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Let’s share favorite quotations that are somehow relevant to business. I frequently include them in letters, e-mails, proposals, and book reviews. They may not always provide a head-snapping revelation but do add some “seasoning” to the prose.
Let’s share favorite quotations that are somehow relevant to business. I frequently include them in letters, e-mails, proposals, and book reviews. They may not always provide a head-snapping revelation but do add some “seasoning” to the prose.
It was privilege for me to interview Judy because I think so highly of her various books and articles, notably One Foot Out the Door. I view her as a pragmatic idealist, possessed of an insatiable curiosity to understand what works, what doesn't, ...
Inspire rather than require or even attempt to "motivate" workers to become engaged.
Let’s share favorite quotations that are somehow relevant to business. I frequently include them in letters, e-mails, proposals, and book reviews. They may not always provide a head-snapping revelation but do add some “seasoning” to the prose.
"Make your life a mission - not an intermission." Arnold Glasgow
"You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose." Dr. Seuss
Let’s share favorite quotations that are somehow relevant to business. I frequently include them in letters, e-mails, proposals, and book reviews. They may not always provide a head-snapping revelation but do add some “seasoning” to the prose.
Let’s share favorite quotations that are somehow relevant to business. I frequently include them in letters, e-mails, proposals, and book reviews. They may not always provide a head-snapping revelation but do add some “seasoning” to the prose.
Comment Wall (30 comments)
- At 9:02am on January 29, 2009,
Bill Hogg PerformanceExcelerator said… - Thanks for the great review of Closing the Engagement gap. I would appreciate receiving your offer of a collection of Business Nuggets. I tried to send to your email above, but it bounced back. Possibly there is a typo??
I acn be reached at bill[at]billhogg[dot]ca. Cheers!
- At 4:46pm on November 30, 2008,
Michael Lee Stallard said… - Hey Bob,
Just thought we should connect in this network too!
All the best,
Mike
- At 4:16pm on November 13, 2008,
David Axelrod said… - Robert,
I recently joined the network and found your post about 'Terms of Engagement.' Thanks for the plug. I'm the son of the author and consultant with the Axelrod Group.
- At 8:10am on September 30, 2008,
Terrence Seamon said… - Very funny! Thanks for the smiles, Bob.
- At 5:21am on September 20, 2008,
Robert Morris said…
- Wisdom, "Fair," and Motivation
Here are three of my favorite vignettes. The first is very familiar but perhaps not the other two.
1. In the Book of Wisdom, King Solomon is approached by two women who claim to be the mother of the same newborn child. After lengthy discussions, he is unable to decide which really is the mother so he orders that the child be cut in half and divided between the two women. One comes forward and begs that, rather than harm the child, he give it to the other woman. Then Solomon realized who the child's mother is.
2. As his 70th birthday approached, a father was in the midst of estate planning and wanted to arrange that his extensive wealth be divided equally between his two sons. After lengthy discussions during which the brothers constantly disagreed about what was "fair," the exasperated father finally turned to the older son. "You divide up my estate into two portions, according to what you think is fair." The older son smiled. "Then let your brother decide which portion he wants."
3. The names of the teams, the player, and other details are unimportant. Let's say Michigan and Ohio State and the player's name is John Smith. Michigan and Ohio State are both unbeaten and meet in the final regular game of the season, in Columbus. At stake are the Big Ten championship, a trip to the Rose Bowl, and a shot at the NCAA national championship. On the Monday of that week, Ohio State's head coach receives a call from the dean informing him that John Smith's father has suddenly died of a heart attack and since the coach is closest to the young man, asks that he tell the young man and then accompany him to the airport so he could fly home to be with his family. Smith is a senior, has been a benchwarmer for four years, and is the eldest of ten children. The coach locates him, tells him about his father, consoles him as best he can, and then drives him to the airport to catch his flight. The following Saturday morning, the coach arrives early at the stadium and is surprised to see Smith at his locker. He walks over to him. "How did it go at home?" "OK, I guess. It was a nice funeral and my mom's holding up pretty well. Coach, I just had to get back here for the big game today. And I have a favor to ask." "What's that, John?" "I want to start." The coach hesitated at first, then played a hunch and agreed. Ohio State won and Smith played like an All-American. Later in the locker room amidst the celebration, the coach made his way to Smith who was slowly undressing. "You played a great game, John, but I have to ask this question: After four years of riding the bench, you showed talent and skills out there today I've never seen at practice. Why?" Long pause. "Well, Coach, I guess you didn't know that my father was blind. Today was the first time he could see me play."
