CREATING AND SUSTAINING “ICONIC” PEOPLE NETWORK
The Custommerce National Convention
Marriott Jaipur
24th January, 2014
What two aspects do you think are common
between this combined List of US Based and
Indian Organizations?
US Based Organizations (some are also present in India)
1. Wegman Foods
2. Publix Super Markets
3. Starbucks Coffee Company
4. USAA
5. Four Seasons Hotels
6. Marriott International
7. Rackspace Hosting
8. Recreational Equipment Inc.
9. Nordstrom
10. Zappos.com
11.FedEx
12. Southwest Airlines
13. American Express
14. Google
Indian Companies
1. MakeMyTrip
3. NIIT
5. The Oberoi Group
7. Classic Stripes
2. Blue Dart Express
4. IndiGo Airlines
6. Taj Hotels, Resorts, Palaces
8. Godrej Consumer Products
The two aspects common between all these
organizations are They have won awards and repeatedly appeared on lists of
companies whose products & services delight their
Customers
and
They have repeatedly appeared either in Fortune Magazine’s
annual lists of “100 Best Companies to Work For in the US”
or in The Economic Times’ annual lists of “Best Companies to
Work For in India”
As organizations who attempt to and care for their Employees,
thereby creating a strong sense of Trust, Pride and
Camaraderie in them
Experience and belief of leaders, people managers and
employees of “great workplaces” alike suggests that building
and sustaining a great workplace for its employees is all
important to delivering great customer service!!
They believe that there is not only a strong correlation,
but causality between creating highly engaged, inspired
and strongly networked workforce and delighted
customers & superior organizational performance.
Great Workplaces significantly outperform Market
(Indices) by around 4 times, in terms of cumulative
long term returns to investors (US Data)!!
Creating a Great Workplace has significant
Shareholder Returns & Business Benefits …
(India Data)
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Even from a low starting point of not very trusting, proud and well bonded
employees, the “journey to becoming a Great Workplace” can begin to yield
all round results in a few years after purposeful efforts!! – Scripps Health
Why are highly engaged, inspired and networked
employees the key? What are the ingredients of the
recipe for caring for and delighting customers?
1. Service more often than not, involves interaction between
people – the ones who seek service and the ones who
provide it.
2. Seekers are seeking to fulfill substantive needs and
emotional needs – only people can really fulfill both!!
3. Service seekers don’t always first encounter those who are
qualified and tasked with providing service – their first point
of contact could be anyone within the organization!!
4. Service experience is proximate in time and space.
5. Therefore, whoever the service provider on the spot must
be:
– Inspired & committed to serve the customer,
– Capable & trained, and,
– Resourced, networked & empowered to act
in a suitable manner to serve the customers.
What is being “networked?’ Isn’t it the feeling of
Trust, Pride & Camaraderie, that prompt
employees to share information and work
cooperatively towards a common goal?
In such environment, employees are and feel:
1. Trusted and empowered,
2. Trained, supported and appreciated,
3. Involved in decision making, and,
4. Treated with respect and fairness
This results in employees:
1. Feeling pride in their own work, their team and their
organization, making them “ambassadors” of the organization
2. Being friendly towards and caring about each other
3. Believing they are all part of a cohesive “team or family”
4. Being happy to always extend the hand of cooperation, and,
5. Committed to sustained excellence and going the “extra mile”
for customers of the organization
Great Place to Work® Engagement
Model / Framework
A great place to work is one where you
(employees) Management
Trust the people you
work for...
Trust is the Key
Driver…
Employees
Job
...have pride in what
you do...
Other Employees
...and enjoy the people you
work with
Relationships are the key…..
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Great workplace culture enables
managers to
Management
Align employees to
achieve
organization’s
objectives
Employee
Job
... Encourage and enable
employees to give their
personal best at all times
Other Employees
... and work together as a
cohesive team/family
in an environment of Trust…..
Essential elements / dimensions of a
Great Place to Work®
Two way Candid Communication
T Credibility
R
U Respect
S
T Fairness
Pride
Camaraderie
Managers’ Competence
Integrity – Reliability of Management
Professional Support
Collaboration
Demonstrated Caring
Equity
Impartiality
Justice
In Own Job
About my Team
In the Organization
Individuality is valued
Welcoming Atmosphere
Part of something larger
What do great “People Managers” do to build
great workplaces?
People managers at great workplaces consistently focus
on 9 equally important areas of people practices
1. Hiring and Welcoming
2. Inspiring
3. Speaking
4. Listening & Collaborating
(and addressing Grievances & Appeals)
5. Thanking (Appreciating & Recognizing)
6. Developing
7. Caring (Balancing, Supporting & Including)
8. Celebrating & Enjoying
9. Sharing (Rewarding their People & Contributing to Society)
How do People Practices impact
employees positively?
3.Work together as a
cohesive
team/family
1. Alignment to achieve
organizational
objectives
2. Employees give their
personal best
Right practices of people managers enable them to achieve
three key organizational objectives
How to become a great workplace?
Four Tiers of Effective Trust Building and Employee
Engagement at Great Workplaces
4 levels of actions for employee engagement to build trust
and drive attraction, learning, performance and retention
Organization & Top Leadership - Inspiring, communicative, competent
and demonstrate values and integrity
Employee Fit - Talents, strengths, values, passionate interests, needs
& aspirations match with roles, organizational values and offering
Immediate Work Environment - People managers & peer group
provide constructive feedback, positive reinforcement, learning,
friendship, fun and camaraderie, which is highly engaging
Effective People Practices - Equitable & impartial, caring & inclusive,
respectful & supportive, created in a consultative & collaborative
manner, which create a sense of community
Learning from Annual Studies – Aspects most
positively correlated with Overall Employee Perception
Aspects that are “statistically” best correlated with Overall
Employee Perception (Final Outcome Statement)
Important to employees - Possible “Drivers” of Retention!?
1. Fair evaluation of performance
2. Providing opportunities for career growth
3. Providing special and unique benefits
4. Thanking and appreciating extra efforts & good work
5. Showing sincere interest in employees, creating an emotionally
healthy place
6. Treating employees as full members regardless of their position
(egalitarian culture)
7. Creating a “fun and friendly place to work”
Learning from Research / Annual Studies - Seven Key
Differentiators between the Best and Rest
To become a great workplace, the following aspects seem
to be critical, foundational and essential:
1.Open, honest, regular, two way communication
2.Strong ongoing demonstration of integrity by leaders – walking the
talk and keeping promises
3.Consultative, collaborative decision making, particularly on issues
that directly affect employees
4.Caring for employees, encouraging work-life balance & fun at work
5.Minimizing favouritism & politicking and ensuring fairness in
performance evaluation, promotions & careers
6.Creating, in a caring manner, unique and special benefits tailored to
expressed employee needs, preferably collaboratively
7.Equitable profit sharing and compensation
Thank You
Inputs, Ideas, Remarks, Comments??!!