Communications – Make Technology Work for You
I have always thought of myself as a ‘modern’ businessman, someone who kept up with the latest technologies and trends. But, admittedly, I resisted such trends as Facebook and Twitter. I just didn’t see how they were applicable to business or academia. Then, while attending a seminar in Dallas, those of us in the audience were encouraged to use Twitter to send comments and questions to the speaker, as he or she was presenting. Before leaving the stage, each speaker would answer questions that had been compiled during the presentation. More recently, I read an article in Time entitled, How Twitter Will Change the Way We Live1, in which the author discussed the use of Twitter in an academic setting where each ‘tweet,’ or post, was displayed on the overhead during the presentation. The Twitter conversation ended up reaching people outside the lecture hall and continued on for weeks after the actual presentation ended. I was sold.
Management and Leadership – The Power of Loyalty
A trait that is often overlooked by managers and executives is the loyalty (or the lack of loyalty) among their employees. While it is difficult to measure, it can have a great impact on your department and your company. As such, you should take steps to ensure the loyalty of your employees to you, the company and each other.
Impacts
The lack of loyalty can have devastating effects on any organization. The development of each employee is a considerable investment in time and money. In addition to salary and benefits, a company will invest in classroom and on-the-job training, networking opportunities, equipment and tools for each employee. Each employee also gains valuable experience while performing his/her duties. If an employee is lost, say to another company, so is the sum of the investments your company has made in that employee. In most cases, any replacement will need time to match the former employee’s level of production. Additionally, if the employee is lost to a competitor, the competitor may benefit form his/her extensive knowledge of your company.
By fostering loyalty in your employees you not only avoid the downfalls listed above, you gain a team member who is often willing to work a little harder and a little longer for you or for the company. Loyal employees don’t just work for a paycheck. They consider themselves a part of a team. They have an emotional interest in seeing their team, their company and their coworkers succeed. These employees are always the best performers, simply because they care about more than themselves.
Earning Loyalty
As mentioned, loyal employees don’t just work for a paycheck. Put another way, loyalty is earned, not bought. So how do you keep your best employees from jumping ship at the first sign of a larger paycheck? The best way is to provide an environment in which your employees will enjoy working. Work sponsored events and periodic employee appreciation activities will build moral and strengthen the bond between employee and company.
Recognition for good performance is critical in creating loyal employees. No one likes to feel as if his/her hard work is being overlooked. Acknowledging a job well done will encourage even more good work. Additionally, employees are more likely to stay in a position when they know their work is appreciated.
Being an ethical manager and company also fosters loyalty. Most people take pride in being part of a group with integrity and good will. It reinforces confidence that they will be treated fairly and strengthens the trust between employees, their coworkers and management.
Much more goes into building a corporate culture and identity that employees will be proud of, than can be said here. However, you should frequently ask yourself “why am I proud of my company?” or “what would make me proud?” Answering these questions will bring you a step closer to creating loyalty among your workforce.
Final Thoughts…
Because of the impact employee loyalty has on any business, it must always be on the mind of company leadership. By making an effort to build and maintain loyalty, you may very well save your most valuable resource – your employees.
About the Author
Lucas D. Ives is a training consultant at Verizon Wireless and a StrategyDriven contributor. A dynamic facilitator, he excels at creating and delivering captivating training focused on the business professional. To read Lucas’s complete biography, click here.
Management and Leadership – Are You a Trend Setter or Follower? Be both.
I recently read an article published by the Society for Human Resource Management, in which several methods for improving a company’s training program were discussed, and I was astonished to see how many of those methods were already employed by my company. This led me to wonder if the folks in HR read the same article. Of course not, I thought. We are a company that leads the way. We set the trends… Right?
In the end, being the first to do something is not what’s most important. Doing what’s smart is!
Take the US Automotive Industry for example. Would Chrysler and General Motors have filed for bankruptcy had they followed the example of Toyota and Honda and built more fuel-efficient cars? A successful company encourages new ideas from within, but also adopts the best ideas and business practices from the corporate world at large. Very successful companies make those ideas and practices even better. (Look at what Apple did to the MP3 player!)
So keep your eyes, and your mind open. A good idea from inside your company, or from the outside, is still a good idea.
About the Author
Lucas D. Ives is a training consultant at Verizon Wireless and a StrategyDriven contributor. A dynamic facilitator, he excels at creating and delivering captivating training focused on the business professional. To read Lucas’s complete biography, click here.
Leadership Inspirations – Making Mistakes
“A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing.”
George Bernard Shaw
Irish Playwright (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950)
only person to have been awarded both the Nobel Prize for Literature (1925) and an Oscar (1938)
Leadership Inspirations – Leading by Example
“Example is not the main thing in influencing others; it’s the only thing.”
Albert Schweitzer
Alsatian theologian, musician, philosopher, and physician (14 January 1875 – 4 September 1965)
“I have ever deemed it more honorable and more profitable, too, to set a good example than to follow a bad one.”
Thomas Jefferson
President of the United States of America (1801 – 1809)
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