The Souls Sully Couldn’t Save

The movie Sully, starring Tom Hanks, just completed its third weekend in theaters. My wife would not go see it. She’s uncomfortable with flying in the first place. But I went and found the film very inspiring.

A few days later, I could not help but think of a bit of irony in the timing of the release of that film. And it wasn’t because of the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. The September 9th release date was twenty-two years and one day after another US Airways incident. That one did not end well.

I was driving home from my talk show in Pittsburgh on that September evening in 1994. Conditions were warm, mostly sunny, and relatively still. On the radio I was hearing about an airline disaster just a few miles away.

Two years ago, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette took readers through the incident and the subsequent forming of an organization by the families of the survivors. It’s painful to read of how difficult it was to get accurate information about what happened. And for family members to recover their loved ones’ personal effects. (http://www.post-gazette.com/local/region/2014/09/07/USAir-Flight-427-20-years-later/stories/201409070272)

Here’s a brief retelling of that September tragedy from the article:

“On a beautifully clear and warm evening in Western Pennsylvania, USAir Flight 427 began its approach to Pittsburgh International Airport. The Boeing 737, carrying 127 passengers and a crew of five, was making a routine trip from Chicago and was due to land in Pittsburgh around 7:15 p.m. It never got there.

At about 7 p.m., First Officer Charles Emmett and Capt. Peter Germano chatted in the cockpit about the bright sun they’d have to deal with and grumbled about the heavy air traffic around Pittsburgh International that invariably caused delays.

The banter gave way quickly to exclamations of surprise and then horror, as their jetliner suddenly and inexplicably yawed to the left, rolled over and began to spiral downward. In 23 terrifying seconds, the 737 plummeted 6,000 feet and struck the ground at 300 mph into a ravine near the Green Garden Plaza in Hopewell, a few miles away from the airport.

The plane disintegrated on impact. In a flash, 132 lives were snuffed out.”

It was a bizarre incident since it appeared like the plane simply fell out of the sky. It didn’t, but it would take over four years to determine it was a rudder based problem. Initially, Boeing denied this. Later, they did retro work on 737 rudders and earlier complaints on these issues went away.

It’s still haunting to read this news account of USAir Flight 427. I had a few friends who actually worked the crash site. People had to go in shifts as they could hardly handle the experience.

Yes, those lives were “snuffed out.” But what happened to their souls? More on that in a moment.

I guess it’s why I was so inspired by the movie Sully. Seeing the actual faces during the movie credits of the people who appreciated the life-saving skill of their captain was touching. They were all so grateful—as they should be!

Journalist Katie Couric and others have questioned Captain Sullenberger about whether he prayed during this crisis. Apparently, he did not. Instead, he claimed he left that to others on board. I’m sure many prayers were uttered by passengers.

In the news reports about “The Miracle on the Hudson,” it was said more than once that “Captain Sullenberger saved all 155 souls on board.” In reality, Captain Sullenberger only saved the earthly lives of the 155 on board. Sully has no say over what happens to the souls of those people for eternity.

This, of course, makes me wonder how many on that plane have considered their fate in light of their proximity to eternity? It was closer than perhaps any had experienced before. All on board Flight 1549 relied on one man to land them safely back to the ground—or water in this case.

Similarly, our passage to our safe eternity rests squarely with one man—Jesus of Nazareth. The Messiah. In a conversation with Martha, a devoted follower, Jesus told her plainly, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying.” (John 11:25, NLT)

People aboard the doomed USAir Flight 427 had only moments to make that final decision on the promise of Jesus. Passengers on US Airways Flight 1549 have been given a reprieve to make that decision. But make it they must. As we all must do.

A song performed by Christian recording artist Steve Green titled, As We Sail to Heaven’s Shore, found connection in a memorial service of one of the victims of the downed Pittsburgh flight. A portion of those lyrics go…

Lord, we trust Your Father's care
Will convey us safely there
Open or seal off every door
As we sail to heaven's shore.

May God put the winds of grace and mercy behind you as you sail toward eternity.

