Comedian Jeff Foxworthy\u2019s signature standup bit is, \u201cYou might be a redneck.\u201d\u00a0 It\u2019s a whole series of if\/then jokes aimed at helping you discover if you could possibly be a redneck.\u00a0 For instance, \u201cIf you\u2019ve been married three times and still have the same in-laws, you might be a redneck.\u201d\u00a0 Or, \u201cIf you own a home that is mobile and 14 cars that aren\u2019t, you might be a redneck.\u201d\u00a0 On and on.\u00a0 I liked his \u201cif you do this, then you might be that\u201d approach and thought it might be an experiential way for describing business activities.\u00a0 Specifically, I thought it might be a way of describing a business that is employee centric, or what I would call a \u201cwinning workplace\u201d . . . probably not as funny as Foxworthy\u2019s schtick, but might nonetheless be instructional.\u00a0 For more on whether or not you are presiding over a \u201cwinning workplace,\u201d please read below.<\/p>\n
I was recently involved in a company\u2019s annual management meeting.\u00a0 One of this company\u2019s core values is \u201cPeople\u201d which they define as being \u201cthe employer of choice.\u201d\u00a0 I thought that was very interesting.\u00a0 Instead of saying \u201cour employees are lucky we chose them to be working here\u201d\u00a0 (company centric), they\u2019re saying \u201cwe\u2019re lucky our employees chose to devote their working lives to us\u201d (employee centric).<\/p>\n
Southwest Airlines is very open about the fact that they place employees first.\u00a0 Their reasoning is that if people feel content and energized by their work, they will be more efficient and effective, but even more importantly, they will interact with customers more positively and customers will enjoy a better experience.\u00a0 So in the Southwest model, while it may seem a little counter-intuitive, the best way to deliver superior customer service is to put employees first.<\/p>\n
Among companies that are considered \u201cwinning workplaces,\u201d productivity could be up by as much as 30 per cent over their unenlightened competitors.\u00a0 In addition, turnover rates are lower and retention rates are higher.\u00a0 So if creating a \u201cwinning workplace\u201d feels a little too touchy-feely and conjures up images of holding hands and singing Kumbaya, just remember, this isn\u2019t just altruism at work here . . . better customer service, increased productivity, and reduced turnover are pretty hard-headed business reasons for wanting a \u201cwinning workplace.\u201d<\/p>\n
So with apologies to Jeff Foxworthy, here are some ways you might start to figure out whether or not you\u2019ve got a winning workplace.<\/p>\n
If your employees embrace your corporate values and are positioned within the company so they can use their greatest talents, you might be a winning workplace.<\/p>\n
If your employees routinely encourage friends and family to apply for job openings, you might be a winning workplace.<\/p>\n
If your employees feel that their opinions are heard and valued, you might be a winning workplace.<\/p>\n
If your employees enjoy being with one another, even socializing together, you might be a winning workplace.<\/p>\n
If your employees get regular recognition for doing good work, you might be a winning workplace.<\/p>\n
There are more, many more conditions that need to be met for yours to be considered a winning workplace.\u00a0 You might notice, none of the above examples talk about pay or benefits because those are a given . . . if you don\u2019t have a competitive pay and benefits package, yours is almost certainly not a winning workplace.<\/p>\n
The real key to being a winning workplace is commitment.\u00a0 If you put being a \u201cwinning workplace\u201d right up there with all your other important goals and strategies, if you renew that commitment year after year with fresh programs and initiatives, and if you invite regular employee feedback about \u201chow we\u2019re doing,\u201d you will be well on your way to being a winning workplace . . . and to enjoying all the business benefits that will come from that.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Comedian Jeff Foxworthy\u2019s signature standup bit is, \u201cYou might be a redneck.\u201d\u00a0 It\u2019s a whole series of if\/then jokes aimed at helping you discover if you could possibly be a redneck.\u00a0 For instance, \u201cIf you\u2019ve been married three times and still have the same in-laws, you might be a redneck.\u201d\u00a0 Or, \u201cIf you own a<\/p>\n