Tastes Like. . .Chicken

It’s been a few months since the 2017 report on restaurant preferences was released by the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI). According to the report, customers found full-service restaurants less satisfying based on 5,557 customer surveys collected between June 8, 2016, and May 12, 2017. Their satisfaction was down 3.7 percent to a score of 78 out of 100 possible points. This is the lowest score in more than 10 years.

It also marked another first. That being the first time that full-service restaurants scored lower than the fast food category! Not good. As we all know, it’s a whole lot cheaper to buy fast food.

For sit-down fans, Cracker Barrel was tops for the second year in a row, with a score of 84. Texas Roadhouse came in second at 82. In third place, Olive Garden was rated at 81 and tied with Red Lobster. One of my favorites, Red Robin, dropped several points to a 73. That was disappointing.

Now to the fast food leaders. The reigning champion scored another victory! Chick-Fil-A took the honors with 87. (By comparison, KFC had a 78). Panera Bread tied with Papa John’s at 82 for second place. A bit of a shock, Dunkin’ Donuts scored a 79 compared to coffee rival Starbucks at 77. What’s the deal with that?

In the burger wars it was Burger King that became, well, king! The chain scored a 77 compared to Wendy’s 76. McDonald's had an embarrassing score of 69.

Now let me move to another survey. This was reported recently in Christianity Today. (link below) The results are from a group called Morning Consult and it’s their 2017 Community Impact Ratings.
And who is dominator in this category? Once again…Chick-Fil-A! This must really fry a lot of the competition, so to speak. Especially after all the negative press the company has received in recent years over their pro family attitude. Plus the fact they even close their restaurants on Sundays! How dare they!?

The chicken champ remains a family owned business. At last count, Chick-Fil-A had operations in 43 states and Washington, DC. Revenues exceeded $6 billion annually.

According to the results shared by CT, the most positive view of the Atlanta-based company came from evangelicals and fellow Christians. This likely comes as no surprise to many within the fold. I WAS surprised, however, to read of the chain’s popularity among millennials!

Despite the rejection by colleges to even allow Chick-Fil-A to exist on their campuses, students see past it. “More than half of adults ages 18-34 and 35-44 rated Chick-Fil-A as having a positive impact.” Oddly, the older age brackets seem less enthusiastic.

More good news. When stacked up against their similar competitors, Chick-Fil-A customers believe the stores offer higher-quality food, better customer service, and happier employees. This has been their winning formula.

There is a seeming contradiction of values with evangelical preferences, however. As the CT story points out, a majority of evangelicals have Target almost matching Chick-Fil-A for positive impact. Target scored 60 percent favorable rating; Chick-Fil-A, 62 percent. This seems odd in light of the ongoing boycott of Target by some groups.

Truett Cathy, who founded Chick-Fil-A, had a clear set of core values. His mission statement, dating back to 1967, reads “To glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us. To have a positive influence on all who come in contact with Chick-Fil-A.”

Such a mission statement certainly does not guarantee financial success in business. It does, however, reflect a bold commitment. Ask a workplace leader to use that same standard for their company. Many will simply…chicken out.

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.

For more information on this topic:

http://www.theacsi.org/news-and-resources/press-releases/press-2017/press-release-restaurants-2017

http://money.cnn.com/2016/06/21/pf/favorite-fast-food-restaurant/index.html

http://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2017/november/evangelicals-appreciate-chickfila-community-impact.html?utm_source=ctdirect-html&utm_medium=Newsletter&utm_term=15895881&utm_content=550141772&utm_campaign=email

Buckets of Blessings

We certainly live in a culture of more. The National Retail Federation estimates nearly 164 million people (or roughly 70 percent of us) had plans to shop sometime over the Thanksgiving weekend. That began with the pre-Black Friday openings on Thanksgiving Day and conclude today on Cyber Monday. Some 48 percent of people were set to shop online for deals today.

Newspaper ads tell me Black Friday shopping now begins sometime in October. I also read that until recently, you could actually find lower prices on line for tech products on Cyber Monday than on Black Friday. From the retail numbers reported in past years, we should actually just rename this Monday “Amazon Day” as they get the bulk of the business.

In the culture of more, it’s proven that a rising number of shoppers are using Black Friday and Cyber Monday as an opportunity for “self-gifting.” Buying for friends and family usually occurs in December. Simply stated, early Christmas shopping has developed into more for ME! Like most of us NEED more.

