Check out the Purdue Compliment Guys. They are getting a lot of national publicity for doing the right thing. And they are hilarious.
<object width="480" height="295"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/QShPNcjgtfs&hl=en&fs=1"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/QShPNcjgtfs&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="295"></embed></object>Chester Elton and I met with some leaders of a great healthcare organization last week. The executives we spoke with were first rate, their company is profitable (even in this economy) and their patient care is exceptional. But they have a problem: Employee turnover.
While the media is reporting daily on the nation’s 8 percent unemployment, what the pundits seem to miss is that we still have a 92 percent employment rate. And some industries—healthcare at the forefront—continue to struggle to retain their best talent. At this organization, nursing assistants will leave for a nickel more an hour—especially if they are relatively new hires who don’t feel appreciated.
Before we spoke, our assessment team had spent days within the organization, conducting surveys and interviewing team members and leaders. What they found was an engaged workforce; that is, if you could get through the initial weeks. Some senior members of the nursing staff admitted that they, “Eat their own young.” In other words, team members would determine in the first hours if a new nurse assistant was going to make it or not; and if they felt the recruit didn’t have the right stuff they would ignore her or give her every dirty job until the new hire quit.
As a result, leaders have been spending an inordinate amount of time interviewing, hiring and training new people: All for the lack of an effective way to onboard their hires.
The answer lies in the Carrot Principle. Managers at this organization are now embracing the Basic Four—clear Goal-setting, Communicating openly and honestly, building Trust and holding people Accountable in a positive way through Recognition. It sounds simple, but few managers actually take a personal interest in bringing new hires up to speed. When it does happen, new people not only stay, but stay more productive and engaged.
Whether your turnover is at record high or low, the principle still applies. If you Onboard with Carrots you’ll spend less time interviewing and training and more time serving your customers.
We see symbols every day: the flag of our country, corporate logos, wedding bands, sports team logos, Olympic rings. Symbols evoke emotion. In fact, symbols are so powerful that thoughtful gift-givers use them in their expressions of thanks. Here’s a great example: On Thursday British Prime Minister Gordon Brown gave President Obama and his children several unique historical gifts.
The first gift was a pen holder fashioned from the oak timber of HMS Gannet, a Navy vessel that served on anti-slavery missions off Africa.
Another treasure was a framed commissioning paper for the HMS Resolute, a Royal Navy ship that came to symbolize British-American goodwill when it was rescued by the U.S. from icebergs and given to Queen Victoria.
Finally, Brown gave Obama a first edition of Martin Gilbert’s biography of Winston Churchill, whose World War II partnership with President Franklin Roosevelt symbolized the U.S.-English alliance.
But London’s Evening Standard newspaper reported that Obama’s gift back was, “Markedly less generous and thoughtful than the presents taken to Washington by the Prime Minister.”
What did our President’s staff decide to gift to Brown to mark his first visit to the Obama White House? A set of 25 DVDs.
Now, I’m sure President Obama is not to blame for this misstep; his handlers are. And what they should be learning from this situation is the power of thoughtfulness and symbolism in gift giving.
Copies of “Encino Man,” and “Meet the Parents”—even when accompanied by a chocolate orange—are hardly fitting symbols of friendship to the leader of one of America’s most important allies. Not to mention the fact that the gift wasn’t personalized. Brown is not a movie buff and probably won’t appreciate the flicks!
When it comes to giving a gift, do your homework. Make sure your expression of thanks, welcome or congratulations symbolizes the relationship you hope to have.
We’ve had several companies contact us recently with concerns about the pending Employee Free Choice Act. Organized labor is championing this legislation, and it has the early support of President Obama and Democratic leaders.
To simplify a very complex bill, the act in its current form will:
- Eliminate secret ballots for union elections, which may also do away with an employers’ chance to make a case to their people against unionization.
- Change the way first contracts are negotiated (involving federal mediators and arbitration panels if a union and an employer can’t reach agreement).
- Increase fines for employers in violation of the National Labor Relations Act.
It’s no secret that many businesses are concerned with unionization, especially the perception that they will lose the ability to manage employees one-on-one. And many are concerned with this bill: fearing that without the anonymity of secret elections, a union might use unrealistic promises to convince a majority of their employees to sign union authorization cards; and that federal mediators and arbitration panels will end up drafting contracts that will price them out of the market.
If you want to avoid a union making headway in your company, there is a simple answer: Treat your employees better.
Over the past twenty years we’ve been asked to speak to the leadership teams of many of the world’s great organizations. Those that have not unionized have done so with a concerted effort to create workplaces with fair pay and benefits, but also with great cultures. When a work culture is healthy, employees feel they have strong individual voices and typically don’t want to risk making a change in representation.
In preparing for the second edition of The Carrot Principle, due out in early April, we asked Towers Perrin to survey 10,000 employees around the globe. We wanted to discover what constituted the backbone of a healthy culture, to know why some employees are engaged and satisfied and some aren’t. We found good supervisors and managers make a huge difference. Leaders who care about their employees’ well-being, who provide opportunities for growth and development, and who recognize their people when they go above-and-beyond have stronger teams. Period.
So if you want to provide an alternative to unionization, train your managers to listen, care and recognize.
In our speaking engagements, we hand out stuffed carrot toys to those who participate by answering questions, making a comment, or occasionally saying something flattering to us. People have sent us pictures of these Garrett the Carrots in many historic places around the world such as the Coliseum…
the Leaning Tower of Pisa …
but rarely on Larry King’s CNN stage.
Anna Nicole’s young daughter appeared on King’s show the other night, and brought with her a favorite toy—Garrett. How did it end up in the toddler’s hands? No idea. But our Carrot trainers have handed enough out around the world and someone must have passed it on.
Send us pictures of Carrots in fun places (family friendly please) and we’ll post some of the best.
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