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Awards

Archive for the Team Building Category

Getting Someone to Care

How does anyone (Supervisor, CEO, Manager, Co-worker) get an unmotivated person to care about their work?

 

The best way to do this is to take them through a story that will catch and keep their attention and make them think of it again and again. It’s why we care about the companies that we do. They tell a story that we can hitch our emotions to and we allow ourselves to keep coming back to it.

 

McDonald’s does this within their commercials. They put people in situations where the food alleviates their pain. We think of McDonald’s as if it’s Advil, helping us out by getting us through a rushed morning.

 

The problem that most leaders have when trying to get employees to understand the importance of what they are trying to achieve is their lack of angles. They keep telling their employees that the customers’ opinions are important because they keep the company in business and therefore put food on our table.

 

You need to do better

 

To get an employee to care he must be able to see himself in his customers. For instance, anyone who was ever a waiter tips well because he understands what type of hardships are involved. My wife always puts the grocery cart back in that cart carrier because she knows it’s easier for the employee to gather them when they are centrally located instead of scattered throughout the parking lot. She does this because she used to gather carts in 100 degree heat when she was in high school. She likes to reduce the pain of the employee because she puts herself in that employee’s shoes.

 

A leader of an organization must convince her employees to care about the feelings behind the story. That means letting co-workers tell their own stories, allowing customers to tell their stories, and you telling the story from so many angles until you get 75% of the employees become vested in the concept.

 

The other 25% will never give themselves over. No leader can win them all.

 

It takes a strong leader to realize this. Just let them go and bring in new people that can be won over.

 

In a very distant way here are some Related Articles:

• 7 Awesome Lessons from Bill Gates – Love Him or Hate Him, He is a Genius
• 10 Secrets to Motivating Teenagers
• 8 Great Leadership Tips from the Dallas Cowboys Assistant Head Coach

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Image courtesy of jbrownell

Great Managers Care About Their Employees

Every employee wants to work happy. I don’t know anyone that believes that they enjoy their job more when they are sad or angry. It’s up to managers and supervisors to create an atmosphere that supports happiness and productivity.

 

In my early stages of managing people I ran projects that clunked through to the finish line. It was perturbing and eye opening. I was so worried about myself that I forgot to be a leader.

 

This confession was inspired by Penelope Trunk’s post How to be a good manager: Be generous. I was afraid to help others while I was struggling. The problem with this attitude is its lack of foresight. When a good manager listens to his/her employees and empowers them to do great work, they will help the manager succeed.

 

“A good manager pops up all the time, just to check in. Not because you are micromanaging and you don’t trust anyone around you. But because you can’t know how to help people if you don’t know how they are doing. And take time to chat when things are going fine, because that’s when it’s clear that you’re just talking because you care as much about the person as the work they’re doing.”
- Penelope Trunk

 

Not every manager will be good at the personal stuff, but in today’s business environment these skills must be developed. The managers that get great work out of their staff are the ones that care about who they are. It will take practice and stubborn discipline to make this a habit, but once you do you can create a team that will walk through fire for you and you for them. That’s the type of relationships that a manager can build a career on.

 

Every manager must find his or her own way to learn to encourage employees and help them through difficult spots. It’s not easy to give away time and energy, but it will help you and your staff work happier and become more productive. If you are managing right now, what techniques are you using to become a better manager?

 

Does your supervisor or manager check in with you on a regular basis?

 

Related Articles on Becoming a Better Manager:

• Active Managers Win the Race
• Working Unhappy in Retail
• 8 Great Leadership Tips from the Dallas Cowboys Assistant Head Coach

 

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Image courtesy of aloofdork

Stop Flopping Around Like a Goldfish – Create a “Goal Post” Business

Great companies understand that they need to have a “goal post” philosophy to ensure their company’s success. Every employee (player) must know his role. First they need to have the philosophy (foundation) to hold up the employees (cross bar) that support the processes (left upright) as well as the assessment of accomplishments (right upright).

 

I promise that I won’t use only football concepts to forward my ideas. Like any great game, even the game of business, there are both metaphors that are obvious and those that are hidden deep within. I hope my example pushes on an emotional button that encourages you to improve your company.

 

We’ll cover the three foundations to creating a “goal post” business.