That’s The Way WE Work. Click on the link to the right to connect via Facebook.

Let’s Talk with Mark Elfstrand can be heard weekdays from 4-6 PM Central. To listen outside the Chicago area, tune to www.1160hope.com for live streaming or podcasts, or download the AM1160 app. 

Pressure Cooker Banking

Many people are familiar with the story of the exodus from Egypt. Even if people doubt some of the miraculous activity involved, they are aware that intolerable conditions for the Israelites set the stage for the mass departure from Pharaoh. The Egyptian leader was not keen on letting his slave workforce go, for obvious reasons.

But to set the stage properly, we find Moses and his brother Aaron in front of Pharaoh requesting permission for the Israelites to go into the desert to worship their God. Apparently, this really ticked off the Egyptian leader. In Exodus Chapter 5, we read this account:

“But the king of Egypt said, ‘Why on earth, Moses and Aaron, would you suggest the people be given a holiday? Back to work!’ Pharaoh went on, ‘Look, I’ve got all these people bumming around, and now you want to reward them with time off?’

Pharaoh took immediate action. He sent down orders to the slave-drivers and their underlings: ‘Don’t provide straw for the people for making bricks as you have been doing. Make them get their own straw. And make them produce the same number of bricks—no reduction in their daily quotas! They’re getting lazy.’” (Exodus 5:4-8, MSG)

And that leads me to the recent stories surrounding the departure of some 5,300 Wells Fargo employees involved in a nasty case of unlawful banking. Along with the terminations, the bank also agreed to pay $185 million in fines and refund $5 million to customers.

But the bank’s problems may just be beginning. The Department of Justice has opened an investigation, issuing subpoenas to the bank. Add to that the first lawsuit by Well Fargo customers now filed following revelations that the bank collected fees for millions of unauthorized accounts. The charges filed in court last Friday include invasion of privacy, fraud, negligence, and breach of contract. Plaintiffs are reportedly asking to be compensated for damages related to identity theft, anxiety and emotional distress, and legal fees.

Now that you know the pending punishment, let’s go back over the crime. While the recent firings created a national stir, we could see this coming from a story in the LA Times in December of 2013. I’ll do my best to summarize and share a few excerpts.

Wells Fargo was bold in sharing their “prowess in cross-selling” various financial products. These included fee generating services such as checking and savings accounts, credit cards, mortgages, and services under “wealth management.” The more services a customer has with a bank, the greater the loyalty trend.

According to the LA Times report, “The relentless pressure to sell has battered employee morale and led to ethical breaches, customer complaints, and labor lawsuits.” Again, this report is from 2013. http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-wells-fargo-sale-pressure-20131222-story.html

It became so intense that hourly conferences were mandatory in some Florida branches. The branch managers had to report on quotas for opening accounts and selling customer “extras.” Lagging performers had to stay late or work weekends.

Here’s a bit more on the graphic ways employees went beyond the boundaries.“To meet quotas, employees have opened unneeded accounts for customers, ordered credit cards without customers’ permission, and forged client signatures on paperwork. Some employees begged family members to open ghost accounts.”

A former Wells Fargo personal banker, Erick Estrada, gave his own dramatic examples of the actions taken because of sales pressure. “Employees opened duplicate accounts, sometimes without customers’ knowledge,” he said. “Workers also used a bank database to identify customers who had been pre-approved for credit cards—then ordered the plastic without asking them,” Estrada said. He admitted to opening unneeded accounts, though never without a customer’s knowledge.

What happened when customers complained about these unwanted cards? It was blamed on a computer glitch. Or maybe someone with a similar name had requested the card.

A former branch manager in the Pacific Northwest talked a homeless woman into opening six different accounts with fees amounting to $39 a month. One former Minnesota based bank employee talked about an environment that was “cutthroat.” Employees feared for their jobs and the result was “bad ethical choices.”