- At 7:34am on August 23, 2008,
Jay Forte said… - Thank you Robert. I see that our missions are similar. I look foward to chatting with you on line and participating in your posts.
Jay
- At 5:52pm on August 7, 2008,
Robert Morris said…
- I just received an e-mail from a friend of mine, sharing what follows. Make of it what you will.
EFFECTIVE AUGUST 1, 2008
NEW OFFICE POLICY
Dress Code:
1) You are advised to come to work dressed according to
your salary.
2) If we see you wearing Prada shoes and carrying a Gucci bag, we will assume you are doing well financially and therefore do not need a raise.
3) If you dress poorly, you need to learn to manage your
money better, so that you may buy nicer clothes, and
therefore you do not need a raise.
4) If you dress just right, you are right where you need to be and therefore you do not need a raise.
Sick Days:
We will no longer accept a doctor's statement as proof of sickness. If you are able to go to the doctor, you are able to come to work.
Personal Days:
Each employee will receive 104 personal days a year. They are called Saturdays & Sundays.
Bereavement Leave:
This is no excuse for missing work. There is nothing you can do for dead friends, relatives or co-workers. Every effort should be made to have non-employees attend the funeral arrangements in your place. In rare cases where employee involvement is necessary, the funeral should be scheduled in the late afternoon. We will be glad to allow you to work through your lunch hour and subsequently leave one hour early.
Bathroom Breaks:
Entirely too much time is being spent in the toilet. There is now a strict three-minute time limit in the stalls. At the end of three minutes, an alarm will sound, the toilet paper roll will retract, the stall door will open, and a picture will be taken. After your second offense, your picture will be posted on the
company bulletin board under the 'Chronic Offenders' category. Anyone caught smiling in the picture will be sectioned under the company's mental health policy.
Lunch Break:
* Skinny people get 30 minutes for lunch, as they need to eat more, so that they can look healthy.
* Normal size people get 15 minutes for lunch to get a balanced meal to maintain their average figure.
* Chubby people get 5 minutes for lunch, because that's
all the time needed to drink a Slim-Fast.
Thank you for your loyalty to our company. We are here to provide a positive employment experience. Therefore, all questions, comments, concerns, complaints, frustrations, irritations, aggravations, insinuations, allegations, accusations, contemplations, consternation and input should be directed elsewhere.
The Management
- At 11:56am on August 7, 2008,
Robert Morris said…
- I have just posted the following review. It may be of interest to some of the EEN members.
Chief Engagement Officer :Turning Hierarchy Upside Down to Drive Performance
John Smythe
Gower Publishing
John Smythe has certainly selected a business subject that attracts more attention and generates more discussion each day: employee engagement. At the outset, I acknowledge that, contrary to what this book’s subtitle suggests, a hierarchy need not be turned “upside down” to drive performance. All organizations need order and structure as well as policies and procedures, given the importance of full compliance with applicable federal, state, and regulatory legalities.
That said, Smythe does not propose the creation of a senior-level executive position. Rather, he correctly stresses the importance of formulating and then implementing a program that will maximize employee engagement throughout an organization, at all levels and in all areas. This program will focus on preparing everyone with supervisory responsibilities to help achieve that objective. Paraphrasing one of Jim Collins’ most widely cited recommendations in Good to Great, Smythe explains that, for him, “employee engagement is first and foremost a management philosophy based on the idea of including the right people in the right decisions at the right time in the right way. Inclusion in decision making and change is not a one-way ticket for employees to butt their noses in wherever and however they want. Leadership sets the boundaries and governs the process; and citizens in the process have responsibilities to behave as partners in the process.”
