a recent survey given to the Orangeville Ontario Police Service the answer choices were:
- All the Time
- Usually
- Occasionally
- Are You Kidding?
When it came to the question about employee morale being on the high side 47% chose ARE YOU KIDDING!
I love it! Love it. Love it. Love it.
I’ve seen surveys given by many an employer here in the US. Our version of Are You Kidding is Disagree, Strongly Disagree, No or some other boring, meaningless, overused, “safe” word that leaves those taking the survey with no clue as to the thoughts behind the choice.
Are You Kidding jumps out. Are You Kidding is a huge red flag. Are You Kidding says, “Crap, we better do something……and fast.” Are You Kidding says it is time for leaders/managers to get in touch. Are You Kidding is also an opportunity to build a stronger organization; to address what is really going on. Unless of course you really don’t want to know.
Now the article also states that the Police Service is putting a team together to “address the recommendations.” Let’s just hope they don’t do that US style; 6 months of meetings to come up with some some options to present to some VP/Director etc. that will lead to who knows what. Here are 10 ideas for any organization struggling with the morale issue to move the process forward now. And they’re pretty simple. They don’t need a committee and you can probably implement some of them as soon as you finish reading them. Really. I’m not kidding.
And next time you send out an employee survey I challenge you to use ARE YOU KIDDING as one of the choices. Yes, it might feel like a dagger just went through your heart, bruise your ego or get you questioning your abilities; but you also have an opportunity to engage your employees, improve the employee experience and move your organization to a much better place.
For more about the Orangeville Survey you can read the original article here
When I make an appointment with a doctor I try to get the first appointment in the morning or the first appointment after lunch. I assume those are my best chances for not having to wait – something too many people experience when it comes to the medical community. Patience is also not, and never will be, one of my virtues.
Yesterday I took my mom to the doctor. Sitting and waiting I noticed a sign above the receptionist’s window that stated they would cancel the appointment if the patient was more than 10 minutes late. I was going to take a picture of it but I’m afraid of the receptionist. She’s mean. Really.
As I looked at the sign I didn’t know whether to laugh or cause a rebellion right there in the waiting room.
How could an industry that is notorious for keeping people waiting; not apologizing for that wait, and not looking like they’re trying to fix things have the audacity to a hang a sign like this? To me this was the biggest slap in the face customer unfriendly lack of customer service policy I have seen in like…………… FOREVER!
If the sign had said something like “we’re doing our best to stay on time please do yours when arriving for appointment” or anything along those lines I would have been a little better with this. Very little.
At 1:55 we were still waiting. Mom had a 1:30 appointment. Siting there all I wanted to do was rip that sign off the wall and walk up to the receptionist and say “Seriously.” But I know it wasn’t her policy. I also am 100% certain she would have bit my head off. As an aside, your receptionist really should be a friendly person; after all he or she is the face of your business.
I read more and more how the medical community is trying to be more customer service friendly. I guess this office didn’t get the memo. Next month is another appointment. I’m trying to think of a sign to hang around my neck when we return. Something along the lines of paying the patient or canceling the charge if they’re late by more than 10 minutes. Any ideas?
But in the meantime, what signs/policies are hanging around your business locations that might lead a customer to question why they even do business with you.
On the FAQ page of my website is a section entitled:
How to easily annoy Rich.
I have no problem if you cannot afford me (although we might be able to get creative) or if you choose someone else over me. But I’ll tell you what annoys me…………it is when I spend time talking to you or visiting you and putting a quote/proposal together and then I never hear from you again. You ignore my emails and my calls. Listen, I’m a big boy; my self-esteem is high on most days; so if I’m not the one for you, just tell me; don’t avoid me. After all, it is the professional thing to do. Actually, the avoiding thing should make you realize you and your organization might need me more than you think. And yes, for some of you reading this saying I cannot believe someone would do that, they do.
This morning I realized I am guilty of doing the thing that annoys me most!
About a month ago I went into the Sleep Number Bed store to look at a bed. The salesperson spent about 45 minutes with me discussing the features/benefits/pricing etc. He did this cool image scan of how I sleep on a regular mattress and how I would sleep with the sleep number bed; suggesting how back pressure and pain could be alleviated.
The salesperson has contacted me four or five times since my visit – phone and mail. I have ignored him. I have not returned the calls. Now in all honesty I did walk in there on a whim. I wasn’t even exploring the Sleep Number option. I found myself in a mall and wandered in. I was even up front and honest about that.
What’s weird is that I’m not avoiding him. The bed just hasn’t been on the top of my priority list right now.
But in all seriousness…..
- Are we all so busy that we cannot return a call when someone gives us their time?
- Or is it that we’re avoiding hurting someones feelings?
- Is it uncomfortable to tell someone you don’t have or want to spend a certain amount of money?
- Is it that difficult to confess that you’re really not the decision maker?
We all joke about not wanting to become my mother. This to me is worse; becoming the rude (potential) customer that I encounter in my business. I know sales. I get sales. I understand that sales is a game of success and letdown. I even know that some salespeople are relentless so we’ve decided all salespeople are relentless and maybe that is why we don’t respond.
