I've Been Thinking...

About companies that STAND OUT. In today’s economy, if you blend, you lose. The only way that a business gets remembered is when your service (or product) is both exactly right AND you do something to STAND OUT.

In this issue of the newsletter, we look at the concept of STANDING OUT... and the need to do it to both our employees and customers.

That being said, realize one important fact – to be a customer-focused organization, you must first be an employee-focused organization. Without employees that are actively thinking, inventing and responding (in other words, engaged), we are not able to provide service to customers in a way that encourages them to come back and to bring their friends. So first things first... start STAND OUT with your employees.

If you have spent time on the Humanetrics LLC website you will see that our mission is to help create high performing organizations through their people; we do this by providing practical, dynamic, innovative and customized education and performance consulting. We build on the humanity of the organization – helping to inspire thinking, feeling and passionate employees - because they are the source of extraordinary service and extraordinary results for all companies. Remember the phrase: your people are your profits.

The key to success in business is to create an employee-focused workplace. When we do, our employees feel valued, they work in roles that match the way they think and (as much as possible) let them do the things that they enjoy doing; this creates engaged and passionate employees. Now think of how these employees will treat your customers... and compare that to employees who do as little as possible in their jobs because they don’t like what they do or do not know how what they do makes a difference. Humanity - person to person relationships - is the key to success in a service economy. It starts with an employee and then impacts the customer - we call it the Human EDGE.

So back to STAND OUT. In order to have the best employees, your workplace must STAND OUT... it must be better than others and different in the ways that attract the best workers. Because when it does, these employees see your concern for and interest in them; they return this energy in their effort with customers. Workplaces that STAND OUT offer the following things... how does yours do?

A focus on the organization:

Clearly defined vision and mission, supported by objectives and goals
Clearly defined ethical standards and expectations

A focus on the employee:

A competent, talent-based and bias-free employee selection process
A dynamic on-boarding and inclusion process
A fair and attainable reward and incentive process
A fair and recurring performance review and feedback process
Regular and recurring skill development (education)
Regular and recurring career development and counseling
Inclusive environment that supports free exchange of ideas and performance ownership.

STAND OUT organizations offer the things that bring in the best employees. STAND OUT organizations realize that creating an attractive workplace brings in the best applicants so that management has a choice in selecting the right employees. STAND OUT organizations work hard to keep the best employees because employee loyalty leads to customer loyalty. STAND OUT organizations are more dynamic, more fun and more focused on the Human EDGE – the impact of people to people contact. All of this drives performance which drives profitability.

As we said, first things first. Build a STAND OUT culture to get and keep the best employees. Once in place, we are ready to address next month’s topic – creating STAND OUT service.

Ask... and Really Listen

Remember when your parents used to say to you, "are you really listening?" They wanted to get your attention and to pass on meaningful information (even if we, as kids. didn’t think it was meaningful). The same technique works with our employees. The key to placing the right employee in the right role is to understand each employee well. To do that, get good at asking powerful and meaningful questions, then really listen. The following are strong work-related and personal questions that, when employees respond, you have a clearer sense of what they think, what they value and what they are interested in. Consider asking your existing employees these questions to see if they are well suited for their current roles and include them in your repertoire of questions to ask employment candidates:

What matters most to you in your work? What makes (or will make) you excited about work?
What does "work ethic" mean? What is your work ethic?
Presume you have no limits on time or spending, if you were in charge of the company for a day, what is the most urgent or important thing you would do? What makes it urgent or important?
Define the perfect job for you? What makes it (or would make it) perfect?
What two performance areas, roles or skills would you still like to develop? Why?
How to do you play to your strengths? How are these strengths obvious to others – what do they say about these strengths?
What are three things that motivate you to perform in work and three in life?
What would you do with a free afternoon? How do you like to spend your free time?
How do your friends describe you? What makes them think this? What personal qualities do you have that you are most proud of? Why?
Who is one of your heroes and what makes this person a hero for you?

Success in performance happens when we match the way employees think to their roles. Get good at asking the right questions; then, really listen. Read the full article, Ask... and Really Listen under the Resources section (then select Articles) on the website.

A couple of things worth repeating:

BLOGucation

There is blogging…and then there is BLOGucation... daily power learning. As you have seen, Humanetrics LLC is all about maximizing performance – personal and professional. And this happens in today’s intellectual environment by learning, thinking and growing. So we provide daily high powered learning tips to drive your performance and encourage your thinking. Check back each day for something new, something powerful and something meaningful. BLOGucation – daily power learning.

Your Success Formula

We are still early in 2008 - and let’s start it off powerfully. Be sure to use Humanetric's Success Formula to define your successful 2008 and then to develop the plan to achieve it.

To get started go to www.humanetricsllc.com and click on Success Formula. Print the Success Formula worksheet and follow the instructions on-line to create your personal success plan. It is easy to use and the results will amaze you.