Philosophy

If your company doesn’t have a philosophy then you probably have workers that are looking for one. Employees need to connect with something more than just, “Make money.” We are in an age where people want to know why they are doing their jobs.

 

A philosophy is the foundation of every organization. Every team needs to have a philosophy to guide its actions. The greatest coaches understand this and set the mood for the season. Many teams give up halfway through the season because they were given the philosophy of Superbowl or bust. If a team lost a few games they might believe they weren’t good enough; when this happens no amount of money can make them play hard. Employees in a business are the same way. They want to be paid well, but if the company doesn’t motivate them emotionally they will eventually lose interest.

 

If you watch football you’ve probably seen teams play awful in the first half of the season then turn it around; the coach probably gave them a philosophy to hold on to that kept them motivated. The coach willed them to believe that they could win.

 

Most people have a philosophy that guides them through tough times. They use it to make good choices. Great organizations make sure that they clearly convey their message to the rest of their employees.

 

• “Do no evil” – Google
• “The People of Southwest Airlines are the creators of what we have become – and of what we will be.” -Southwest Airlines
• “ Provide a great work environment and treat each other with respect and dignity.” – Starbucks

 

The employees believe in the philosophy and give 100% to make it happen.

Process

Every job must have a process or the employee flounders with what to do and how to do it. I’ve worked for companies who have broad job descriptions and I’ve seen workers, including myself, flop around like a goldfish on a countertop, gasping for water.

 

A process creates action. When people understand what is expected of them, they want to get moving to accomplish their goals. This is good, but we don’t want them to work to feel busy, we want them to work smart. Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots knows how to teach the difference.

 

Bill Belichick makes sure his players understand where they need to be in every situation. They won three Superbowls in the last seven years because the players understood their roles. They never tried to overextend themselves, which would have caused blown plays. They are also never out of position. Belichick also gives his players instructions on what to do if a play breaks down. They always have options that are calculated risks to minimize bone headed plays.

 

When we empower people within the process we get intelligent action, instead of just action for the sake of moving. You can do this by encouraging every employee to take an active role in improving the company.

Assessment

Assessing the accomplishments or lack there of will help the company improve. Almost every company I worked for assessed my work, but never gave me the proper tools to help me improve my job. I rarely felt motivated or properly rewarded.

 

A regular assessment is vital to making positive changes. We wouldn’t sprint through a forest during a cloudy night and we wouldn’t run an organization without checking in and making sure the organization is going in the right direction. The people who are best positioned to assess and improve the company are the employees. They are best able to fix any problems because they are closest to the problem, and the employees who are willing to identify a problem are more likely to find a solution.

 

That’s why great teams point out the faults of their players and show them how they can improve on the play. Players that take assessment personally and sulk are less likely to improve and may never take their play to the next level. The great players know that they have to improve on their mistakes to become great. A company needs to be able to listen to and empower their employees to move a company in the right direction. Management can’t do it all by themselves, they need their employees’ wisdom. Two heads are better than one and 500 heads are better than 50.

 

A positive solution is to create a reward system for every employee’s suggestion that is implemented into the company. If an employee suggests buying a computer program to save time and it is implemented then they should receive a small gesture of thanks. The employee understands that he is being listened to (feeling of empowerment) and the company improves. Toyota implements this system and they give between $5 and $2,000 depending on the value of the suggestion.

 

Every company is different and maybe a monetary reward wouldn’t fit with your company. You can reward employees in other ways like an extra hour off work or a dinner for two after a certain amount of improvements were implemented due to their suggestions.

Review of Creating a “Goal Post” Business

Your company must create a winning attitude otherwise you’ll become a stagnant pond of unhappiness. I know that this sounds extreme, but I’ve seen it happen. Unhappy teams kill all chances for success. You must ask yourself, “Does my company have a “Goal Post” business?” Most companies that I’ve worked for have been small and didn’t have a philosophy that helped an employee connect with the company.

 

If you feel your company can improve then sit down and write down a revised company philosophy, the process of your job, and five ways your company can improve. If you are the boss then implement them, if not then take it to your manager and see if you can get the “Goal Post” business working for you. If you are hesitant in any way, contact me and I’ll talk to your company and see if we can create a system that encourages improvement and not just by using the same old methods, but by implementing systems that take people’s ideas into account. I believe it’s the best way to grow a business.

