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Can companies really afford not to use every possible business resource to its full potential to help them survive and thrive? Well, I know of one resource that most companies significantly underleverage: their Employee Resource Groups.
ERGs (also called affinity or business resource groups) have long been sources of community for women, people of color, LGBT, differently-abled and other minority groups in companies. These groups have been great drivers of engagement for these employees; I've even heard employees describe ERGs as their strongest link to their companies.
Best-practice ERGs, from companies like IBM, Citi and Kodak, are both communities and powerful business resources that enhance the bottom line. But, most companies haven't leveraged their ERGs for direct business growth or support like these best practice examples. It's time to start.
Structured as more of a business resource, ERGs can help not only develop their own market niches, but also support initiatives that have nothing to do with their own communities. For example, the African Americans group at a pharma company could lead a project team working on product development of a new drug. Or, the LGBT group at a media company could sponsor research on new online ways to reach customers.
These initiatives don't directly benefit these ERGs, but they do increase their visibility and inclusion, and perceived contribution to the business. They foster greater engagement between ERG members and allies, and help organizations see their value beyond headcount and diversity policies.
So, I see two actions that need to take place: - Company leaders need to reimagine how ERGs can be a valuable business resource, and clearly communicate that message so that employees will feel "safe" spending their time with an ERG
- ERGs need to strengthen their muscles as business resources, not only sources of community, and help their membership deliver on this new part of their mission
Where else do you think are the untapped dollars in diversity?
Just because your employees have a job during hard times doesn't mean they'll thank you for it. Even in a recession, you have to earn their thank-yous, their engagement, and their productivity.
If you aren't giving them a reason to want to work for your organization, your employees are likely to exert just the minimum effort, and they'll only stay until they find something else. I see this every day: secretive cellphone conversations in conference rooms with recruiters, searching online job sites, updating resumes.
Remember, this recession is unlike any before it. The Internet affords today’s workforce the ability to research, network and build relationships in ways never before available - and they can do it FOR FREE.
So, while the economy is in a tailspin, employees have no economic barrier to preparing for their next job - anytime they like. Whether that job is with their current company or another will be determined by how well leaders like you engage, dialogue and collaborate.
How will you engage, dialogue and collaborate? These demonstrations of respect and trust will engender loyalty that helps you retain your most valued and talented people.
Snap out of it, leaders!
With layoffs rampant, surviving jobholders rightly feel lucky to be holding on to their paychecks. But, as leaders, should we really be hanging our hats on employee fear and sense of relief?
As organizations and their people jump down the Maslow scale from creative openness to self-preservation, fear and frustration have replaced calm and vision as the modus operandi of leaders and managers.
Internal communications have become not-so-thinly-veiled threats reminding people to keep their noses to the grindstone. Recognition is perceived to be a frivolous luxury, and workloads are increasing to accomplish the work of departed colleagues. “Your job is always on the line and don’t you forget it,” I hear one manager say recently to their beleaguered staff. Atmospheres are poisoned; morale plummets; innovation and customer service suffer; and employees perform their jobs in fear.
This is like trying to grow vegetables in battery acid. There has to be a better way.
As leaders, we remain responsible for providing vision, guidance and encouragement in difficult times like these – especially in difficult times like these. It isn’t acceptable to rely on the dearth of outside opportunities to retain our employees, or to allow our own reactions to the economy to isolate us from our people.
Here are some guidelines I use with clients to help them manage their own fears and frustrations so they can resume being the true leaders their organizations need so desperately: - Get Into The Mindset – Figure out where you can take charge, and lead from there; you’re not a victim.
- Assess Priorities – What challenges should be tackled first, and what management tools are needed to address them? You may not accomplish your old strategic objectives, but you can certainly establish new ones.
- Find Your Champs – Which colleagues and staff, even outside partners or customers, can communicate your message and inspire the troops?
- Share What You Can – Be as transparent as possible, both at work and at home; your family is anxious, too, right now. Go for dialogue, not monologue; communication is a two-way street.
- Create Breathing Room – Taking a walk, being playful, and exercising don’t cost you, and your people will thank you for the outlet.