The New York Times pointed out interesting facts about the firings. The 5,300 who left were employees and managers—but NOT the executive in charge. She’s retiring, “taking with her millions in stock and options.” And her boss called her a “role model for responsible leadership” and “a standard-bearer of our culture.” http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/15/opinion/in-wells-fargo-scandal-the-buck-stopped-well-short.html?_r=0

Every day, there must be a few million men and women who are employed in sales. There is a way to make this a winning environment, meeting customers’ needs and wants with people who present well and are not manipulative. I’ve seen it done. I’ve encouraged it in situations where I had influence.

To send people home each night in fear and hating their jobs is wrong. It’s abusive. And in the end, a lot of these poor souls lost their jobs anyway.

James, the brother of Jesus, wrote about abusive employers saying, “All the workers you’ve exploited and cheated cry out for judgment. The groans of the workers you used and abused are a roar in the ears of the Master Avenger. You’ve looted the earth and lived it up. But all you’ll have to show for it is a fatter than usual corpse.” (James 5:4-5, MSG)

When it’s all said and done, a bunch of Wells Fargo employees may want to take the next stage out of town. Maybe it’s already happening.

That’s The Way WE Work. Click on the link to the right to connect via Facebook.

Let’s Talk with Mark Elfstrand can be heard weekdays from 4-6 PM Central. To listen outside the Chicago area, tune to www.1160hope.com for live streaming or podcasts, or download the AM1160 app. 

What So Proudly We [Once] Hailed

Okay. Colin Kaepernick interrupted the work flow in several places this past week. He earned himself the topic of conversation on talk shows and office spaces. He had some fans. He made some enemies. When you decide to take a stand, you pay.

As it turns out, the anniversary of 9/11 became a call to something bigger than Kaepernick to remind us of how unity is supposed to work. And patriotism. The Seattle Seahawks made their show of it — all players standing during the National Anthem and locked arm in arm. The way the brotherhood of man should work together.

Colin Kaepernick has left his calling card as a rebel. He may find himself a rebel without a true cause. The majority of Americans are not looking for a football QB to diss our national anthem as a way to protest. Regardless of the meaning behind his protest. He became instead a major distraction to the game of football and to the work for which he is paid.

This is an odd workplace issue for me to discuss. But it is a workplace issue nonetheless, as I will explain.

But first, let me share of few of my personal convictions about what’s wrong in America. First, I am totally convinced that the so-called medical “procedure” of abortion is nothing short of the taking of human life. Yet the running calculator of how many babies have died in this cruel manner indicates that already more than 750,000 babies’ lives have been taken in our nation so far this year.

While protestors wish to speak to the ongoing social ill of racism, Mr. Kaperneick and those who support his protest offer no public resistance to the ongoing killing of innocent, sweet little babies. And there is a great irony here in how abortion plays out regarding African Americans.

The informative website www.blackgenocide.org provides great insight. “Minority women constitute only about 13% of the female population (age 15-44) in the United States, but they underwent approximately 36% of the abortions. According to the Alan Guttmacher Institute, black women are more than five times as likely as white women to have an abortion On average, 1876 black babies are aborted every day in the United States.”

Erma Clardy Craven, now deceased, was a social worker and civil rights leader. She once observed, “Several years ago, when 17,000 aborted babies were found in a dumpster outside a pathology laboratory in Los Angeles, California, some 12-15,000 were observed to be black.” Hispanics also face a high rate of abortion. This is a blight on America and on our world.

How absolutely contrary to American values of freedom and rights can you get than to deprive the unborn a voice … or life?

A second example of the embarrassing injustice in our country is the plight of women who face sexual harassment. Gretchen Carlson, former Fox News personality, was just awarded $20 million in a lawsuit against her former employer—specifically Roger Ailes. Now a number of women have come forward with similar allegations against the man.

But wait…one of America’s best loved comedians, Bill Cosby, is facing felony charges of aggravated indecent assault by three women, and many more complaints as well. Hollywood is filled with starlet hopefuls who succumb to the sexual whims of power brokers in order to get roles in television and movies. Our former chief statesman, William Jefferson Clinton, left a terrible legacy of sexual harassment. How do we have national pride in light of this?