 

•  ”Do no evil” – Google
•  ”The People of Southwest Airlines are the creators of what we have become – and of what we will be.” -Southwest Airlines
•  ” Provide a great work environment and treat each other with respect and dignity.” – Starbucks

 

What is your company’s philosophy? If you don’t have one what do you think it should be?

 

Related articles:

• All Employees Deserve Respect
• How Toyota Became #1 and a Peek into the Short Interview with the Author
• The Five Most Important Things You Need to Know About Working Happy
  

More Work Makes for Happier Employees

WHAT? No, no way. I love when work is slow and I have time to relax.

You may be thinking this, but if you look down deep at when you are the happiest at work it’s probably when you are most productive. I love attending outside events because it gets me out of the office. I meet the people that are already customers or potentially new contacts. There is just something special about face to face meetings that email, telephone, and video conferencing can’t replace. I also feel like I’m making a difference at my job. I know that if I’m talking the good talk that people will come in and use our services.

At the end of the day I’m more tired, but I feel more satisfied. I can also feel this way when working on a report. The day just seems to fly by and I look up and it’s time to go home. I’m usually relaxed and feel a sense of accomplishment.

I read a great article from Doug Kline. He wrote a guest post called Employees Want More Work? (Not Less?) at the Performance and Talent Management blog.

My favorite part was…

Employees who are bored (reporting “too little work”) are often doing work for which they are ill-suited, or have jobs that are poorly designed. As a result, they have by far lower job satisfaction, sense of accomplishment, and pride in their employers compared to all other workers. All in all, they feel less valued.

Read the whole article here.

If your job isn’t what you want it to be then speak up. Try to give feedback to your manager and see how they respond. You probably don’t want to start off with outrageous demands of running the department, but you could start by asking for a job that you’ve been wanting to do for a while. It never hurts to ask.

I have a friend who loves to help her co-workers out when her work is slow. She stops by their desks and asks if they can give her a little something to lighten their work load.

You should see their face when she asks to help them. They just light up.

One might worry that this would be an invitation for people to dump all their work on her, but no one ever does that. They usually give her something really easy and she is able to help a couple of people in the office with their work.

Has a co-worker ever asked to help you with your work? How did you respond?

8 Great Leadership Tips from the Dallas Cowboys Assistant Head Coach

Jason Garrett spoke to a group of 200 at a formal dinner and his soft demeanor caught me off guard. I was expecting a tough football voice. It was a welcomed difference. It came across as humbling, not weak. He spoke well, with a slight tinge of enthusiasm.

 

The new guard, as I like to call it, seems to be popular throughout the football league. These forward thinking coaches use many techniques to will their players to their best. Tony Dungy is at the forefront of this movement. He believes that you don’t need to yell and scream to get your point across. Football players are people who want to be treated with respect and kindness.

 

Jason Garrett’s 8 lessons of leadership:

 

1. He talked about coaching Terrell Owens, a future Hall of Fame receiver, who is known to be a difficult player. He said that he told him (a Hall of Fame receiver) and the rest of the team that no matter who was on the field they would be coached.

Lesson – Learn from everyone around you because there is always something to improve.

 

2. Give people purpose. Tell people their role and recognize them for their work.

Lesson – We all need to feel appreciated.

 

3. When I’m on the field and my team is exhausted I go out there and become a cheerleader. I let them know whether they have cool shoes or if they are doing a good job working their butt off.

Lesson – Create a positive atmosphere by being a cheerleader when someone is having a bad day.

 

4. Success is 54% body language, 40% tone of voice, and 6% words. I don’t know how Jimmy Johnson got those numbers, but it explains why he was able to create such a passionate team. When he spoke to us he got us excited and ready to win.

Lesson – Use your body and voice to convey confidence.

 

5. Even if you think they are dragging their feet and breathing hard, you can always tell them that oxygen is good for the soul, so keep up the good work.

Lesson – Someone is always doing something right. Recognize that and give them positive feedback.

 

6. When looking to bring someone new on to your team make sure you look at his character. You can’t teach character, but you can teach competency

Lesson – Hire motivated people.

