Tag Archives: self-evaluation

Are Your Employees Engaged?

We’re not talking about whether they’re getting married.  We’re writing about how involved they are in their work.  A recent column by Anita Bruzzese in USA Today, which was also reprinted in the Green Bay Press-Gazette, struck a chord with us and, in our opinion, relates to marketing yourself and your business.

One of the more intriguing items in the column was that a Gallup survey found that 70% of workers are not engaged or actively engaged at work.

The piece delves into the concept that a large percentage of people have a job just to pay the bills and would rather be doing something else.  Think about your employees for a minute.  They may be doing an excellent job, in your opinion, but deep down they’re thinking about what they would rather be doing.  Heck, they may already be doing it and hoping for a big break so they can leave you behind.

Bruzzese writes about Tama Kieves, an attorney who quit her legal practice to pursue her passion as a writer.  A friend “got her thinking: If she was so good at something she didn’t like, imagine the success she might have doing something she loved.”  It took some time, but eventually a publisher made Kieves an offer for her book, speaking, and coaching opportunities.  The law career became an item on her resume.

If you ask your employees whether they are satisfied with and challenged by their work, what are the odds you’ll get a straight, honest answer?  They will, in their own mind, at first question why you’re asking.  Then they will wonder whether they should tell you what you want to hear or the truth.  Keep in mind, they may be one and the same.

Ask about their hobbies and what they like to do with their free time.  You may discover a latent talent you can encourage and, in turn, nurture their love of a paycheck from your company.  You may also discover a true passion that may lead to an eventual departure from your company.  Think of the option that incorporates their passion into your business model; it may be a whole new line of products or services you never thought of.

The gist of Bruzzese’s column, in relation to your employees and marketing your business, is that you must find ways to ensure they are engaged with what they’re doing.  We have often seen excellent sales people get promoted to sales manager and wind up failing miserably.  They are good at selling face-to-face with customers or prospects, but lack the drive to effectively engage with other sales people.  They’d rather be out on the street instead of pushing people, and paper, around.

Perhaps it should be part of your hiring process to determine what your candidates are most excited about and if they are passionate about coming to work for your company or if they like the wage and benefits package.  Where do they feel they could make the greatest contribution to the corporate mission?  Your challenge, obviously, is getting the right fit and sustaining the engagement and the resulting productivity.

There may also be a time when it’s worth spending a few minutes (perhaps an hour or two) to reflect on where you are as well.  Bruzzese’s column cites some points at the end from Kieves that stimulate such self-reflection.

When you think about that 70% ratio from the Gallup survey, it’s easy to understand why so many workers are not engaged.  Teenagers working in fast food restaurants are only there for a paycheck and because they were unable to find any other employment.  You may find a rare case where they aspire to management, but their career path usually leads in other directions.  Take that out to virtually any industry or business and chances are the percentage of 70% disengagement holds true.

Since they’re now no longer with us, I can admit that I hated mowing my grandparents’ lawn.  I would do virtually whatever I could to find an excuse or disable the lawn mower to get out of the job.  Ever wonder how many accidents at work happen because the employee is unhappy and wants to do something else?  There are professionals who can help you ensure that you do everything possible to engage your employees.

Next week we’ll spend some time on the impact social media can have on your business.

 

 

Are You Connected The Right Way?

How well your business is networked or connected can mean the difference between success and even greater … profitability.  A major element in this formula involves your company’s word-of-mouth status.  We all know, or assume correctly, that word-of-mouth is the most effective and least costly method of marketing your business and yourself.  What we tend to forget, though, is that word-of-mouth can also work against us as easily as it can work for the benefit of a business.

When we write about networking, there are many effective techniques that can be used to grow your business.  One of the most prolific authors on the subject is Ivan Misner, Ph.D., the founder of BNI (Business Network International), and his most influential book on networking – in my opinion – is Networking Like A Pro – Turning Contacts Into Connections, co-written with David Alexander and Brian Hilliard.

What this blog is about, though, is how to know which connections you want to make and bring into your business network.  Word-of-mouth is difficult to use for marketing unless people get to know you, your company, and your products and/or services.  Once they know more about you and determine they can trust you and what you offer, your chances for successful word-of-mouth networking are vastly increased.

It starts with self-evaluation.  Who are you?  What is your company or business all about? Why are you in business?  Who do you want to be in business with?  Do they want to, or should they, be in business with you?  Are they going to be good connections for you, or are you more a better connection for them?  Do you share or compete for customers?  Do you understand what each of you is selling and how you can best cooperate?

Armed with answers to these questions, you are better prepared to consider and determine which businesses and/or individual business or non-business individuals you want to be connected with to grow your business.  You must consider the value, or potential value, each connection has for your business to succeed.  Let’s look at some examples.

A chiropractor has a natural connection with a massage therapist.  The chiropractor’s work is easier if the client has seen a massage therapist before the adjustment, and the therapist has an easier time if the client has already been adjusted.  The connection appears obvious, and the success of the relationship depends on how comfortable the two  parties involved are with referring clients to each other.  The twist in the relationship comes from the person in the middle, the client.  If the client already has a chiropractor, the message therapist finds it hard to refer them to their connection.  Their continued success relies on being able to market their services in conjunction with each other while still being able to accept and work with clients referred to them from other massage therapists or chiropractors.

Real estate agents and mortgage brokers/bankers are another logical pair for being connected in business.  The strength of their relationship determines how well each does and how long they work together.  When you think about being connected in the real estate profession, you must also consider the other natural alliances.  A title company, remodeling service, landscaper, plumber, electrician, appraisal service, and other business entities with a stake in the success of a real estate transaction are all potential members of a coalition to benefit the consumer.  The challenge is to find the services who can refer work to you comfortably, and to be able to reciprocate on a frequent enough basis to make the relationship profitable in both directions.

The key to the success of your business networking is to have a clear understanding of which companies, and which individuals, you want to and must be connected with to grow your business.  You could be the world’s foremost brain surgeon, but unless you have physicians referring patients to you, you will be out on the street asking everyone you meet whether or not they need brain surgery … and being connected with a mechanic or a restaurant owner will probably have little impact on your bottom line.

How many sales “professionals” do you know who, when asked, will tell you they have a huge network of more than 500 connections?  When you probe a little deeper, you learn they have a customer base of 10 clients and the other 490+ are friends, family members, and casual acquaintances from hanging out in restaurants.  That’s “thinking” you are connected when you’re really a far cry from having the network you desire.

Take the time to think through how well you’re connected and which connections you lack that you would like to add to your business network.  Your professional business and/or marketing consultant can help you see the trees in the forest.