by James Canada
Employee empowerment isn’t just a feel-good program for staff. It’s a benefit for our customers. As consumers ourselves, we like to deal with take-charge employees who care. In an empowered organization, decisions are made at the frontline; customers don’t have to wait for approvals or double-checking. A resolution offered immediately usually takes away the customer’s frustration. It does not become a hardened feeling or point of contention.
Front line employees know everything! Really, they know the best way to do their jobs. Management does not. You own the business processes and must take responsibility for improving them – employees know how to do that. You must let them take part. Employee suggestion programs have been very helpful in this regard. As an example, some programs have saved enough for airlines to buy complete airplanes – not bad at around $55 million apiece. Some railroads have made service redesigns on employee suggestions. The best cruise lines rely on an employee’s quick understanding of customers’ needs for on the spot resolution to make their cruises the very best.
Employees do not always want to be rewarded for making suggestions. Just knowing that their ideas are listened to and acted upon provides a lasting reward, long after the pay raises have passed. That is valuing their contribution. However, if employees have been rewarded as a result of an employee suggestion program, and realize their idea is still not implemented, then morale will suffer. Employees may be tempted to play the game for the rewards, not the betterment of the company or industry.
Reduced employee frustration leads to reduced friction in engagements with customers, and that results in less quoting of rules and more solutions offered. As a customer, which do you prefer? n\
James H. Canada is managing partner/CEO for Alliance Technologies LLC, ITEN mentor and author of “Corporate to Entrepreneur: Strategies for Success.” Contact Jim at james.canada@alliancetechnologiesllc.com, 636-734-2337 or www.alliancetechnologiesllc.com.
Submitted 4 years 83 days ago