 

7. Nick Saban the great college coach always told us, “Tell me when we are making a mistake, so we can fix it.” Every time I or one of the other coaches told him something that we were doing wrong, he would bite our heads off. (laughing) It was always one of the most uncomfortable moments to be in.

Lesson – Make sure you follow your own advice otherwise no one will be willing to help you.

 

8. Tony Romo (Quarterback for Dallas) told me that he wanted to run a “Three wide split.” I thought to myself that is the stupidest play. Their defense is perfectly designed to stop that. I wasn’t sure what to call because it was something like 3^rd and 20, so I called it. Tony looked back at me and I could tell he was smiling. The throw went to Owens and he scored a touchdown.

Lesson – Let people do what they think is right because they’ll make it happen.

 

My co-worker wasn’t as enthused by the football references, but as Jason continued to speak he won her over. She was impressed by his talk. We can learn about working happy from anyone if we just take a moment to listen and put their words into action.

 

Does anyone have any good sports references that can be applied to working happier?

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5 Smurf-tastic Tips to Work Like a Great Team

The Smurfs are great role models because they understood how to work happy. They had many great traits that every company would love to have.

 

1. They worked as a team

 

They knew that they couldn’t do it all alone, so they came together to fight off Gargamel (the bad guy who wanted to eat them). They gathered all their collective intelligence and got the job done.

 

2. Papa Smurf made quick decisions

 

Everyone would look to Papa Smurf to assess the situation and make a quick, but thoughtful decision. More CEOs should watch some Smurfs to see how Papa Smurf kept everyone calm. Wouldn’t it be cool to see Bill Gates or Larry Page watching the Smurfs before they left for work?

 

3. They always look on the bright side

 

The Smurfs always landed into trouble, like all good cartoons. They never thought that they couldn’t escape a situation, except for Brainy. He always thought they were doomed, but his negativity never rubbed off on the other Smurfs because they knew that they had to stay positive to get back to the village safely.

 

4. They laughed, sang and danced

 

They were always celebrating. This cool article about celebrating was written by Tom Volkar at Delightful Work. We need to celebrate our wins and flops. Yes our flops too, so we never forget the mistakes we made. Check out my post about creating a monthly fun plan to keep spirits high.

 

5. Every Smurf had his role, but was always willing to pitch in.

 

Every Smurf understood his/her strengths. Papa Smurf was the leader, Brainy was smart, and Handy was able to build anything, but no matter what they were involved in – they were never afraid to chip in and help each other to get the job done.

 

Next time you are stuck in a difficult situation ask yourself, “What would Papa Smurf do?”

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Create 12 Parties a Year Instead of 1 Boring Holiday Party

The first company that I worked for spent $4,000 on the annual Christmas party. It was usually enjoyable and posh, but forgettable. It was forgettable was because it was usually held at a nice restaurant and it rarely brought out people’s jovial side. They were reserved, ate their meal, had a few nice conversations then left. No personality. Just the same old thing you can get at any company Christmas party. We should have had it at the office with all of us bringing a dish – a little pot luck to create a friendlier work environment. We would have spent virtually no money and we could have used that $4,000 to create a fun work environment throughout the rest of the year.

Work Fun

Let’s pretend that we stopped spending money on a boring Christmas party and we could use that $4,000 to create 12 parties a year. If we divide the budget by 12 we’d have $333.33 per month. We can use that $333.33 to celebrate the end of each successful month. Your company might have less or more depending on its size, so take whatever you spend on your Christmas party divide it by 12, and that’s your monthly budget.

In this article I will give you 12 ideas that you can use to celebrate the end of each month. They should get the employees talking and stimulate their interaction with each other. They will probably tell their family and friends about this new concept and your company may get a few good resumes from the positive publicity.

You may want to implement these ideas all day long, during lunch, or direct the phones toward the answering service one hour before closing, so all the employees have time to interact with each other. The key is to get as many employees as possible together so they can hang out. At the beginning of each month you should always let them know what the end of the month celebration will be to create anticipation.

Your company may be too small or big for these ideas, so you’ll have to do some creative adjustment. If you’re a large corporation you may want to separate the celebration by department, or if you are a small company you may want to scale down the celebration to fit your size. I would be glad to help you personalize these ideas to fit your company if you want to contact me here.