Throughout his narrative, Smythe responds to questions such as these:
1. What is employee engagement and why is it so important?
2. What are the most common barriers to achieving it?
3. How to overcome these barriers?
4. Which four approaches to achieving employee engagement should be considered?
5. How to select the most appropriate approach?
6. Why is measuring employee engagement “a waste of time”?
7. How to identify the “key drivers”?
8. Which principles and lessons should guide and inform the design of an employee engagement program?
9. How and why does employee engagement drive implementation of strategy?
10. How to create and then sustain a culture of employee engagement?
I especially appreciate Smythe’s provision of 40 “Figures” that consolidate key points within each chapter because they facilitate, indeed expedite periodic review later. In Chapter 2, for example, he explains what employee engagement means and includes four Figures: “Requisites for engagement,” “Drivers to deliver a distinct customer offer and a compelling place to work,” “Communications and engagement,” and “Two views of employee engagement.” He skillfully correlates this material with statements such as this: “I see employee engagement as being about the role and influence people have been given in everyday decision making and in broader organizational change and strategy. I see it as a practical capability which can be developed by leaders at every level to help them create value for the organization by engaging the right people in decision forming and by doing so creating an attractive workplace experience where people can influence and feel ownership.”
To repeat, what Smythe proposes will not create organizational chaos by eliminating management authority altogether; rather, he proposes that the concept of “authority” be redefined, then be distributed (in effect) on an as-needed basis. If Joe Moderatz is being asked to design a more efficient system by which to allocate storage space in the Cooksey Corporation’s warehouse, for example, he should be centrally involved in decisions made concerning the objectives to be achieved, the core processes that must be taken into full account (e.g. the impact of the new system on processes in other areas), and the timeframe during which the new system will be design and implemented. In essence, Moderatz shares ownership of the completion of this task. Therefore, he will feel engaged because he is engaged.
Presumably Smythe would be the first to agree that it would be a fool’s errand for a reader of this book to attempt to implement all of his (Smythe’s) recommendations. Although he provides a five-step “practical model” in Chapter 5, suggests several methods and approaches to employee engagement interventions in Chapter 9, and includes, in Chapter 12 (the final chapter) Johanna Fawkes’s overview of recent research (largely between 2000 and 2005) in the field of employee engagement, it remains for each reader to determine which of the material in this book is most relevant to the needs, interests, objectives, and resources of her or his oganization. However, Fawkes does conclude his own analysis by noting that if he had the opportunity to work with one of the various approaches (previously discussed) to create a sustainable climate of engagement, “it would involve focusing on the supervisor’s perceptions of what leading means in terms of giving their people the opportunity to contribute to day-to-day decision making and change.”
Those who share my high regard for this book are urged to check out The Engaged Employee Network (http://employeeengagement.ning.com/) founded and administered by David Zinger.
- At 8:52am on August 1, 2008,
Robert Morris said…
- I have just posted the following review at the US, UK, and Canadian Web sites of both Amazon and Borders
The Essential Guide to Employee Engagement
Sarah Cook
Each year, Fortune magazine ranks “The Best Companies to Work For” and it is no coincidence that many of the same companies are also among the most profitable. Reasons vary, of course, but one of the common attributes is employee engagement. Sarah Cook shares her definition of it in Chapter 1: Employee engagement "can be summed up by how positively the employee thinks about the organization, feels about the organization, [and] is proactive in relation to achieving organizational goals for customers, colleagues and other stakeholders…In other words, it is about the degree to which employees perform their role in a positive and proactive manner...engagement therefore is about what employees think rationally about their employers, what they feel about them, their emotional connection, as well as what they do and say as a result in relation to their co-employees and their customers." That is as good a definition as any.
What Cook offers in this volume can help any company (regardless of size or nature) to achieve “better business performance through staff satisfaction,” especially now when the dynamics of employment require an empowerment of workers in ways and to an extent that are unprecedented. Years ago when discussing Southwest Airlines’ competitive advantage, then CEO Herb Kelleher said that it was its people, suggesting, “If you take care of your employees, they will take care of your customers, and your customers will take care of your shareholders.” The same attitude prevails at other companies, notably Container Store, Nordstrom, Whole Foods, and Ritz-Carlton. It is worth noting that these companies also retain their most valuable employees and many of their job applicants currently work for competitors.
