About 30 years ago, my then accountant Corrin casually said to me, “Over time, businesses start to reflect the values and personalities of their leaders.” I was fascinated by this comment. “Really?” I asked. “Yes,” Corrin continued, “Employees need to feel passionate about what they do and they need to feel a connection to the mission. Without that, employees don’t stick around.”
And likewise, clients and customers are attracted to organizations that share their beliefs and values.
A study conducted by Cone Communications found that 87% of consumers said they would purchase a product because a company supported an issue they cared about. In addition, 76% of consumers said they would boycott a company if it supported an issue contrary to their beliefs.
Now, rather than wait for the leader’s values to trickle down, organizations are becoming purposeful about communicating and acting on their core beliefs. Many organizations already have taken the time and energy to develop their vision and mission statements, and now they are drafting statements about how they will serve their communities and contribute to making the world a better place. A new and growing trend is to hire a C-Suite executive, often referred to as the Chief Purpose Officer, to help define and communicate these messages both internally and externally.
But what if your company is small and you can’t devote a senior level position to engagement? Here are some techniques you can implement as a leader at any level.
- If you do not already have a vision and mission statement, develop one! The method you use will demonstrate a lot about your organization. Will you involve everyone in the discussions? Just the senior leaders? Only the CEO?
- Communicate your vision and mission everywhere…on your website, in your newsletter, through your employee communications, and to your customers and clients. If you manufacture a product, put at least part of your mission statement on the product.
- Find a nonprofit or community organization that your company will actively support. Determine how much time, money, and additional resources you will devote to the group.
- Create an engagement survey and identify ways to connect with your employees and encourage their commitment to the mission.
- Make engagement a part of your attraction and retention strategies.
My accountant Corrin was right. Engagement is the key to retaining and motivating both your employees and your customers. Please share with me the strategies employed in your organization. Are they successful?
I recently came across a list of amazing quotes by acclaimed American poet, storyteller, and civil rights activist Maya Angelou. Since I often write blogs discussing the importance of gratitude and mindset in our personal and professional lives, I found it to be a treasure trove of inspiration. I will be highlighting a few of my favorite quotes in the months ahead, and I encourage you to share with me the philosophies and quotes that guide your life.
“I’ve learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.”
Wow! We have all been there, right? Well, my luggage was lost when I arrived in Vancouver this past January, after traveling all day, with no sleep, and it was my birthday. I was kind to the people I interacted with, but I can’t say I was spreading joy either. I will give myself a B minus. Not bad, but as I said, not spreading love and joy.
In terms of rainy days and tangled Christmas tree lights, I did have a necklace that was completely awry. I saw it as a personal challenge, so if tangled yarn and necklaces are telling, I can give myself an A+.
My advice for situations such as these is to think of yourself as being on camera. Especially in the case of lost luggage, where you may be interacting with someone who is less than helpful, imagine that only your side is being recorded. So no matter how the attitude of others around you may be complicating the situation, try to stay calm, cool, and collected. Be proud of yourself and your response, knowing that you will eventually work through it.
Do you have a story where, in hindsight, you wish you would have handled a difficult situation with more patience, tact, or grace? When you exhibited less than strong leadership? What helpful advice can you give yourself the next time you are responding to a challenging circumstance?
This article is one in a series discussing the importance of gratitude in our personal and professional lives, the benefits of routinely recognizing the good things in our lives, appreciating others who have helped us, practicing gratitude, saying thank you, trying a complaint-free day, taking a gratitude walk, improving attitude, and recognizing fresh starts.
While reviewing a 360 degree feedback assessment with a senior leader a few days ago, I was showing him the section where he rates himself and then his manager, his colleagues, and his direct reports all assess him on the same quality.
Whether the rating criteria was “Organizes work thoughtfully in a way that achieves maximum efficiency,” or “Creates an inclusive work environment where everyone’s thoughts are valued,” the senior leader consistently rated himself significantly lower than all, not several, but ALL of the other raters. His CEO rated him higher, his peers rated him higher, and his direct reports rated him higher. When I pointed this out to him, in his usual humble way he asked, “Why does that matter?”
The reason it matters is because he is incredibly instrumental in the organization, a mentor to many, and respected by even more. He is ready to expand his reach and to develop additional projects and everyone knows this but him. As a result, he is actually holding himself back, and in turn, holding back his own organization.
We all know leaders who are difficult to work with and who don’t see their own blind spots. These folks truly need to learn from their raters and work to build essential skills. Similarly, when we are doing a great job, it is just as important to recognize our achievements and to build on our positive attributes.
If you would like to learn more about 360 degree feedback, you can do so here.