In light of this craze for more, I found a refreshing Fast Company article this past week titled, How Making a “Reverse” Bucket List Can Make You Happier. Most of us are familiar with the “bucket list” concept. It gained renown in a 2007 comedy-drama movie that featured Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman. It grossed over $175 million dollars.

The film’s plot follows two terminally ill men (portrayed by Nicholson and Freeman) on a road trip with a wish list of things to do before they "kick the bucket." Their adventures included skydiving together, flying over the North Pole and checking out the beauty and history of Taj Mahal, India, among many other pursuits. Thank goodness Nicholson had money!

Most of us would not have quite the extravagance on our bucket lists. Perhaps a trip to the Grand Canyon. Run a marathon. Learn to play an instrument. Maybe do that skydiving thing. Maybe.

In the professional life, “more” is about achievement and recognition. Making more money. Getting bigger promotions. Receiving grand awards for performance.

As the Fast Company article states, “The reverse bucket list is pretty straightforward: Rather than writing down all of the things you hope to one day achieve, you instead write down a list of all the things you’ve already accomplished, things that make you feel proud. It’s the exact opposite of a regular bucket list–and it’s an encouraging exercise.”

What I most liked about this concept was the specific tie-in to gratitude. Cited was a 2015 study found in the Journal of Positive Psychology. It reviewed how “grateful recounting” actually enhances a person’s overall well being. Participants in the study recalled three good things from the previous 48 hours. They briefly wrote about them every day for a week. Doing this increased the recall of positive memories. And by routinely recalling these positive experiences, it sparked an increase in their subjective well-being.

I’ve done a variation on this theme for a while that I would recommend to you also. It involves keeping track of God’s unexpected blessings in your life. They come in a variety of ways. Something as simple as thanking God for getting you safely back and forth to work all of 2017. Or contact that surfaced with a long-lost friend. A surprise financial blessing, perhaps. I assure you…there is an abundance for which to be thankful.

In the world of more, I think we could use a lot more of these kinds of reflections. The reverse bucket list. And the buckets of blessings.

For starters, read Psalm 23! In The Passion Translation it starts out this way, “The Lord is my best friend and my shepherd. I always have more than enough.” (Ps. 23:1, TPT) The rest of that psalm adds colorful reminders upon which to reflect.

And the best part? These are the blessings that money can’t buy.

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.

For more information on this topic:

https://www.fastcompany.com/40497651/how-making-a-reverse-bucket-list-can-make-you-happier

What Does It Mean?

The Chicago Tribune has been featuring articles relating to the top workplaces in our community. Results were determined through a study by Energage (formerly WorkplaceDynamics) on behalf of the Tribune. Rankings were based on employee surveys “assessing everything from work-life balance to confidence in company leadership.”

The 2017 list of champions included Baird & Warner, Impact Networking, and Holiday Inn/ ChicagoMart Plaza. They win in the large, midsize, and small Chicagoland workplaces respectively. Let’s give them three cheers!

Following up on this announcement, the Tribune gave us a window into meaningfulness at work. The article was titled, “Employees want their job to matter, but meaning at work can be hard to find.” It’s worth reading.

This concept of meaningfulness is noted as having been “consistently and overwhelmingly ranked by employees as one of the most important factors in driving satisfaction.” It impacts motivation, job performance, and the desire to stay in the game. Can you say "priority one"?

Thankfully, people can find meaning in virtually any kind of work. Chicagoans score higher than the national average on nearly all measures of employee satisfaction. But the area of meaningfulness seems ripe for improvement by employers. This is derived from the responses of 67,000 local employees from 219 companies.

The question we must ask is, what constitutes meaningful work to an employee? Jaclyn Jensen, associate professor in the department of management and entrepreneurship at DePaul University, has studied this. She claims that no particular kind of work has to connect to a calling to be perceived as meaningful.

From her research of 40 years, Jensen has determined five factors that determine a job’s meaningfulness. Here are the three most important: 1) It allows you to use a variety of skills, 2) It has an impact on other people’s lives, and 3) You are able see the product of your work through from beginning to end. The remaining two are “having autonomy to do your best work and receiving feedback about your performance.”

The Tribune article goes on to explain how companies can kill a sense of meaningfulness. One clear example is to overload employees so that they work under stress or cannot achieve a level of performance that they feel is needed. This makes perfect sense. 

I would like to add the spiritual dimension to the conversation. It involves the deeper question of why we work at all. It’s one of my “big three” concepts in getting a healthy perspective on how to think about work.