Some of Cook’s most interesting and valuable material is provided in Chapters 3 and 4 as she explains how to identify “the key drivers of engagement in your business” and then develop a strategy that accommodates them. In Chapter 8, she examines three levels of involvement at which a sense of involvement must occur: with the direct line manager (i.e. supervisor), with associates (individuals as well as teams), and with the organization as a whole. (As I later reflected on the ideas provided in these three chapters, I envisioned the strategy as a “hammer” and the drivers as “nails,” with the hammer driving the nails to establish and then sustain employee engagement on all three levels.) Over the past 50 years, hundreds of surveys have been conducted among millions of workers who were asked to rank that is most important to them. Only one was always ranked first, second, or third: feeling appreciated. (For what it’s worth, compensation was ranked somewhere in the 9-14 range, depending on the given survey.) Cook fully understands how important feeling appreciated is to employees, including line managers.
That is why she devotes so much attention to issues that concern recognition and reward, communication, personal accountability, teamwork, and leadership development. Re the latter, all organizations need leadership at all levels and in all areas of operation and such leadership is not based on title or seniority, it is based on taking initiative to do what must be done. When discussing “agents for change” in Chapter 9, she makes a number of excellent recommendations but none of them will be implemented unless and until those involved (a) feel appreciated, (b) understand what needs to be done, (c) agree on the importance of doing it well, and (d) help to decide what must be done. Without shared ownership of a task, an employee will be involved but not engaged in completing it.
In the last chapter, Cook shares her thoughts about how to sustain employee engagement once it has been achieved. When discussing “embedding employee engagement,” she observes: “Following the maxim that ‘what gets measured gets done,’ generally managers focus their attention on the aspects of their role that will be measured. So if, for example, their key performance indicators are task- or sale-focused. This is where they will exert most of their attention. For managers to focus on employee engagement as a key priority, the most effective way of doing this is to make managers accountable for the engagement survey results of their staff.” I fully agree while presuming to suggest that a percentage of employees will claim that they are engaged (and many of them believe they really are) when in fact their engagement is either non-productive or negative (i.e. they are engaged in undermining the success of the given business). Ultimately, in my opinion, measurement of her or his direct reports’ performance rather than of their opinions is a more reliable indicator of a manager’s effectiveness insofar as employee engagement on the three levels is concerned.
One final point. Sarah Cook quite rightly points out that achieving and then sustaining employee engagement is a long-term, in fact never-ending process. Her ultimate goal, therefore, is to help her readers to think through what is required to create a self-sustaining employee engagement culture, one that will continue no matter who the given managers and other employees are. That is indeed a worthwhile goal, worthy of a best effort (i.e. a full engagement) by everyone involved in seeking it.
- At 4:29pm on July 25, 2008,
Robert Morris said…
- Many of us are under a great deal of pressure these days, fully engaged with the increased costs of living (especially of fuel and groceries), making mortgage payments, getting children educated, global warming, etc. How to cope with all these pressures? Good news! After some rigorous research, I have been able to locate some suggestions:
1. At lunch time, sit in your parked car with sunglasses on and point a hair dryer at passing cars. See if they slow down.
2. Page yourself over the intercom. Don't disguise your voice.
3. Insist that your e-mail address is: Xena-Warrior- Princess@OCDSB.edu.on.ca
4. Every time someone asks you to do something, ask if they want fries with that.
5. Place a garbage can on your desk and label it "IN."
6. Develop an unnatural fear of staplers.
7. Put decaf in the coffee maker for three weeks. Once everyone has gotten over their caffeine addiction, switch to espresso.
8. Finish all your sentences with "In accordance with the prophecy."
9. Dont use any punctuation
10. As often as possible, skip rather than walk.
11. Ask people what sex they are. Laugh hysterically after they answer.
12. Specify that your drive-through order is "to go."
13. Sing along at the opera.
14. Go to a poetry recital and ask why the poems don't rhyme.
15. Put mosquito netting around your office cubicle. Play a CD of jungle sounds all day.
16. Five days in advance, tell your friends you can't attend their party because you're not in the mood.
17. When the money comes out of the ATM, scream "I Won!", "I Won!" "Third time this week!!!"
18. When leaving the zoo, start sprinting towards the parking lot, waving your arms, yelling "Run for your lives, they're loose!"
