Is the Middle of Your Company Happy?
Rules of Thumb to Perk'em Up
by Dale WolfHappy Employees
Why they so important to the customer experience?
That answer is simple if you have caught any of our postings on the role that employees have on customer experience.
A Fairly Big Rule of Thumb
Rule of Thumb: Employees that have a great employee experience deliver a great customer experience.
"Caught in the Middle," an article published on Knowledge@Wharton, confirms that managers are often referred to as the "glue" that holds companies together, bridging the gap between the top management team and lower-level workers. They implement strategy and organizational changes, keeping workers engaged during both good times and bad. Yet according to a recent survey of middle managers around the world, 20% report dissatisfaction with their current organization, and that same percentage report that they are looking for another job. How do middle managers fare in an uncertain economy, and what should companies be doing to keep them happy?
Down in the Middle
If middle managers are so valuable, why would they report dissatisfaction and leave their companies? A primary reason is lack of advancement opportunity, says David Sirota, co-author of "The Enthusiastic Employee: How Companies Profit by Giving Workers What They Want." "When companies downsize, they will often cut middle-management ranks. But even if companies just stagnate, advancement opportunities are limited. This hits people very hard, particularly people in their late 30s and 40s." Shaun Smith, CEM Consultant, author and contributor to our Perfect Customer Experience blog, considers the employee experience as one of the three main legs in his tripod of Customer Experience Improvement. Align your people to deliver your experience The question, Shaun points out, is how do you electrify and energize people in your organization? How do you align them with your customer-focused strategy? The answer lies in the following four key factors that are critical to successful employee alignment: The big puzzle to those of us who believe that delivering a customer experience that is unique, relevant and valued have such a difficult time retaining middle managers. Here they are, the glue to a business. And yet, they feel caught, under-appreciated and in peril for their jobs. Like so many aspects of CEM, the employee experience is cultural. Companies seem to have a hard time changing cultures—even when they know the culture is hurting their performance. End—but with a question Does it really take a whack alongside the head with a 2 x 4 to get the CEO's attention? About the author: From sports journalist and editor of an international trade magazine to marketing director for three companies before founding WBK which became one of the 50 largest promotional marketing agencies in America, Dale Wolf pioneered contextual marketing for successful brands at P&G, Pepsi, Disney, Toshiba, Compaq, Imation, 3M and now for Cincom. Dale is also Blog Keeper of The Perfect Customer Experience. Contact: Dale Wolf Tel. 513-612-2470
Dwolf@cincom.com
Really Senior Marketing Analyst
Website: www.cincom.com
Blog: http://www.perfectcem.com