The answer is found in a call to serve. Every job, at every level and in every field…involves service. However, not every person in every job comes with a heart to serve. But if they did, the workplace would become an entirely different environment. I’ll say that again. If every employee showed up every day with a heart to serve, the workplace would become an entirely different environment.

I could wax on about the myriad of ways this would play out. One way in particular that would be impacted hugely: meaningfulness. Something apparently most every employee desires.

It was C.S. Lewis who said, “Never, in peace or war, commit the virtue of your happiness to the future. Happy work is best done by the man who takes his long-term plans somewhat lightly and works from moment to moment ‘as to the Lord.’”

If you learn to approach your work with a heart of service—as to the Lord—you will never lack for meaning at your job. An important truth to gobble up.

Happy Thanksgiving!

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.

For more information on this topic:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/careers/topworkplaces/ct-biz-top-workplaces-2017-main-story-meaningfulness-20170913-story.html#nws=true

The Scrooge Effect

For a couple of years, I co-wrote a business advice column with my long time friend Sam Deep. We called it “Dear Workplace Counselor.” The basis of our column was to take common issues that arise in the workplace and offer solutions.

Sam had most of the credentials for this. He had taught at the University of Pittsburgh for many years. Later, he served as an adjunct professor of leadership and strategy at the Carnegie Mellon University Tepper School of Business.

Me? Well I had experience in various aspects of radio management and had launched a marketing firm a few years before. I had also worked in the trade show field for a season.

I reflected on this fun endeavor of ours when I read about advice offered by a Forbes contributor in a similar kind of business advice column. Her name is Liz Ryan. She is the CEO/founder of Human Workplace.

The person writing for advice had made a poor career path decision. In hoping to move up the business success ladder more quickly, he had chosen to work for a manager who lacked good people skills. He had passed up working for someone he described as “a fantastic person.”

His complaints ranged from his boss’s poor mentorship, keeping him from engaging with high-level managers and often ignoring him as a report. This “bad manager” also has a temper. The employee feels the manager is insecure. And…she is intimidating.

His question to Liz Ryan is twofold: “What should I do? Is it normal to be afraid of your own boss?”
Interestingly, Liz responded by suggesting that the troubled employee has “power in the equation,” as well. There was sufficient evidence to show that the bad manager would lose if this employee left. And Liz then recommended the boundaries be pushed for the employee to get what he wanted.

Sounds easy enough. In reality, it’s probably a total loser of a situation. A power-driven bad manager with a temper is not likely to allow his or her boundaries pushed. Furthermore, she may be the type to believe you can just plug in another person to the job who will take the abuse. There are plenty of people who seem to fit that.

Here’s the unrecognized problem: This is a bad manager. She apparently doesn’t own the company. Somebody hired her. Somebody goofed. Somebody better recognize this or the company will lose good people. Millennials in particular don’t put up with this garbage. Truly talented people don’t either.

A wise and discerning employer knows that good managers must be tough when decisions require it. But they must also place value on the important contributions of the humans who make the machine run. That thinking is reflected in creating an environment where people feel appreciated and that they are contributing to the success of the organization.

The instruction given to church leaders by the apostle Peter fits well with advising managers in the workplace: “take care of the group of people you are responsible for. They are God’s flock. Watch over that flock because you want to, not because you are forced to do it. That is how God wants it. Do it because you are happy to serve, not because you want money. Don’t be like a ruler over those you are responsible for. But be good examples to them.” (1 Peter 5:2-3, ERV)

The use of intimidation creates an environment of fear. We can get a reminder of this unhealthy behavior this coming holiday season in considering the life of Ebenezer Scrooge. He needed a wake up call!

And if the bad manager noted in this week’s blog doesn’t wake up soon, she might not stand a ghost of a chance either.

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.

For more information on this topic:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/lizryan/2017/11/05/im-afraid-of-my-boss-is-that-normal/#233ce7883ee2

Master Timekeepers

In past endeavors I’ve been privileged to work with a number of upper level management people and C-suite types. Often my connection to them was through participation in some type of board or advisory group. A few have been part of my small group meetings over the years.

One thing I have often questioned is how they became available for these meetings. With demanding jobs and time-pressed schedules, how were these people able to arrange to get involved in their outside interests? Is there a mastery to this?

For a time, I pondered doing a series of interviews on this question. Perhaps many others would like to know how the work day really works at the top of an organization. I no longer need to pursue this. It’s been done.