19. Tell your children over dinner. "Due to the economy, we are going to have to let one of you go."
20. When someone eagerly approaches you, extends a hand, and says “Hi, I’m John Smith!” pat him on the back and say “Of course you are.”
Profile Information
- Who are you?
- I am an independent management consultant based in Dallas who specializes in high-impact executive development and knowledge management. I also review mostly business books for the US, UK, and Canadian Web sites of both Amazon and Borders. In addition, I have interviewed more than 60 thought leaders such as Warren Bennis, Clay Christensen, Jim Collins, Michael Hammer, and Chris Zook.
- What is your interest or involvement in employee engagement?
- I help my clients with accelerated executive development (as previously indicated) as well as with performance measurement and enterprise learning at all levels and in all areas.
- Where are you located?
- Dallas, Texas
Of possible interest....
I have just created a file of the latest in a series of clusters of what I call Business Nuggets. They are abbreviated versions of reviews now featured by the US, UK, and Canadian Web sites of both Amazon and Borders. Various other Web sites prefer them because each can be read in about one minute. The Web site of Business and Professional Women/USA features them in a cleverly named 60-Second Bookshelf. Several in the latest cluster are directly relevant to one or more dimensions of employee engagement. If you would like to receive the file, please contact me directly at:
interllect@mindspring.com.
Also, here is a link to the dedicated area that Amazon has created for me:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/cdp/member-reviews/A26JGAM6GZMM4V/ref=cm_cr_auth/102-0547273-8345729?ie=UTF8
I am eager to receive and will gratefully welcome your comments, suggestions, and other forms of feedback.
Happy reading!
I have just created a file of the latest in a series of clusters of what I call Business Nuggets. They are abbreviated versions of reviews now featured by the US, UK, and Canadian Web sites of both Amazon and Borders. Various other Web sites prefer them because each can be read in about one minute. The Web site of Business and Professional Women/USA features them in a cleverly named 60-Second Bookshelf. Several in the latest cluster are directly relevant to one or more dimensions of employee engagement. If you would like to receive the file, please contact me directly at:
interllect@mindspring.com.
Also, here is a link to the dedicated area that Amazon has created for me:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/cdp/member-reviews/A26JGAM6GZMM4V/ref=cm_cr_auth/102-0547273-8345729?ie=UTF8
I am eager to receive and will gratefully welcome your comments, suggestions, and other forms of feedback.
Happy reading!
About
Latest Activity
Care for people around you and get to know who they are, what strengths they bring and what's important to them.
Every day do a quick maintenance check. Do people know Why?, How?, When? and What? they are doing and are they free to ask these questions of you?.
Check your own engagement regularly. You need support, recognition and inspiration as much as your employees, in order provide an environment that will engage your people fully.
Engagement is a relationship that requires regular maintenance.
Start from where they are at.
Reach out to their hearts and values. Look beyond the Employee ID number and make a genuine effort to see and hear the person.
Open yourself to influence by others and they will open themselves to your influence.
Don't just listen to your people but also act on what they're telling you.
Only hire people with passion for what they do; create a work environment that fosters and facilitates the expression of that passion and use a communication style that makes it safe to stretch, fail and grow.
Assist each employee to understand the deeper purpose of his or her work - who or what cause is it helping - and why.
Be congruent and transparent, say what you mean and do what you say.
Managers or Supervisors can engage employees by demonstrating little acts of kindness for absolutely no reason at all. eg. Can I help you carry that? Is there anything I can get for you? etc. etc.
Engagement should be treated as newborns! Everyone takes place in the growing process and they should never be left unattended.
For great managers, the path toward engaging employees and keeping them engaged begins with asking them what they want and what is important in order to be effective in their roles.
Involve employees in decisions that will affect them - they may have some great ideas that you haven't thought of and will be more supportive of the final outcome.
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Manager Tools for Empl...
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Employee Engagement Wr...
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Research on EE
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Employee Recognition
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Engaging Books
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Social media in the wo...
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Engaging Quotations
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Canada
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UK
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Personal Engagement
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