White Castle Boss Goes Undercover and Learns Employee Engagement Works
March 2, 2010
I was finally persuaded by a friend to watch the new hit show “Undercover Boss.” This reality show confirmed that a CEO can learn a lot about how to make the company better by engaging with employees. For those who haven’t seen the new show on CBS, a CEO goes undercover as an employee in his own company to see for himself how things are working. Dave Rife, owner of the White Castle hamburger chain, was this past Sunday’s undercover snoop.
11 Tips to Improve Employee Motivation, Employee Satisfaction & Employee Retention
February 16, 2010
Praise promotes employee motivation
The idea for this article came from a conversation I just had with a friend who works for one of the largest companies and best-known brands in the world. Yet the company sucks at employee motivation. If they haven’t got it figured out, then heaven’s knows many other companies are still in the dark, too, about what kinds of things motivate employees and that lead to employee satisfaction and retention. He gave me a couple of examples that were almost laughable.
Why Employee Communication Programs Fail and Hurt Bottom Line Results
December 2, 2009
By Mary Lynn Coyle and Jeannette Paladino
Employee communication is often the poor stepchild of companies that ignore their employees’ overwhelming need and desire for information so they can do their jobs better. Yet research shows that organizations excelling in internal communications also excel in financial performance.
A Watson Wyatt study found that companies with highly effective communication practices have a 19 percent higher market premium and a 47% higher shareholder return. A Towers Perrin study found that four out of five workers are not engaged in doing the things that drive results. That’s why we believe that companies need to instill a total Culture of Communication throughout their organizations that is open, consistent, simple, and caring. Read more
What CEOs Can Learn About Employee Communications From the U.S. Army Band “Pershing’s Own”
November 14, 2009
I just returned from a joyous concert by the U.S. Army’s “Pershing” Band, as it is known, that was in town for its annual concert at Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall. As I sat there with friends tapping my feet and applauding every brassy patriotic song, I thought what a great lesson I was learning about communications. And that’s this: when you communicate with joy, you turn an audience into your biggest fans. Read more
Employee Communications: Internal Branding = External Success
August 31, 2009
It’s a simple equation. Internal Branding = External Success. Employee communications programs should embody the brand and foster a culture of communication that rallies employees around the mission and business goals of the company. Yet many organizations neglect internal communication. With an economy in the tank, some companies feel that employees should be happy to have a job. But when things are bad, employees need to be hearing frequently about the true state of the company, what management is doing about it, what it means for the individual employee. Read more
Does Your Company Have a Social Media Director? Take The Poll
July 26, 2009
I’ve posted a simple 5-question poll on Linked-In: Does Your Company Have a Social Media Director to Manage the Company’s Social Media Strategy? Click on Social Media Poll if you would like to take the poll.
I’ll be posting the responses. Also, please use the Comment section in this post if you would like to add your thoughts on the topic. I look forward to hearing from you. Thanks!
Where Did the Employees Go?
May 24, 2009
The 2008 corporate annual reports have rolled off the presses and are on view on company websites. I flipped through some of them online and, as usual, they are the same old dullards. A letter from the president, a few words about the past year and what the future holds, followed by the financial results.
But you know what? Several of the very largest Fortune 500 companies had not a single photo or story about an employee. None. Read more
CEO as Chief Communications Officer
May 14, 2009
The CEO has a great opportunity to become the company’s Chief Communications Officer. This isn’t in addition to his or her regular duties. This is the essence of the CEO’s job. Read more
Communicating With Passion
April 18, 2009
Whenever change permeates a big company, resistance is inevitable. The announcement of change itself raises anxiety levels, creates doubts in employees’ minds, and makes them feel vulnerable and uncertain. And it raises serious questions:
• What will this mean for me?
• If I must operate differently, am I up to it?
• Do I really believe what I’m hearing about the future of the company? Read more
Internal Communications Strategies for Web-Savvy Employees
March 29, 2009
CEOs don’t always walk the talk when they claim that employees are the company’s most important asset. If that were the case, employees wouldn’t be using social communities on the web to find what’s going on in the company. So here are several strategies to focus employees on the company’s goals through the company’s own communications network. Read more