Guilty of the thing that irritates me most. Hmmm…………I bet a lot of people can relate.
And I think I need to go make a phone call.
What do you do after your team has spent months doing due diligence, working long hours, enhancing systems, compiling financial data, and running reports so that investors will not only fork gazillions of dollars of cash over to your organization to continue doing great work, but also set you up for a long successful future?
You celebrate!
Recently I had the opportunity to speak to a large Assisted Living organization after they just came through the period I described above. Now having taken the accounting/CPA path early in life I know what those months of work looked like. I know the long hours. I know the frustrations; the heated moments. I know the meetings; the sweating it out as you wait for responses.
Apparently so did the CEO.
The work culminated in March. The transaction closed on a Monday. Three days later the CEO shut down HQ for a couple of hours and held a RECESSitation – a period of learning, recharging and celebrating. We, okay I, poked fun at the craziness of workplaces and showed them some things about their teammates/coworkers they didn’t know. The CEO said a few words about the future and thanked them over cocktails and appetizers. It was a totally feel good event.
But here are the things that I found remarkable:
- The CEO recognized the hard work, the personal sacrifices that were made during this period, and the importance of doing something for his team
- The CEO understood the importance of celebrating immediately; not months later when people would have forgotten how hard they worked as they plowed through the next project.
- The CEO made it mandatory for everyone to come out and have a good time.
The UCONN men won the NCAA championship the other night. On Tuesday they arrived home to CT. Within a couple of hours of their return there was a pep rally and celebration at the school. 5,000 people showed up. Imagine if they had held that pep rally in two weeks? My gut is 5,000 people would not have shown up.
Are you celebrating your successes? Are you waiting for the right moment. The right moment is immediately after the success.
I get asked all the time for ideas on how to boost morale. I offer my suggestions and some simple ideas. I refer people to websites where they can find other ideas. Heck, I even wrote an eBook (years ago) 50 Ways To Have Fun at Work, Improve Employee Morale and Hopefully Not Get Fired. Want it for free? Just send me an email by April 1, 2011 (no joking).
But at the end of the day these ideas are nothing but band-aids. The most important way to improve morale is always overlooked. It doesn’t get mentioned. And it’s a pretty simple idea………….
Get rid of that which is killing morale.
It’s not always the economy or competition or regulations that kill morale. Too often it is people; in many cases one person. It’s the manager who says his or her people aren’t playing like a team. It’s the manager who seems to have high absenteeism in his or her department. It’s the manager who is always recruiting because turnover is high. It’s the manager who can’t get their staff to give 100%; to go the extra mile.
It’s also the manager who seems to always meet his or her goals; the manager who has been with you for twenty years and you feel an obligation. While this person might be meeting the numbers, what’s the cost of absenteeism, recruiting and a disengaged workforce?
Unfortunately staff are afraid to break the chain of command and go above this person in most cases. Further complicated is the morale killer’s boss is often out of touch with the staff, busy, doesn’t make themselves available; or perhaps doesn’t want to hear what is really going on.
Offering rewards, recognizing people, incorporating fun, and encouraging communication are all great ideas; removing that which is killing morale is a better place to start. Don’t you agree?
Do that and then you can initiate a morale program that includes rewards, recognition, etc; one that will have more meaning. Let me know if I can help.
I was just reading a Facebook post of a friend asking what today would bring. My response to her post was “whatever you make it bring.” Then I got to thinking how that applies to employee rewards and recognition…….
I read a lot about employee rewards and the value they bring to increasing employee morale and employee engagement; to increase the employee experience. Rewards can be simple things; gift cards, lottery tickets, a quick team trip to the local coffee shop; a pair of show/movie tickets to an employee who has spent long days working on a project at the expense of his or her family so he or she can spend an evening with his or her spouse/partner/friend. They can also be huge bonuses and trips.
Well sometimes the boss needs your help. Sometimes the boss doesn’t get it. Sometimes the boss is so wrapped up in keeping you employed. Just because the boss doesn’t reward and recognize doesn’t mean it can’t be.
Who in your department deserves some special recognition and/or reward? How about you and your co-workers take up a small collection and recognize that person today?
Of course make an “event” of the recognition so the boss sees what you’ve done.
To me there is nothing worse than going to a “networking event.” More often than not they are anything but networking; it’s usually some event where people are just trying to tell me how wonderful they are or hoping to sell me something; too often under the “guise” that they want to help me. I also find that not enough people really want to take the relationship beyond the networking event to a one-on-one meeting somewhere. But you do see them Tweeting or Facebooking about the next networking event they’re attending.
The people I really feel sorry for are employees who are mandated to go to such events as part of their job with no understanding of why they are really there. You usually see them roaming aimlessly, standing by the beverage counter or checking their phone every 8 seconds.
I think the thing that aggravates me is that I try to follow the premise of networking which is see how you can help someone else (for free; to a point; you gotta let people know when they’ve overextended your free help) and that’s how you’ll get recognized and rewarded.
