We have all experienced some form of incivility at work one time or another. Someone completely ignored your email. You overheard someone taking credit for your work. You went to get a cup of coffee only to find an empty pot. A coworker criticized you personally in front of the whole group.
As innocuous as they may seem, research has shown us that these toxic behaviors can leave employees hurting mentally – and even physically – and can leave organizations hurting in their pocket books. They have been linked to depression, anxiety, and medical conditions such as cardiovascular disease. They have also been linked to absenteeism, higher turnover, decreased job satisfaction, and lower productivity. Questar’s own research has shown that employees who don’t feel respected by their managers are 5 times less likely to be satisfied with their jobs!
In the interest of creating healthier workplaces, Massachusetts is introducing a law that would allow targets to take legal action against bullies. Sounds like a great idea, right? I am a huge proponent of healthy workplaces and completely buy into the importance of stopping workplace incivility and bullying. But I am skeptical that such a bill could work. (more…)
The Conference Board’s press release about Americans’ job satisfaction certainly has caused a buzz. Their annual survey of US households found that only 45% of all Americans are satisfied with their jobs. This, according to the Conference Board, is an all time low.
I can’t say I blame people for being unhappy. 2009 was a really hard year for a whole lot of people. Unemployment rates were at twenty year highs. And while some research showed that those with jobs were happier than they had been – maybe just happy to have a job at all – there is no doubt that those who kept their jobs paid a price. Layoff survivors were expected to pick up the slack while many employers cut wages and benefits. And those nest eggs employees thought they had built up lost much of their value.
I am positive that many companies will see a talent exodus as the economy picks up. Those hard working but exhausted employees may see their opportunity to jump ship in 2010.
And yet – I was surprised by the Conference Board’s findings. (more…)
Have you ever heard the saying “our employees are our greatest asset?”
Of course you have. The saying is so ubiquitous, you’d have to be pretty sheltered to have never heard this. In fact, it’s hard to find a corporate website that doesn’t include something declaring the importance of people to their business. “Employees are our greatest asset” is frequently followed by clarifying statements, such as
- “Our ability to deliver on our strategy is dependent upon our employees — they are our single greatest asset.”
- “Our business success depends on the quality of our employees.”
- “Our employees are our greatest asset and key to our continuing success.”
So … do you believe it? (more…)
A Jaguar.
A Mercedes.
A BMW.
Can you guess where I am? A high-end car dealership would make for a very logical guess, but you would be wrong. Sorry. Maybe a Simon and Garfunkel reunion concert at the Excel Energy Center? That would be a more creative guess—and creativity counts for something, I suppose—but wrong again. How about a Minnesota Timberwolves game? Possibly, if this were five years ago when people went to the games. Give up? I’m actually standing in the parking lot of a discount retail chain. (more…)
Filed under: Employee Development, Employee Engagement, Employee Retention
Like many parents, my Saturday mornings are devoted to kids’ activities. This time of year, it’s basketball. If you’ve ever seen 6 year olds playing basketball, you’d probably agree that it’s not quite like watching the pros. No sophisticated plays. Just a bunch of kids eager for their turn to dribble the ball and shoot a basket. As they scramble for a turn, the young players often seem to be competing with their own teammates. As the ball comes down the court, all the kids clamber for attention. Arms up, the yelling begins. “Throw it to me!” “I’m open, I’m open.” “Throw it to me!” “Pass it! Pass it!” This past week I had to laugh as one teammate stood inches from the boy with the ball, waving his arms and yelling in his face “Ian! Ian! Ian!” (more…)
Filed under: Employee Engagement, Employee Retention, Executive Leadership
I recently read an article titled “It’s Always About the Boss” that was published in Gallup’s Management Journal.
Always? Really?
I know. I know. You’ve heard it before – and probably even said it – “People don’t leave their companies, they leave their managers.” But research just doesn’t back that up. It is not always the boss.