A number of professors from Harvard Business School, the London School of Economics, Columbia University, and the University of Oxford have delivered an insightful study for us on CEOs and time usage. It involved more than 1200 participants in six countries. The research results were published in the Harvard Business Review. (Link below)

One preliminary and important finding was that leaders who stay more “high-level” in focus are more effective than managerial CEOs. This was determined using a sophisticated algorithm that included “every activity a CEO undertakes in a week, as well as whether it was planned ahead of time and who else was involved.” The study offers a well defined explanation of “manager types” and “leader types.”

I’m sure many at the employee level wonder, “What does this CEO person do all day?” Might you be curious? Here’s a summary: “On average, about one-quarter of CEOs’ days are spent alone, including sending emails. Another 10% is spent on personal matters, and 8% is spent traveling. The remainder (56%) is spent with at least one other person, which mostly involves meetings, most of which are planned ahead of time. About one-third of the time CEOs spend with others is one-on-one; two-thirds is with more than one other person. (This data includes a CEO’s entire workday, not just time in the office.)”

Now comes a really important question. Which type of CEO is more effective for a company? A leader…or manager? All factors considered, the CEO whose style was more leader than manager ran more a productive and more profitable company.

Next. Is it the company itself or the leader who drives the success? Research of the before and after performance of appointing a new CEO showed higher productivity with a leader put in place. It took three years for this to be measured.

One more qualifier should be noted. Manager type CEOs tended to run smaller and simpler organizations. Plenty of them were successful at their companies. Leaders were found more often in larger firms where different and more complex skills were needed.

Elena Botelhos is founder of the leadership research firm CEO Genome Project. She coauthored The CEO Next Door: The 4 Behaviors That Transform Ordinary People into World-Class Leaders. Here is her observation:

“Our research shows that the best CEOs are highly decisive in how they allocate their time—focusing on priorities that truly move the needle on the success of their business. Often, when CEOs conduct calendar reviews and look at how their time is actually spent, they’re surprised to find that top priorities are regularly trumped by urgent fires.”

I’ve never forgotten the advice explaining that most people tend to work on what they enjoy doing, rather than what is most needed. The need for priority thinking is a constant. It’s a lesson for all of us.

To my knowledge, Jesus of Nazareth carried no appointment book. Nor was He ever in a rush. He knew His mission and stayed on task. He prioritized His team. He prayed for them. He challenged them. He loved them. And the impact of Jesus' work on earth remains today. A true leader.

May God give you wisdom to lead, serve, and manage time. . . like the Master.

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.

For more information on this topic:

https://www.fastcompany.com/40484001/how-the-most-and-least-successful-ceos-spend-their-workdays?utm_source=postup&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Fast%20Company%20Daily&position=5&partner=newsletter&campaign_date=10302017

https://hbr.org/2017/10/a-survey-of-how-1000-ceos-spend-their-day-reveals-what-makes-leaders-successful

Made in the Image

Two weeks ago, I decided to blog about the awkward and ugly subject of a predatory Hollywood type: Harvey Weinstein. At that time, I mentioned that we should not be shocked at these revelations. Intelligent and observant people know this goes on all the time where money and power converge. With that blog, I was going to drop the subject.

But this week new information has surfaced that I feel compelled to address. Along with the increasing number of actresses stepping forward to share their painful stories of abusive bosses, we have media types who are in the news for the very same kind of thing. And what is revealed should clearly illustrate why much more aggressive response to these predatory types must be taken.

First, a simple definition. predatory: seeking to exploit or oppress others. Add three synonyms to this to get a clearer picture. Wolfish. Rapacious. Vulturous.

The latest names to get the media buzz on this subject are media men themselves. Along with the Bill Cosby trial over his wolfish behavior, add to that Bill O’Reilly’s forced resignation for his behavior earlier this year. Roger Ailes, who ruled Fox News, bit the dust for nibbling where he shouldn’t. Then another Fox newsman fell—Eric Bolling.

Should we be surprised there is more to be revealed? Big time media type Mark Halperin is now on the hot seat. His idea of fun was to intimidate one of the young research assistants at ABC News to sit on his lap. This happened multiple times. Another author and political correspondent said she was “sexually assaulted” by Halperin. She did not report this because “I thought I was the only one, and I blamed myself, and I was embarrassed and I was scared of him.” Vulturous men in action.

Now to the bigger problem. Getting men to “get it” on what sexual harassment involves.