January – Pizza Bash

Most people love Pizza and why shouldn’t they? It’s perfect for a group of people to hang out and eat. You may have some money left over, so buy some silly party favors or games that get people moving and making noise. A loud group stimulates interaction.

February – Thank You so Much

Buy small thank you cards and distribute them to your employees. I suggest that you give them five cards each. If you only have ten people in your organization then only give each person two thank you cards. Assign every employee one co-worker that they must write a thank you for and allow them to use the other four cards for whoever they want to send a card to then have them distribute them by inner office mail. You can also split this up by department because accounting may not know anyone in sales and vice versa. In this case have a small group gather the cards and distribute them to the employees. With the money that is left over you can buy a few snacks and keep them in the lunchroom for any hungry employees. At the end of the month you can have a small “awards ceremony” to recognize all of the “thank-yous” on behalf of the company.

March – Cupcakes and Caffeine

Supply cupcakes and caffeine (coffee and Soda) to everyone in the company. There is nothing like a good sugar and caffeine rush to stimulate the crowd. You will probably want to do this in the morning or for lunch, so as not to throw people off their routine.

April – Small Token of Appreciation

Divide the money that your company would spend during the month of April’s celebration by the number of employees and purchase something that everyone can use. It might be a Visa gift card or a framed photograph of everyone in the company. It’s important that everyone gets the same thing, otherwise people get jealous and this will create division instead of teamwork.

May – Charity Giveaway

Everyone in the company picks a local charity to donate the money to, then someone posts it on the intranet or sends an email out to everyone. Every employee must vote by the end of the month. The winning charity gets all the money. This is also good PR, which is great for the company’s website, but that’s just an added bonus.

June – Raffle Off the Money

Create three prizes of things that the employees would like or three gift cards and raffle them off to your employees. Make sure everyone gathers in the room, so the tension builds and everybody shares in on the fun.

July – Water Gun Battle

Send everyone outside and have a water gun battle. Depending on your budget you may want to buy towels, preferably with your logo on them so people don’t go back to work or home all wet. You should make sure that people who don’t want to participate don’t have to, but try to encourage them to join in. The more silliness the more laughter. This creates memories.

August – Pool Party

Rent out a pool or have the pool party at someone’s house. Provide snacks and tell people to bring their own drinks and food. If your company is too large or can’t afford a pool then alter the party to the theme of cool off and have fun. You can give everyone little fans and buy ice cream with all the toppings.

September – Musician to Play During Lunch

Hire a professional musician to play during lunch. Live music is always a treat for people because they can just sit back and relax.

October – Employee’s Choice

Ask the employees what they would like to do with the $333 and the person with the best suggestion gets to pick two co-workers to help them bring their ideas to life. Give them a Visa Gift Card with the money on it or the cash. Remind them to keep the receipts so you can keep track of what they do with the money.

November – Karaoke

Karaoke might not be a perfect fit for your company, but you’ll definitely get people interacting and joking with each other.

December – Pot Luck Holiday Party

Get people together by having them cook a dish and the company will supply the rest of the entertainment and supplies. You’ll be surprised that when you have a pot luck your company will really create a family atmosphere. The employees will be more relaxed and willing to have fun.

Reminders

Be consistent with your monthly celebrations. Consistency is the most important part to this plan. When you start skipping months and just telling yourself that you’ll create a better party next month, you are falling into the trap of throwing money into a bigger party instead of creating a consistently fun environment.

Always gather people together so the employees can hang out and learn about each other. People who know each other treat each other like family. They may yell at each other during a heated meeting, but they are also more likely to forgive each other.

No matter how much they make fun of the monthly parties, don’t stop doing them because everyone likes to complain. It’s the nature of a crowd. A monthly celebration will create a reminder that the company wants to create a fun work environment no matter how stressful things become.

Do you think your company would implement a monthly celebration?