- Find Your Own Way – Not every approach works for everyone; what other approaches work for you?
If we get it right, your downsized teams will become the loyal, engaged core of your success as the economy turns up.
How else do you think we can snap out of the current leadership rut?
What Turns People On...At Work?
What makes them want to go beyond what's expected of them, to give their all for themselves and their organization, to be FULLY ENGAGED?
In any economy, particularly a troubled one, fully engaged employees can make the difference between merely surviving – and thriving. In fact, organizations that have an engaged workforce are up to 20% more productive than those that are disengaged.
Yet, in a typical company, fewer than 1 in 3 employees are engaged, and 19% are actively disengaged. This has huge implications for productivity and retention, and the distractions of the current economy are making the situation worse.
What do you think gets people turned on at work?
It is obvious that this is a time of uncertainty, for the economy, our jobs, even our way of life. With over 2.6 million workers laid off in the past year, employees around the country are looking over their shoulders to see if they will be the next one to get a pink slip. And, leaders who have been doing the laying off while trying to keep their businesses going, don’t know what to expect next, or when the downward spiral will end.
In times like these, leaders often don’t know what to say because they can’t draw a neat picture of what employees should expect. So, they often don’t say enough, or they say nothing at all.
The silence is deafening. And costly.
Without a clear understanding of where their organizations are headed, employees are prone to distraction and demoralization. These cause a slowdown in productivity, called "presenteeism," that can cost an organization up to 20% of workplace productivity.
When employees are distracted and demoralized, often their front-line managers are, too. These managers aren't any more privy to leadership thinking than their staff, so they feel powerless.
Issues that leaders must grapple with, and discuss with their managers and employees, include:- Timing of additional possible reductions in force, and restructuring - Even honestly communicating that they don't have an answer but can promise candor and transparency about the process, can greatly improve morale.
- Awareness of changes in formal and informal roles - In addition to their jobs, employees play informal roles like culture ambassadors, champions, and technicians. Lay-offs result in losses of both types of roles, and leaders need to find ways to refill them in a reduced workforce.
- Clarification of organizational priorities, which often change in challenging economic times - Priorities like innovation, diversity and talent development may or may not have the same value they had before, and without effective leadership communication, employees often don't know where to focus their energies.
To get people back on track, leaders must have the courage to address these questions and fears head on. Candid heart-felt language that invites dialogue and contribution to solutions will create reengagement and reinvigorate productivity.
How do you think leaders can get their people reengaged and reinvigorated?
In any economy, particularly a troubled one, employee engagement can make the difference between merely surviving – and thriving. Engagement is that extra commitment and effort people can choose to bring to work. Employee engagement is also the result of strong leaders and it is the lynchpin of a company's human capital strategy. Yet, many organizations fail to make engagement a priority – in a typical company, fewer than 1 in 3 employees are engaged, and 19% are actively disengaged.
Organizations that have an engaged workforce are up to 20% more productive than those that are disengaged. As a consultant, business leader and coach, I have worked with dozens of organizations and know that the most successful are those where people choose to bring their best game to work every day.
That's why I’m launching WildFire Strategies.WildFire Strategies is a workforce engagement consulting firm; it helps organizations become great places to work by building highly committed - and productive - cultures, with measurable benefits. I’m excited about WildFire because I believe every organization can be more successful by strengthening their culture, and by giving their workforce the tools to leave their mark. These are the organizations where talent wants to be.At launch, WildFire is offering the following services, all designed to give organizations and their people the tools of engagement: - Recalibration for a New Economy (this includes: leadership in difficult times, overcoming distraction, assessing and communicating priorities, leveraging a downsized workforce, and practical stress management)
- Strategic Organizational Assessment And Planning
- Culture and Engagement Audit/Development
- Executive And Team Cultivation
- Diversity And Inclusion Strategic Planning
In the coming months you'll see the launch of our full website, the announcement of affiliate firms and associates, and additional complementary services.
Please let us know if WildFire can support your organization. We're eager to help.
Warm regards,
Steve Salee, Founding Partnerwww.wildfirestrategies.com
