Cut to the Core

Use Your Company’s Values as a Measuring Stick for Its Performance

When you review your company’s performance, do you benchmark it to your company’s values? That is, have you created evaluation “measuring sticks” from your mission statement and overall company philosophy that allow you and your leadership team to effectively evaluate “gaps” in your performance and to appropriately communicate your successes?

Most companies create benchmarks that facilitate the assessment of their performance in relation to their direct competitors. For example, if a company seeks to improve customer service, it may adopt the world-class standards of Southwest Airlines as a guideline to evaluate and to improve its own customer relations. A company may also set additional benchmarks if the company seeks a leadership position in a particular area of performance.

However, if you do not already use your company’s values, formally communicated in your mission statement, as an evaluation measuring stick for performance, I encourage you to explore the benefits. First of all, the development of a strategy of performance around your values is an effective way to focus on both the areas that need improvement and the areas that already represent success for your organization. As well, your efforts to focus on your company’s values will infuse all stakeholder communications with a consistency that further enhances the credibility of your brand.

Accomplish More With Fewer Resources

The performance practices of General Electric have stood the test of time and continue to yield the rewards of individual employee achievement and outstanding company performance. With the personal involvement and commitment of Jack Welch, its former CEO, GE successfully implemented a learning culture that is, to this day, a main driver of the company’s market leadership. GE’s culture of continuous learning is an example of how diverse and multicultural staff can work together—despite language, cultural and time barriers—to arrive at innovations that have become accepted worldwide as industry standards.

To learn more about how Jack Welch, along with his top GE executives, dealt with and overcame the same management issues that confront all organizations, large and small, read “Performance Management Is Key to Thriving in Tough Times,” a Kore Access case study. Download KA _Welch_CaseStudy

Sustainability: Business Models Go Green

More and more often, customers opt to follow the global trend to assume responsibility for the use of resources in their homes. As they learn to green their personal lives, they also broaden their green expectations to include the market. Thus they, also more and more often, scrutinize the sustainability credentials of their business partners and suppliers. Because of this trend, and because sustainability initiatives allow business operations and processes to function indefinitely at a certain level, the ability of your organization to identify and prioritize sustainability initiatives can lead to business models that are sustainable as well as profitable. In addition, the effective communication of your initiatives to your target audience can enhance customer trust and loyalty.

 

To gather simple-to-implement ideas on how to maximize your use of electronic documents, in order to reduce printing costs at the same time you save both trees and space at the landfill, read the Kore Access marketing resources article, “How to Green Your Documents.” For the full article, Download Green Marketing .

Employee Engagement Is a Critical Factor in Business Success

As you review last year’s records and make plans to improve your organizational productivity and finances, you should look to the enhancement of employee engagement. Engagement is no longer an abstract management concept. Recent studies, as well as numerous company success stories, have proven that employee engagement has a significant impact on the overall success of every organization, especially a service organization.

 

Surveys consistently reveal that employee engagement—the strong emotional connection an employee has with his or her organization, a connection that leads to a willingness to exert extra effort at work—can have a profound effect on employee retention, productivity, and the overall financial success of a company. In contrast, those employees who are actively disengaged tend to be among the most vocal and influential leaders in the organization. Such influence can be detrimental to employee morale since the discontent of such employees can create turnover in a group or team that was not previously dissatisfied. Additionally, conclusive research points to employee engagement as a driver in the achievement of profitability and long-term market success. The necessity to face such financial truths has spurred organizations to find ways to enhance the engagement of their employees.

 

 Both researchers and practitioners agree that increasing engagement is an important priority for management. Four critical areas can be monitored and managed to ensure more successful employee engagement: 1) communication, 2) leadership, 3) training & development and 4) recruitment & hiring.

 

The 2009 February issue of Marketing Mindset highlights some of the industry recommended solutions for achieving improvements in each of these four critical areas. Download KA_Ezine_FEB_09_Engagement

Celebrate the Fruit of Your Labor

During the holiday season, it is traditional in many cultures to give gifts. For some, gift giving is viewed as a celebration of the year’s prosperity, for others it is viewed as an expression of charity and still, for others gift giving is rooted in religious meaning. Does your organization have a tradition for gift giving?

Gift giving is practiced by organizations at various levels, including simple exchanges between employees in offices. In commercial settings, gift exchanges can be formally arranged or can be spontaneous between appreciative business partners, customers, colleagues and co-workers. Does your gift giving tradition enhance your corporate culture?

Personalized gifts may be hard to pick out in business situations. However, the spirit of giving is most often well received by all who have shared and contributed to your success. Consider establishing a gift giving tradition that celebrates the prosperity from your business collaborations. 

Gift Giving Ideas:

* Organize an office theme party with suppliers and partners

* Offer to “give” a session of your personal service or expertise

* Create a group gift or an event around your hobby or skill