Related Articles:

Why Your Company Should Budget for a Fun Work Environment

 

 

How Toyota Became #1 and a Peek into the Short Interview with the Author

“How Toyota became #1.” A book that has great tidbits for any manager or owner. David Magee, the author, talks about the various ideologies that are ingrained within the Toyota culture. The Toyota Production System (TPS) which cuts waste and improves efficiency, is a large part of Toyota’s success. Every employee is expected to help improve every aspect of the business. If a suggestion is implemented they will receive between $5 and $2,000 depending on the value of the suggestion. In 2005 99% of employee suggestions were accepted, which totaled to almost 600,000 accepted suggestions.

 

“Dig deeper into Toyota’s history and one finds steady growth, much-better-than-industry-average shareholder returns, off-the-charts consumer loyalty ratings, and some of the happiest employees in the world.”

- David Magee

 

Not every company can implement the same concepts. Ford tried to create a new inventory system that was supposed to surpass Toyota and failed because they didn’t have the infrastructure. Toyota uses the pull technique when building cars, which means they only build as many cars as their customers demand. Toyota actually had to change their system somewhat in America because customers buy their cars off the lot. In Japan they are ordered then built for the customer – the customer pulls for the car and Toyota builds it. In America they had to build cars to sit on the lot, but they still only build to fill that next space that was taken by a customer. Ford uses the push technique – they build the cars then push them out to the dealers. The dealers have to sell them and if they can’t sell them fast enough they go on sale, which means less profit.

 

Ford thought they could implement the TPS system into their factories because it worked for Toyota. They didn’t look at their strengths and try to implement a concept that would fit in with their culture.

 

Understanding The Company’s Culture

 

Businesses bring in consultants that spit out ideas that have worked for other companies, but don’t tailor the ideas to the company’s culture. The excitement and money flows through the organization, at first, but eventually everything goes back to the way it was because they weren’t ready for such a shake up.

 

Working happy is so much more than refining a perfect system like Toyota’s; it’s understanding the culture of the the employees. When Ford tried to implement a TPS system, it shocked the employees. They were probably overwhelmed and they didn’t understand how to make it successful. My guess is they were probably told to do something a certain way, but never understood the reason behind it. They didn’t understand why and how it would help. I’m not sure about Ford’s commitment to their employees, but it did fail and it’s probably due to a lack of communication. A company’s poor communication is one of my biggest pet peeves. Every company I ever worked for rarely told me why we were making certain big decisions. They just did it and expected us to follow.

 

The world is evolving and businesses have to adjust their manager-employee relationships. A company like Toyota who shares their vision with their employees and gives them the ability to improve the company at every level will only get stronger. The employees understand what direction the company wants to head in and can make decisions accordingly.

 

“The Toyota system is teaching people to think [for] themselves and find a better way to do the job…to take individual ownership.”

- Dennis Cuneo from How Toyota Became #1

 

Companies have studied Toyota since the 1970’s and still have trouble implementing their ideas. I believe they don’t get the same results because they don’t look at their company’s strengths. They don’t customize the ideas to fit their own company’s culture. They want concepts that they know will work, but the problem is that these patchwork ideas don’t fit because they aren’t built for their company.

 

Make Small Changes

 

My suggestion to struggling companies is to start small and make changes in increments. Create a philosophy that doesn’t revolve around money. Focus on the employee then improve from there. Employees that understand why they do what they do and enjoy doing it will make profits.

 

“Simply put, winning means listening to and responding to the customer, not just telling them what they need or should want.”

- David Magee

 

I’ve owned a Toyota Corolla and loved it. It lasted until 204,000 miles. It’s still is my most cherished vehicle in my fifteen year driving span. I would buy another Toyota in a heartbeat and that’s the loyalty companies strive for and Toyota has achieved throughout the world.

 

Toyota is #1 in the car making world because they empower their employees to make their work better. GM, Ford, and Chrysler don’t even come close to creating the enjoyable work environment that Toyota has accomplished. Not every employee fits into their culture, but the ones that do thrive. Toyota doesn’t force their ways on the American employees. For instance, in Japan, Toyota has a morning exercise routine for all their employees. They tried to implement an exercise routine for the Americans and they resisted so Toyota canceled it.

 

Toyota’s Excellence

 

Toyota adapts to what the customer wants as well as the employees. There are many companies that try to do the same thing, but fail to make both happy. Toyota understands that they must create a mutually beneficial relationship with their employees, customers, and suppliers to continue their success. Toyota has built cars for over 50 years without an employee strike. They also work with suppliers to reduce costs when needed, looking for a solution that benefits both parties.

