Many management experts believe that one of the best ways to improve corporate and fiscal performance is through knowledgeable and motivated employees. Indications are that staff performance initiatives are gaining in popularity as companies seek new methods to improve their market conditions.
Customers, both retail and corporate, in companies both large and small, are demanding and getting better face to face and distance service. And with today's choices many are willing to take their business somewhere else at the slightest provocation. Companies know that it is easier, and less expensive, to serve loyal, satisfied customers than it is to serve disgruntled customers or to find new ones.
For this reason, there is more focus on developing programs to motivate every employee in the organization because every employee's performance impacts the process that affects the customer experience. Here are some idea starters if you wish to explore employee management techniques for your organization.
- Leadership is key. Leaders start with a vision. The employees have to be encouraged to share that vision and reach for it every day.
- Job Training. Training is important as well as aligning the message at all levels so every employee is working toward the common goals set by management.
- Communication. People perform their jobs better when they understand not just their function but how it combines with other actions to bring about customer satisfaction and helps reach corporate goals.
Employees also have to know the overall corporate objectives and be constantly aware of results, new programs and realignment of objectives. Many large companies spend a lot of time and effort developing "Internal Marketing" programs with regular briefing sessions, newsletters, and other forms of communication to keep the workforce aware of the company's marketplace activities. Small companies can accomplish the same results in a less expensive, more informal manner.
- Enthusiasm. If management is enthused and it shows, then employees will pick it up and share it with other workers and pass it on to customers.
- Performance Rewards. Recognition is important to every human being, we like to feel good about ourselves and good about the job we are doing. To be successful, recognition should become part of everyday activity, from a simple thank you or a pat on the back for a job well done to a thank you letter to a formal employee incentive program…whatever it takes to bestow that positive action that encourages enhanced performance. Choose whichever program you feel meets your needs and be consistent. Your goal is to build trust and loyalty. A little recognition goes a long way.
- Check on the Effectiveness of the Program. Larger companies recognize the importance of feedback and will pay a lot of money to research the progress of their people management programs. They will canvass customers, suppliers and their own employees. Once again, with a smaller business, management or ownership can conduct some decent first-hand research easily and economically over coffee lunch or during customer meetings.
If you are large enough to retain an outside group to help you with your program, then they will probably suggest steps to measure the effectiveness along the way.
Results
It only makes sense that a company with a motivated work force focused on customer satisfaction and aligned to the corporate goals will perform better than a company that doesn't place emphasis on such matters. Beyond a dedicated work force, a few of the overall benefits of such a program are:
- A more satisfied and loyal customer base.
- Lower business costs.
- Better sales performance.
- Fewer HR issues.
- Easier to attract and hold good employees.
- Improved fiscal performance.
- A more efficient business process.
- Overall corporate performance.
Editor's note: If you wish to explore the world of people performance and how you might be able to use such a program in your organization, go to the Internet and enter "employee incentives" in your browser or explore any of the new marketing, HR books on the topic. One of our vendors, Pivotal HR Solutions are experts in employee motivation and can be reached at http://www.pivotalsolutions.com