Thirdly, then there’s the murderous city of Chicago. Chicago. Black on black crime that exceeds our moral rationality as we watch even children get caught in the crossfire of gang warfare. Come help us fight that, Colin!

Each of the examples I shared are things that make me embarrassed about life in our nation. They feed anger because of our corporate insensitivities. They deserve the response of many voices of concern. Just like racism.

My causes do not give me privilege to negatively impact my employer. Or I pay the consequences. If I’m embarrassed by our nation, then I should step forward and speak in the arenas where my personal life can be a witness. But I will not lessen the sacrifice made by so many in our nation’s history by refusing to stand with pride for our national anthem. It diminishes the great things that our country has done and is doing.

Moreover, I believe any employer has the right to set reasonable boundaries to show respect for our national emblems and the anthem of our freedom. Celebrity status does not give special privilege to ignore a proper form of patriotic courtesy. Keep your protests out of the workplace. You have every right as an American to use your voice and influence to help fix a problem. Don’t create another one.

The NFL stands as a model in many ways for demonstrating how people of different races and backgrounds can play together on the same team. Professional sports has opened the door wide for people of color to succeed greatly. Many former athletes are featured in our halls of fame. Our sports television shows include many people of color as well. Opportunity exists in this nation like never before for people of all backgrounds.

For Colin Kaepernick, who was raised with an understanding of the Christian faith, he should know this world is fallen and always will be. Until…the return of Jesus and a new Kingdom is established. In the book of Revelation, we get a glimpse of what’s to come:

“I saw Heaven and earth new-created. Gone the first Heaven, gone the first earth, gone the sea.I saw Holy Jerusalem, new-created, descending resplendent out of Heaven, as ready for God as a bride for her husband. I heard a voice thunder from the Throne: ‘Look! Look! God has moved into the neighborhood, making his home with men and women! They’re his people, he’s their God. He’ll wipe every tear from their eyes. Death is gone for good—tears gone, crying gone, pain gone—all the first order of things gone.’” (Revelation 21:1-4, MSG)

No more tears. No more death. No more pain. No more racism. Just the celebration of a perfected new world every day by people of every color.

That’s our God. And the future for those who believe. Let the Kingdom anthem be raised!

That’s The Way WE Work. Click on the link to the right to connect via Facebook.

Let’s Talk with Mark Elfstrand can be heard weekdays from 4-6 PM Central. To listen outside the Chicago area, tune to www.1160hope.com for live streaming or podcasts, or download the AM1160 app. 

Well Tuned Work

Today’s Labor Day blog features an interview with my friend Jeff Carroll. In general, Jeff defines himself as a Career Strategist, speaker, and radio host. Recently, he became Vice President, Client Partnerships, at Success Wise Consulting. Previously, he served as the Director of Leadership Development in the College of Business at Northern Illinois University.

A few years back, Jeff hosted a very creative talk radio program built around hit music that featured work themes in some fashion. Today’s conversation focuses on that interesting radio concept.

Mark Elfstrand: Jeff, explain how you developed a radio program around popular music and work?

Jeff: The original idea was “hatched” when I was in transition in 2002. I was sitting in a conference room meeting with a good friend who was also in a job search and I said, “If we rocked n' rolled through adolescence let’s rock ‘n roll through middlescence”! That began my journey of taking rock music/lyrics and coming up with career principles that could help people rethink their careers for the 21st century. Specifically, I went back through the 25-30 books I read on careers and took the best of the best and created a 5-Stop Career Transformation Model. Once I developed the model, I aligned music/lyrics from Tom Petty, Eagles, Bruce Springsteen, and other rock artists with each of the “stops” in the model. For example, the first stop is called “Get Real” and I choose Tom Petty's song called Runnin' Down a Dream because of the chorus. . .runnin' down a dream, that never would come to me, working on a mystery, going wherever it leads.

ME: What were some of the songs you used and what was the significance of the message in these?