 

The book is well worth the read and shows the accomplishment a company with a long-term vision that doesn’t just focus on profits, but on the customer’s satisfaction.

 

The author David Magee was kind enough to answer a couple of questions. Tomorrow I will post the short interview.

 

The questions he answered was…

 

1. Toyota has a knack for encouraging their employees to stay engaged by empowering them to improve the company. Why do you think American companies struggle to implement such a process?

2. In your book you write that Toyota thinks about long term instead of short term gains. How do you think America companies can change their culture to embrace the long term value instead of quarter to quarter success?

 

So check back in tomorrow and see how he responded.

 

You can also check out his book at Amazon or go to his website.

 

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Check out the short interview here:

How Toyota Became #1 and a Peek into the Short Interview with the Author

 

Opening Social Networks Within a Company

Creating social networks within your organization will improve communication. You’ll be encouraging a “village community” atmosphere instead of cliques (separate groups) who only visit each other when they need something.

 

Your company can try implementing a social friendship plan. You can do this by rotating various departments to help each other work on tasks or come up with new ideas and systems. If you want your company to foster relationships, you need to create a spider web of connections that help everyone support each other.

 

This is different from cross-training because you are trying to create new friendships and networks that will help get around some of the red tape as well as construct a friendlier atmosphere.

 

You don’t want people just hanging out like it’s a mini-party and dragging down the productivity of a department, so you’ll have to figure out the best way to encourage work. You’ll probably want to foster a Teacher-pupil relationship, having the “teacher” show the various tasks that go on throughout a day. You’ll probably be surprised by how much work gets done because the teacher wants to show the pupil how intriguing or intricate their job can be within those few hours.

 

Creating a Village Solution

Everyone in the company should rotate around the various departments, until everyone gets a larger idea of what the other department does throughout a day.

 

Small Company

 

If you have a small company with under ten people, then try a rotation of partnerships every Wednesday morning for an hour, until everyone has had a chance to work with each other. The best way to do this is to pick half the company to rotate to another person’s job. When their time is up then switch the rotation. It should take less than two months and only 9 hours of time. You may think that it will hurt your bottom line because it’s one less hour that they are working on their task, but you must think long-term. The health of a company depends on its relationships and if a small company can stay close-knit then you’ve helped create a team that will assist each other when they are in a bind.

 

Medium Size Company

 

If you have a medium size company, between 11 – 500 employees then try rotating between three of the closest related departments.

 

For instance:

• Put sales with marketing and production

  • Sales needs to understand the message that marketing is putting out to the public. They also need to understand where the product/service comes from so they know how to explain the features and benefits.

• Put marketing with upper management and sales

  • Marketing needs to understand the direction that management wants the products/services to go in to create their message. They also need to understand what is working and what isn’t by communicating with sales.

• Put accounting with creative people and marketing.

  • Accounting needs to understand what the creative people have in mind, so they can explain what the budget looks like for the upcoming projects. They also need to understand the money that marketing spends and what they can do to make their money stretch farther.

 

By putting the departments together that have the most to learn from one another then you can create open lines of communication. You can also do this with large companies, if you feel like it would benefit the organization. People want to work together for the greater good of the company. It’s up to management to make sure that it happens.

 

Large Company

 

If you have a large sized company (greater than 501 employees) then try rotating people within their own department. A Sales department can be filled with 1000 or more people. Everything is so specialized that they might not even know what one of their co-workers is accomplishing. It will foster learning and a little competition.

 

By rotating a department around you can open social networks, encouraging people who want to help each other achieve success.

 

Your company should encourage the employees from different departments to get to know each other. It will create friendships and loyalty toward each other. What should happen is a tighter knit group, willing to support each other instead of fighting for better position. You’ll have some grumps and kill-joys in every group, but after a short period of time communication will open.

 

Discuss Communication Project

 

The most important part about trying to implement this plan is to recap the project with the employees involved. Ask them what they liked and disliked. You can use this to adjust for the next time. When they see that you are trying to create a more open and friendlier atmosphere they will be more willing to participate.