In premise that sounds great; but what if everyone in the room tried to do it the right way; then it would be equally as frustrating as we all fought with one another to be helpful.
So I guess someone has to be the one who tells you how great they are and someone has to be the listener. And until I train myself to be a self-centered egotistical networker I guess I’ll have to be the listener.
Or maybe not…………………………..
As much as I get nauseous, stomach pains and heart palpitations when I think about that networking event, I decided to make it a game. What if I came up with a couple of questions that appeared I was interested in the other person but really were about me and my business?
For example, these days I might ask these two questions:
- Tell me what marketing techniques are working for you? (usually requires a follow-up question where I question how that might work for my business)
- I then ask them to tell me about their best social media success/strategy.
Now I only take this approach when it is clear you are rambling on and on.
So if you and I meet at a networking event and I appear not to be listening you’re probably right. I’ve trained myself to turn off all the egotistical chatter as my head spins figuring out what to do with the information you’ve just given me.
Or who knows I might get lucky and you’ll take an interest in me.
I woke up Monday morning and realized I had left home the night before without my “funeral pants.” No I really don’t have funeral pants as someone did ask me; but those pants were the ones I had worn to the 3 previous funerals in the past month. So here I am at 7:00 in the morning walking around my mom’s house saying “Crap, crap, crap; I can’t go to a funeral in the torn jeans I wore last night.”
Who’s open this early I thought. Kmart? Target? Walmart?
Quick smartphone search and I find Target is open at 8:00AM; the location is right near the funeral – which starts at 8:30.
7:45 AM I am off to Target.
I find new funeral pants; they fit. I yank off all the tags (especially the long sticker that goes down the leg with your waist and inseam size; which I have in the past walked around displaying); walk out of the fitting room; hand the woman back the card that shows how many garments I walked in with and told her I’m wearing the pants.
And then it went like this…….
“You can’t wear them. You have to pay for them and then come back and put them on.”
“Why?” I asked.
“Security is going to stop you” I was told by one of the four associates standing by the fitting room. The other three looked on with those “yeah, that’s the rule” looks.
“Well that makes no sense; either way I’m going to walk out of the store wearing the pants; with a paid receipt? You can walk me to the register if you’d like.”
“Well you can’t do it that way.” Clearly this was going nowhere. First, I was thinking what happened to the customer was always right? Second, you still haven’t given me a valid reason why this rule or policy is in place?
“I’ll take my chances of being tackled by security” I said and walked towards the register. I know; in the time I was having this exchange I could have just followed their rules; but this was just silly and made no sense to me. I like Target; and I couldn’t imagine Target training people to make a customer experience a hassle?
I approached the register, gave young man the tag, told him I am wearing the pants; he gave me a bag for my jeans and as I walked out the Security Officer held the door for me and told me to have a great day.
Am I missing something here? Is Target missing an opportunity to train its people a bit better? Or is this one of those situations that require common sense only and maybe we need to actually come up with a college course in such?
Teach your employees to use common sense and the employee experience and the customer experience will rock!
I love when I see clients follow through on vision and create new programs that provide something unexpected.
A while back I presented a program at the ARC of Meriden-Wallingford’s Professional Development Day. It was an exciting time for the organization. While many agencies had funding cut, had resources cut, were looking at layoffs and appeared to be suffering; this ARC seemed to be growing – and doing some interesting things.
Why? How? These are the questions that come to mind. These are the questions that always come to mind when you see any business thriving while similar ones are hurting.
But to answer those two questions, I think it is programs like I witnessed the other day that make the difference. On Wednesday I ate lunch at the ARC Eatery. With the exception of the Head Chef, this deli style eatery, is run by those living with developmental disabilities. Not only is it a restaurant, but it is also a day-program providing training for those who work there.
Two things really stuck out for me though. Okay three things. The first was that the place was clean. But the things I want to comment on are Customer Service and Teamwork.
Customer Service was incredible; from the moment I walked in the door. They were glad to see me. They were glad to help me with descriptions of food choices, food suggestions, making sure I had a “real” fork, and sharing information about their catering services. I’ve walked into too many places where the welcome was anything but. This was refreshing.
Teamwork was alive and well. If something needed to be done; someone else picked right up on it. It didn’t seem like specific tasks were assigned to different folks; there was an appearance that “we need to get the job done so let’s do it.” And even if that wasn’t the case; the appearance was there. And we all know about appearances. When customers see you have a cohesive team they return. When your employees appear unhappy and not working together you’re not going to attract loyal fans.
Pretty cool idea if you think about it. Provide a service to the community; provide training to people who might someday be able to find mainstream work; and earn a profit to put back into your business to make up for the some of the reductions in funding. Looks like they have it covered from all angles. Congratulations ARC of Meriden-Wallingford!
On their website it says The Arc of Meriden-Wallingford, Inc. is a membership agency that provides comprehensive, full-service, community-based opportunities for people with disabilities. And while the ARC Eatery might be comprehensive program for people with disabilities….. they make a mean Asian Chicken Salad for those of us who take for granted not being disabled!