Jeff: A partial list would include…

• Already Gone, Eagles
• Land of Hope and Dreams, Bruce Springsteen
• Refugee, Tom Petty
• Runnin' On Empty, Jackson Browne
• Peace of Mind, Boston

Contained in each of these songs are lyrics that provide a relevant career principle that can help people think differently about their careers and help them better navigate this uncertain and chaotic marketplace.

ME: What is your thinking on whether music reflects our attitudes about work or whether music influences those attitudes?

Jeff: I think it’s both. No doubt all these songs were written out of personal experiences and therefore reflect a certain view of life. On the other side, music lyrics can definitely influence our attitudes toward many aspects of life. . .relationships, work, innovation, commitment, feelings of doubt, love, and courage.

ME: Have you seen any shifting in the mindset about work between older workers and millennials? If so, what’s different?

Jeff: No doubt, the millennials are bringing a very different view of work to the marketplace. Probably the most popular seminar in corporate America today is called Managing Across Generations in the Workplace. I think this reflects the need for each generation to try to understand each other’s needs and perspectives. The phrases I used to best reflect the difference between the boomers and the millennials asks the question, “Are you working to live or living to work?” In addition, the millennials are really attracted to work or companies that they perceive to have meaning, purpose, and significance, as well as aligned with their value system.

ME: Do you have any plans to develop more radio themes in the future?

Jeff: Absolutely. As I become aware of more songs that people recommend, I continue to write articles, develop content, and create new radio themes. Although, I must confess that classic rock provides a limitless supply of themes that resonate with most of the listeners.

Thanks, Jeff!

The Biblical book of Psalms were actually written as songs. Here’s one work lyric to remember… “May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us—yes, establish the work of our hands.” (Psalm 90:17, NIV)

Nice. A work lyric featuring the Rock of Ages.

That’s The Way WE Work. Click on the link to the right to connect via Facebook.

Let’s Talk with Mark Elfstrand can be heard weekdays from 4-6 PM Central. To listen outside the Chicago area, tune to www.1160hope.com for live streaming or podcasts, or download the AM1160 app. 

PS: Jeff Carroll has had some discussions about reviving a radio show. I’ll let you know if that happens.

Deep Thoughts

I’ve known Sam Deep for many years. He’s written a number of books. Consulted for many well known companies. Even has started his own leadership academy. You can find out more at https://developingyourleaders.com.

In his own words: Sam Deep’s value proposition to his clients is that their leaders will become beacons of integrity, engagement, accountability, strategic thinking, and success.

This week’s blog is a recent interview with Sam.

ME: Sam…for those who are not familiar with your work, describe how you help business leaders.

SD: My mission is to take pain out of the lives of my clients. Three common sources of the agony they report are (1) departments working at cross-purposes, (2) an absence of accountability among their employees, and (3) the pressures from above to do more with less. Leadership needn’t be as painful as it is for so many business leaders. The focus of my coaching and the curriculum of the Sam Deep Leadership Academy is to prescribe proven cures for what ails them, their teams, and their organizations.

ME: You’ve written several books. Summarize ones you feel are the most practical for people facing challenges on the job each day and how they help.

SD: Someone once said this about the books: “All you do is tell people to put up an umbrella when it rains.” He was right! The most helpful truths are simple ones. I recall a TV talk show interview for the bestseller Smart Moves: 140 Checklists to Bring Out the Best from You and Your Team. The host asked, “Sam, with over 1600 tips in those 140 checklists, how do readers find the most important one? Is there a tip more valuable than the rest?” My response was, “There is: know your audience⎯whether leading or following, speaking or listening, selling or buying.”

ME: Since you’ve been in the leadership development business for decades, what changes are you now seeing in the workforce issues leaders face?

SD: Successful leaders do two things: they win people’s hearts (engagement) and they hold their feet to the fire (accountability). Both appear to have become more difficult since my first consulting engagement in 1969, and for different reasons. Engagement is tougher to achieve as workers become more transient and as companies show less reluctance to summarily shed them in tough times. Accountability is in shorter supply as our society grows more politically correct and leaders cooperate by tolerating previously unacceptable behavior.

