At yesterday's Dallas Women's Conference one of the keynotes was on employee engagement. What a great term for talking about what organizations SHOULD be doing but aren't. Why? Because it takes time, commitment, effort and long term vision. I have had many bad experiences with clients trying to lead them to the river to drink. But they dig their heels in and plug their ears like a four year old saying "I don't hear you. I don't hear you" They simply don't get the concept of employee engagement. So does anyone get it? Yes. Read on if you are curious.
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My job is to help my client communicate better. Usually this takes the form of public speaking and presentation training and from there I often get the chance to come back and do interpersonal skills training, leadership and management training, team building and organizational communication training too. I love what I do.
For the last three years I have had the privilege to work with CoServ Electric, a client that is literally a hop skip and jump from where I live in little ol' Corinth TX. They are a a consultant's dream client. I don't have to hassle, beg, plead or grovel for them to get what I do. They already get "it" and everyday they live that out.
We often read about organizations like Google, Southwest Airlines and Starbucks whose business model is employees first, customers second and shareholders third. We think to ourselves "yeah that's great and everything but that's those guys. We can't operate that way". Well you can. And I know it. Because I see it everytime I visit Co Serv.
Below are my own personal observations for why they are successful. These things collectively make for a great place to work. I have worked with approximately 100 people in their organization across every job and department and I have NEVER heard one person complain about the company, their boss, their team members or their job. Let me re-iterate. NEVER. As in NEVER EVER.
1. It all starts with the leadership of the organization. At CoServ the leadership does not pay lip service to things like training and development, employement appreciation and other "soft" aspects of running a company. The T&D program is extensive and EVERYONE has access to it. I have had line men in my public speaking workshops. Linemen. I will never forget Dennis Engelke, the Director of Employee Relations tell me this: we know that one day some of these linemen are going to move into management positions. If we do give the T&D they need to be leaders NOW then we are setting them up for failure. Are you kidding me? So few companies think this way. They may TALK about it. But at CoServ they actually do it.
2. EVERYONE in the organization can tell the "CoServ Story". This is rare. In my experience people at the top of the food chain can be trusted to go out into the community and "sell" their company but at CoServ everyone can do it. I would trust any of them to be out in the community representing CoServ.
3. True Believers. This one piggy backs the above but at CoServ there are a number of true believers. They are drinking the Kool Aid. Heck I am drinking the Kool Aid. But seriously. Dennis Engelke, who I mentioned earlier is one of the best cheerleaders for what CoServ is doing I have ever seen. Hi is highly committed to the success of CoServ employees and he does it with quiet charm. Sometimes with consultants the shiny luster starts to wear off for a client after a while. But at CoServ I always feel warmly welcomed and Dennis is the reason for that. He treats me with respect. He engages me. And he always returns my emails in a timely manner (amazing!) He does this because he is "living the CoServ Brand"
4. Smart, Fun and Creative ways to serve their employees. Every time I go for a visit I learn about something new that they do at CoServ to reward hard work. For example, there is a program called "Living the CoServ Brand". It goes like this. If an employee sees another employee doing something nice they can nominate them for the "Livng the CoServ Brand" award. That person receives a gift card as a way of saying thanks for walking the walk. One example I was given was a CoServ employee who saw another team member pulled over on the side of I35 helping someone change a flat tire. So they nominated this person. So simple. So easy and SO effective.
5. Last is this: through the CoServ Foundation they give money to a number of charitable organizations throughout our community. I could write a book here about the things I have seen and been told but I will share just one. I took Dennis' grant writing workshop earlier this year mainly for fun. On the second day of the workshop they awarded a grant check to two sisters there in the workshop for an after school math program they started in Lewisville. These sisters had come to the workshop the year before and from that workshop they wrote their grant, applied to the CoServ Foundation and I was fortunate to see them receive their big ol check (literally big check. They do the big check. I have always wanted one of those).
Look--my point is this. When I go around and do workshops and teach professionals and organizations how to do it right CoServ is my example. If they could package what they are doing and sell it they could make a bundle. But really it is pretty simple. They put their people first because they know and understand that when you do that it means your customers and shareholders will ultimately benefit. They don't treat their people like cogs in the system. Imagine that--so revolutionary.
But everyday I come across people who just refuse to operate from this place. It is all "bottom line" this and "return on investment" that and "these people should be glad they have a job". And that just skims the surface of things I have been told. I recently lost a potential new (big!) client because the decision makers at the top of the food chain (a food industry company) said employee training and development does not impact the bottom line. It won't get more patrons into their restaurants. How short sighted! Ultimately I walk away because I am not an evangelist. I want clients who already get it but need help from an outside source to show them how to do it. If you don't get it in the first place well I am probably not a good fit for your organization.
If you are struggling to get it in your own organization take their lead. I don't think it matters what industry you work in, what business model you operate from--the formula is this: put your employees first and the rest will follow.
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