Before giving you these numbers, it should be noted that these are survey results from an online sample of men. Instamotor surveyed 750 men across the United States to hear their experiences with sexual harassment or assault. Check out these responses:

• 1 in 3 respondents don’t think catcalling is sexual harassment.
• 2 in 3 don’t think repeated unwanted invitations to drinks, dinner, or dates is sexual harassment.
• Nearly 1 in 5 don’t think sexual harassment is a fireable offense.

Many guys were also confused about what actions constitute "sexual harassment or assault.”

A new Washington Post-ABC News poll reveals 64 percent of Americans say that sexual harassment in the workplace is a serious problem. Nearly two-thirds of Americans say men who sexually harass female coworkers usually get away with it.

Thus, I draw this conclusion. Companies across America better beware. And become proactive. They should beware that this harassment activity may be happening under their noses. Women—and some men—have had enough. And they are coming out of the abuse closet.

Leadership should be proactive. Better get those clear messages out repeatedly that this behavior will not be tolerated. Create safe zones for women and men who feel the vulturous types are after them so that they can report this. Get the legal team involved now, lest the cost of ignorance and failure to act leave misery to all.

If it were me, my staff meeting would start with a basic message from Genesis 1, verses 27: “So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them” (NLT) People are not “things.” They are highly prized creations made in God’s image. Better get on board with the idea of treating people like that.

In closing, if you’ve been a victim of a predatory type, now is the time to speak up.

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.

For more information on this topic:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2017/10/26/survey-shows-how-uninformed-men-are-about-sexual-harassment/?utm_term=.44779d4cbf1f&wpisrc=nl_az_most&wpmk=1

Take a Chill Pill!

What stresses you out on the job? People can’t always define this answer precisely. But they know it when they feel it.

I was reading about stress and micromanaging this week. Fear of mistakes and loss of control are often the reasons cited for managers stepping over workplace boundaries. Work-related stress often causes managers to tighten the grip on everything.

The concerns raised in the article, “Stress is Making You Micromanage, which is Making Everything Worse” were fourfold. This out-of-balance managerial style can kill a team’s creativity. It can result in reduced performance or cause people to leave. Fellow team members' health can be harmed. There is also the obvious problem of not allowing people to do what they were hired to do.

The third of those items especially caught my eye. A study was mentioned from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business. It involved the lack of autonomy at work and the potential health-related consequences. Here’s an important summary finding:

“Examining workers over a seven-year period, the researchers found that people in demanding jobs who had little control over their work were 15.4% more likely to die compared with those in less demanding jobs. Meanwhile, people in demanding roles who did have a high degree of control over their work saw a 34% decrease in the likelihood of death.”

This stood out for me because several years ago I took my fourth work personality test. It revealed an important truth about my approach to work. In essence, if a matter is being discussed or a decision is being made that affects my job, I want to be involved. It comes back to a concern over no control over what impacts me most.

Looking beyond this article, I found a study that was done in the United Kingdom a few years back involving employee work-related stress. Here were the major “stressors” identified by a study completed by University of Plymouth.

First up was overload. Easy to see how this happens. Unrealistic deadlines and expectations. Technology overload. Being short on staff.

Second was control. Like the Indiana University study, this revealed that a lack of control over aspects of the job (including decision making) stressed workers. Add to that the lack of influence over performance targets.

Work relationships played a role. Dealing with overly aggressive managers, or not getting support from others, stands out. Harassment and isolation were frustration builders. As was others taking or getting credit for the personal achievements of a good employee.

Job security and work-life balance issues were also noted in the study. Workplace stress occurred when resources or communication issues came up. Like when information about what is going on in the organization is missing. Or you don’t have the right equipment to do the job. Or the right training.

Looking over the list, I was stressing out just thinking about the ways workplace stress can build up! The reality is our work will always have “thorns and thistles.” It comes with life. Jesus of Nazareth warned His disciples of life’s downsides, but then explained…“I have told you all this so that you may find your peace in me. You will find trouble in the world—but, never lose heart, I have conquered the world!” (John 16:33, PHILLIPS)

Want help reducing workplace-related stress? Practice counting your blessings. And bring your heaviest burdens to the Source of Peace. You already have His attention.

Consider this your spiritual chill-pill!

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.

For more information on this topic:

http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/hr/policy/stress/causes.html

https://www.fastcompany.com/40481089/stress-is-making-you-micromanage-which-is-making-everything-worse?utm_source=postup&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Fast%20Company%20Daily&position=5&partner=newsletter&campaign_date=10162017