ME: How has the technology of social media, email, and mobile use made communication better…and perhaps worse in some ways?

SD: Charles Dickens answered this question back in the middle of the 19th Century when he said, “Electric communication will never be a substitute for the face of someone who with their soul encourages another person to be brave and true.” Email and texting are wondrous ways to transmit plans, budgets, and schedules. But they expunge the “soul” of interpersonal communication that relies on some degree of emotion, desire, or intent for its success⎯and most of it does. As Dickens foresaw, our expressive voices and animated body language are nowhere to be found in electric communication.

ME: What assessments do you make of the millennials coming up in the workplace?

SD: We should take care not to attribute the characteristics of a broad group to any individual. Some millennials behave more like baby boomers and vice versa. That said, these are the distinguishing attributes of under-30s that my clients have shared: creative with little patience for plodding; energetic, but with little desire to sacrifice personal time for overtime; a strong sense of entitlement resulting from the “you deserve the best” culture in which they’ve been bred. Perhaps their most positive impact on the workplace is that they pressure organizations to give them the great leadership they should have been giving all employees before millennials ever appeared on the scene.

ME: Who are the people you set forth as role models for leadership in either the for profit or non profit environments?

SD: I’ve had the pleasure to work with several great leaders. Three who come to mind are Tom Rittenhouse, former CEO of GS1US; Tony Buzzelli, retired Senior Partner at Deloitte; and Ray Betler the current CEO of Wabtec. They’ve each demonstrated the ability to involve their people through servant leadership while holding them strictly answerable for results. A leader who once graced the international scene and who was a superb exemplar of that blend of engagement and accountability is General Norman Schwarzkopf. That’s why his troops called him “teddy bear” and “stormin’ Norman.”

ME: If you were Donald Trump’s leadership consultant, what might we hear you telling him? And…Hillary?

SD: Leadership is the same whether practiced on the campaign trail, in the Oval Office, or in a mom and pop shop. Create a distinct and inspiring vision for your team. Maintain a positive, hopeful, and optimistic outlook. Listen to your people and welcome their ideas. Never make a statement, when a question will get better results. Keep your people informed. Be clear, specific, and forthcoming with your expectations. Show your appreciation for hard, smart, and value-added work—constructively criticize the opposite. Keep disruptive emotions and impulse in check. Set a correct example; hold yourself to the highest ethical standards. Remain humble. Lead like Jesus!

That’s The Way WE Work. Click on the link to the right to connect via Facebook.

Let’s Talk with Mark Elfstrand can be heard weekdays from 4-6 PM Central. To listen outside the Chicago area, tune to www.1160hope.com for live streaming or podcasts, or download the AM1160 app. 

Quitters for a Reason

One of the more difficult and often painful challenges of management is employee turnover. It is an expensive problem in terms of both time and resources. Doing multiple job interviews, paperwork, perhaps paying search firms, etc., all take away from the process of moving forward.

It’s particularly painful when the person leaving is a more valued employee. Certainly no one is irreplaceable and we must assume a value for every individual. But some are more difficult to replace than others. When the fit seemed so good, why does this happen?

Over my career, I’ve left several jobs and had a few leave me. Most often, my next move came because of a new opportunity that presented itself. In a couple of cases where I chose to move on, greater effort by an employer to keep me “engaged” might have made a difference.

When in a management role, I’ve faced the frustration of good team members moving on. Discounting the “this job wasn’t the right fit” departures, pursuing new or better opportunities were usually the reason. Let’s face it…good talent in any position is likely to draw other interested parties. And better opportunities.

All that being said, I blogged last week about the remarkable “engagement” of people involved both at Willow Creek Church and the Willow Creek Association. This readily surfaced during interviews I conducted with team members while covering the recent Global Leadership Summit. These people love their work…and the organization that employs them.

Employee turnover through lack of engagement should cause any serious employer pause to consider solutions. How big is the problem? Studies have shown that around 70% of U.S. workers regret facing a new workday. Worldwide it’s calculated at 87%. These are primarily the people not engaged in what they do.

