In his timeless work How to Win Friends and Influence People (1936), Dale Carnegie traces all human motivation to one sensation: feeling important. Quoting American philosopher John Dewey, Carnegie emphasizes “that the deepest urge in human nature is ‘the desire to be important.’” Flash forward to 2009, when the most innovative business leaders are applying Carnegie’s dictum to the workplace through Employee Engagement Management. More than just an “HR buzzword,” Employee Engagement Management is a leadership approach that values each employee’s well being and input, with the understanding that passionate, engaged employees are more productive. This article will explain why gathering and implementing employee suggestions is an effective technique for improving both employee and customer engagement.
Archive for the ‘Employee Service’ Category
Why Acting on Employee Suggestions Boosts Employee and Customer Engagement
Thursday, November 5th, 20095 Tips, 3 Approaches for Encouraging Peer-To-Peer Recognition
Monday, October 19th, 2009In his book The Rise of the Creative Class, Richard L. Florida highlights the factors that motivate creative workers like programmers and scientists. One of his conclusions is that increasing numbers of modern workers are motivated, at least in part, by peer recognition. This is why, even in today’s rocky economic climate, many people are willing to work for free on projects that they feel will win the respect of their peers. Fortunately, progressive managers are beginning to recognize the power of peer-to-peer recognition.
How to Find Your Dream Employer
Monday, August 24th, 2009
New jobs are hard to come by these days, and good help is always hard to find. In any job interview, almost all of the power seems to go to the employer. Still, the process of finding and keeping excellent people is not easy. In fact, the currently flooded labor market has made any hiring manager’s job much more difficult. The path to employment is a dance in which both parties—the potential employee and the hiring entity—can gracefully execute powerful moves. And what comes after the dance can be a wonderful or hellish experience, depending on the fit between the employee and the workplace.
Using Customer Engagement Management to Create a Culture of Accountability
Wednesday, July 29th, 2009
In their song “Won’t Get Fooled Again,” The Who expresses the common view of management in the line, “Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.” Most employees see their employers as just another authority figure to follow. In this Pavlovian system, the employer uses carrots and sticks to motivate the employee to work. Employees work because they need payment and benefits (carrots), and/or because they fear what will happen if they lose their jobs (sticks). However, some education and business organizations are moving beyond this classic approach, instead opting for systems that allow management to act more as guides who help employees exceed their own goals and expectations.
Best Practices in Employee Communications
Monday, July 27th, 2009
As the corporate paradigm of the previous century disappears from the American workplace, communication skills are increasingly seen as the crucial glue that holds a corporation together. Shorter employment cycles, performance-based pay, and increased diversity mean that communication in the workplace must be effective, in order to quickly convey information and motivate a wide variety of people. Clear, effective top-down employee communication isn’t enough; successful corporations must also find ways to ensure positive, productive communication between peers. Here are five tips for managers who hope to establish healthy team communication.