 

Opening social networks should also improve company retention. People stay with a company when they feel they are a part of a family atmosphere. Over time, as the program progresses, the villagers will encourage change and adapt new ideas as they learn from each other.

Throw a Mini Party

We are meant to celebrate. It’s a given right that many companies don’t use to their advantage. Every company that I’ve worked for has implemented some kind of celebration in its culture, but they were usually far and few in between.

• One company celebrated every quarter.
• Another company sporadically did it maybe six times a year.
• Another company implemented an employee happy hour.
• The largest company I ever worked for had only one celebration a year.

I had a co-worker who once told me, “We should celebrate every day because who knows if we’ll be this lucky tomorrow.”

She was right. One of us might get a new job or become sick and wish that we had the same group of people to work with. Why not celebrate in small ways to keep the morale of the whole group going?

Mini-Party Ideas

Here are a few ideas for a mini-party that will only take fifteen minutes.

• Buy ice cream for your team.
  • It’s cheap and fun.
• Celebrate a birthday with a card and some decorations.\
  • Noise makers are always fun. They also let the rest of the office know that work should be enjoyable.
• Tell your team a joke
  • Getting the laughter going releases endorphins which induce pleasurable feelings, making people feel relaxed.
• Give hand-written compliments to each member of the team.
  • Making people feel special will create loyalty.
• Share a personal story.
  • Making your co-workers or employees a part of your life makes you look human and approachable, like someone they can confide in or who can help improve the work environment.

Making the Mini-Party Happen

You don’t need to celebrate every day, otherwise you’ll run the risk of creating a boring routine. I had a company that tried to implement “Compliment Friday.” We would blow up balloons and attach a thank you with each one. The first time we implemented the compliment program, it lasted three months, and eventually it faded away. We tried to re-implement the program and it only lasted for two months. It became a chore to think of some random compliments every Thursday afternoon so they would be ready for Friday morning. I tried to convince the powers that be that they should only do it once a month to build up tension and excitement, but they didn’t go for it. The program never resurfaced while I was there.

Whether you are a manager or one person out of a team of fifty, you can create a “mini-party” program if you just take the initiative. The hard part isn’t getting anyone on board, but finding someone on the team willing to take control to make sure that it doesn’t become a stagnant process.

If you are the manager I suggest that you rotate turns on your staff (and that includes you, too). You can create a sign-up sheet with your name at the top of the list. You’ll probably have a few that will sign up right away. Try to encourage everyone to participate, but don’t push anyone to do something that they don’t want to. Make sure that you allow them a small budget, so they can purchase mini-party materials if needed. Then see what happens. If they don’t take to it very well then you probably have to start creating a little motivation for them to do it. Like all great coaches, you will need to build up the event as something that everyone is looking forward to or create a little peer pressure for everyone to join in. If they still don’t participate then remind them that it’s something that should be fun and it’s a part of their job. There is only so much you can do with a downer, and if they fail to come through then leave them off the list in the next rotation and just document it in their file. This will probably only be a select few because most people want to create a fun environment.

Mini-Parties Rule

Always make rules depending on the team. If you have a team that gets carried away make sure that the party only lasts for a half hour. If your team doesn’t want to convene in one place, make sure that they understand that they have to at least attend for a few minutes before they go back to work. Every team will require individual rules that help them understand the “mini-party” system. Some teams will want to do it every week. Some may only want it once a month. Regardless of that you decide to implement, make sure you are consistent. It will make the difference between success and failure.

If you aren’t a manager and you want to implement such a program, you will probably do it by yourself for the first few weeks or months, but eventually people will start joining in. I’ve seen an employee that always threw mini birthday parties for her co-workers and when she left the rest of the team began chipping in because they wanted to keep the tradition going. It was nice to see how close they had become because of one employee. Her department was one of the few teams that didn’t have high turnover.

Work Productivity Will Improve

Whether you are a manager or an employee, you can implement a mini-party program and start reaping the rewards. You’ll eventually start seeing a community of employees working together to make the mini-party an event that everyone wants to be a part of so they can feel connected to the group. It won’t happen overnight and it will probably take a few months to become a part of the culture, but once it does you’ll see improved productivity and happier employees.