Repeating this important definition: “Employee engagement is the emotional commitment the employee has to the organization and its goals. This emotional commitment means engaged employees actually care about their work and their company.”

The attention I would focus on today is losing employees who WANT to be engaged and that leave unnecessarily. The ones who really cost a company. And what to do about it.

A recent Linked In blog gives some good input on this. Titled, “Before They Quit, They Quit,” it’s written by Ryan Houmand, cofounder of Querke and the author of A Passion for Monday (https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/before-quit-ryan-houmand?trk=eml-b2_content_ecosystem_digest-recommended_articles-73-null&midToken=AQGy-FRp4diBSA&fromEmail=fromEmail&ut=1qNG8zZBe-1To1)

Houmand self assesses his effectiveness at keeping his employees engaged pretty highly. He provided evidence of 20 years in a large corporation with terrific team results. And there was something else: people tended to gravitate to his teams. As he says, “I have a talent to help people reach their potential.”

Now a consultant, Ryan Houmand shares the story of a talented employee who recently left a firm he advises. This person had been struggling at work and, apparently, had been giving signs. The employee started doing only the minimum. There were diminished results. He became…disengaged. Before he quit…he quit. Perhaps, unnecessarily so.

According to Houmand, “studies of employee engagement tell us…that as much as 70% of the variance in employee engagement is attributable to the employees’ direct manager.” His followup to this statistic is most troublesome in observing that most managers don’t know what engagement is and neither do most organizations!

For companies and managers who do focus on employee engagement, Ryan claims “productivity, profitability, client satisfaction, safety, and quality are positively impacted.” You’d think that’s enough to grab some white collars and call attention to this!

So what to do? Houmand offers two starting points. The first is for managers to rearrange their time commitments. He’s found most managers spend a majority of their work time on projects versus people. How about reversing that? And moving more toward coaching people and less time on projects.

His second recommendation is to “discover your employees’ talents and put them to use every day.” The use of assessment tools such as the Clifton StrengthsFinder was one idea. There are plenty of those kind of resources available.

While I like Houmand’s strategies to move forward, I would add a few thoughts to his. The reason many managers focus more on projects stems from company demands and comfort zones. A lot of management people are not that interested or effective at coaching. Plus, the demands put on them might require this attention.

A second critical aspect is how a company and management truly view people. Are employees only a means to an end? Or are they valuable souls whose worth and meaning on this earth are prized a lot? High turnover rates may send a strong warning signal that should be evaluated.

Do we “push people forward” just to reach company goals? Or are we helping people reach their potential in a way that is meaningful to them? Employees detect when there is no real sense of “organizational love.” And it’s often costly.

Using more modern language, Eugene Peterson paraphrases Jesus’ words to people about their value this way: “What’s the price of a pet canary? Some loose change, right? And God cares what happens to it even more than you do. He pays even greater attention to you, down to the last detail—even numbering the hairs on your head! So don’t be intimidated by all this bully talk. You’re worth more than a million canaries.” (Matthew 10:29-31, MSG)

People love feeling valued and appreciated. When they truly sense it in their work, they engage.

It’s a beautiful thing.

That’s The Way WE Work. Click on the link to the right to connect via Facebook.

Let’s Talk with Mark Elfstrand can be heard weekdays from 4-6 PM Central. To listen outside the Chicago area, tune to www.1160hope.com for live streaming or podcasts, or download the AM1160 app. 

Global Leadership Engagement

Last Thursday and Friday I had the opportunity to be on site at Willow Creek Community Church during the Global Leadership Summit (GLS). I find the Summit unparalleled in generating highly inspirational talks, leadership coaching, and insightful interviews with high profile game changers in both the for profit and non profit arenas. Speakers include several people in what we would call Christian ministry.

The audience at Willow Creek was separated into three different rooms. The largest group was in the main church sanctuary. It seats a few thousand. In two other rooms—both large—people view the Summit on video monitors. But that’s just the beginning. Several hundred satellite sites around the US carried the live broadcast. Within the next several months, many international locations will feature their own presentations of the Summit—some with full translations. When all the numbers are totaled, over 300,000 people will benefit by this conference!