Just to be clear – I’m not saying that the boss isn’t important to building engagement and retaining employees. I agree that an immediate manager has a huge impact on employee engagement, productivity, and retention. Most of us can probably name a favorite boss that inspired us to go beyond what we thought we could do. And a bad boss can definitely drive an employee away. But for most employees, a good boss cannot make up for other more fundamental elements of the employment equation. (more…)
Filed under: Uncategorized
Today is a very exciting day for Questar as we launch not only our new website but also our new blog. It is our hope that this blog will be a casual setting to discuss the newest findings in customer experience management, employee engagement, leadership and many other topics that can help make your business more profitable and successful. We would like this blog to be an interactive experience for our readers. Our experts will be responding to your questions and comments, taking your suggestions for future blog topics and posting surveys.
As you can see, below we have entries from our previous blog that was solely about customer experience management. There are a lot of great topics, so if you have time check it out.
http://www.alertpedia.com/recalls.php
Recently the FDA warned consumers not to eat Nestle Toll House pre-packaged, refrigerated cookie dough and this got me wondering what responsibility retailers have for product safety.
http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm167908.htm
As a concerned parent I did not check if my batch of Nestle Toll House dough was affected, I just tossed it all.
The typical consumer reacts to a product recall with concern and worry but no action. A recent Rutgers’ Food Policy Institute (FPI) study showed that many Americans fail to check their homes for recalled food products. Only about 60 percent of the studied sample reported ever having looked for recalled food in their homes, and only 10 percent said they had ever found a recalled food product. www.foodpolicy.rutgers.edu
So what should retailers do? Most retail organizations already have the most important tool at their disposal for protecting consumers: data. Imagine if the loyalty card most grocers have is promoted and used not as a marketing tool but as a product safety service. If I received a phone call or email message from a retailer telling me the specific product I purchased has been subject to a recall and that I should discard it or bring it in for a replacement, I would be a very loyal customer. I would certainly favor the retailer who promoted this service over those that did not. In addition, it would motivate me to sign up for and use their loyalty card. Currently, I see no benefit in using these loyalty programs and avoid them out of fear that I will receive unwanted marketing.
If, on the other hand, participating in a loyalty program resulted in receiving information critical to me and my family, this is a clear win/win for me and the retailers. The retailer gets more customer loyalty and more customers participating in the loyalty card programs; consumers can be confident that they are being looked out for and their safety is being protected.
Would you sign up for a loyalty card if it was marketed as a product safety service? I would.
-Tom McGoldrick
The following link is for a presentation I recently gave at the Marketing Research Association conference in Minneapolis. It describes in detail some of the tips and tricks we have learned at Questar for presenting market research findings to nontechnical audiences.
I would be interested in any suggestions or stories people have surrounding presenting market research findings.
-Tom McGoldrick
This is a true story. My friend Jane runs a small business and recently experienced the following:
Jane’s phone rings. 
Jane: Hi, this is Jane with company xyz.
Sales guy: Can I speak to your manager?
Jane: Who is calling?
Sales guy: I just need to speak to your manager.
Jane: Who are you and what is this in reference to?
Sales guy: This is Mike. I have an important call for your manager.
Jane: What is it regarding?
Sales guy: None of your business. Now just connect me to your manager.
Jane: I don’t think so.
Sale guy: Tell your manager I called and want to talk to him about his office supplies.
Jane: Good-bye
Remember, Jane runs this business and the business managers report to her. In addition, she is the person responsible for buying office supplies and has never heard of this sales person or his company. In the course of one five-minute phone call, this sales person blew his and his company’s chance of doing business with Jane’s company.
This sales person’s mistakes are too obvious to bother talking about. However, there is a larger question at stake: Does the company he represents know how he is treating their prospects? Do you know how your front-line employees treat your prospects and customers?
I would be curious to hear your stories about bad experiences you have encountered with sales people attempting to get your business.
-Tom McGoldrick