To be clear, I was not there to attend the GLS. My role was to conduct sixteen interviews in two days for my talk show. Most of my interviews were somehow connected to the Wlllow Creek team—either the church or their partner ministry, the Willow Creek Association (WCA). A few of my interviews were people who were attending the Summit including international guests.

With that being said, I heard only a few segments of the actual Summit program—none of them in their entirety. I heard many conversations coming out of those sessions and the buzz created around some innovative thought processes that create energy and motivation for many. Well known communicators such as Melinda Gates, John Maxwell, former Ford Motor Company CEO Alan Mullally, Erin Meyer, and Patrick Lencioni were big hits. One of my personal favorites, Bill Hybels, always strikes gold.

There is something about being around creative, hard charging, forward thinking people that gives life to the human spirit. Being around the WCA team, one senses the clear view of purpose that these people possess. I could name their names but collectively they have a fusion of enthusiasm for their mission. It’s fun to be around them. In a sentence, these Willow Creek team members are highly engaged.

It is that word where I put my focus today. There is ample material to be read on employee engagement. One basic definition goes like this: “Employee engagement is the emotional commitment the employee has to the organization and its goals. This emotional commitment means engaged employees actually care about their work and their company.”

An excellent article along this line appeared in 2012 on forbes.com and is written by Kevin Kruse, author of the book Employee Engagement 2.0. His article is titled, appropriately, “What Is Employee Engagement?” It’s easy to find online. http://www.forbes.com/sites/kevinkruse/2012/06/22/employee-engagement-what-and-why/#73ec23b24629

I’ve written about this subject before, usually around the theme of how many people in the workplace are not fully engaged in their work. The number is startlingly high. As Kruse points out, employee engagement does not mean employee happiness. Nor does it mean employee satisfaction. This might seem counterintuitive to the subject, but it is not.

Developing a work team that is engaged is management art. It involves getting team members to understand the why of what they do and that it makes a difference. But there is also a component of true people management that generates a belief that each employee matters. It’s why Willow Creek people are so aware of their common purpose. And they see caring all throughout the organization. It’s in the DNA.

Two challenges exist in building an engaged workplace culture. First, getting it established. That alone is a course to be studied. But a secondary and equally important consideration is that engagement can slip. Vision can fade or drift. Passion can diminish.

I felt that was core to what many appreciate about the Global Leadership Summit experience. They come expecting to be revitalized. And they are. In big doses. Bill Hybels spoke on this himself in his opening talk.

One way leaders have shown they care about their team advancing in engagement is to get them to the GLS. One man from South Africa paid “full freight” for some of his team to attend the GLS in Chicago! Wow.

At lunch on Thursday, I ran into a chiropractor who has a radio program on AM1160, Dr. Jeremy Barone. He had in his company an employee he brought with him to the Summit, and paid her fare. He said his conviction is to invest in good people. Like…keeping them engaged. Bravo!

There is much in the church we can learn about this. And particularly we should consider how to apply this to those full time servants on a church staff. They are most worthy of our abiding attention.

Regardless of the kind of work you do, it would be wise to evaluate your own engagement. Then, determine how to take some steps to elevate it. A payoff is definitely there.

The disciples of Jesus of Nazareth were captivated by His message and His love for people. Even after others turned away after difficult messages, the disciples stayed loyal. As the apostle Peter said to Jesus, “Master, to whom would we go? You have the words of real life, eternal life. We’ve already committed ourselves, confident that you are the Holy One of God.” (John 6:68-69, MSG)

Engagement. Loyalty. Commitment. You could build a team around that. One that might change the world!

P.S.  Next week’s blog: where disengagement shows up. And why.

That’s The Way WE Work. Click on the link to the right to connect via Facebook.

Let’s Talk with Mark Elfstrand can be heard weekdays from 4-6 PM Central. To listen outside the Chicago area, tune to www.1160hope.com for live streaming or podcasts, or download the AM1160 app.