STRENGTHENING THE FRONT LINE
By Emily S. Huling, CIC, CMC
Bringing out the best in employees takes creativity
A successful boss treats customers and employees with respect ... encourages people to think for themselves, takes risks ... supports teamwork.
It's always a treat for me to find a manager who does things right--who manages with a good balance of head and heart--who makes employees feel good, helps them be their best, and achieves the bottom-line goals of the company. It's even more of a treat when that manager is my sister-in-law.
Recently I spent a delightful vacation week with my husband's brother, Pat, and his wife, Tommi, who is the chief operating officer of Michigan-based Compuware. Compuware is a billion-dollar company that provides software products and services to 25,000 of the world's largest and most respected businesses. With 9,500 employees worldwide, Tommi has her hands full running the company's day-to-day operations. Curious as to what her strategies are in managing such a large organization, I asked her to share with me her philosophy and approach. Here's what she told me.
Ask the customer. Unfortunately, companies make decisions on how and what to improve in their operation without doing their homework. What's their homework? It's talking with the customer, who happens to be the most important factor in the process to achieve results. Tommi believes visiting with customers through on-site visits is the best way to learn about their needs and how a business supplier can serve. Are you visiting, asking, and listening to your customers?
Enable employees to be their best. For the second consecutive year, the Michigan Business and Professional Association selected Compuware as one of Metropolitan Detroit's "101 Best and Brightest Companies to Work For." The criteria included employee education and development, strategic planning and integration, and work-life balance. How does a company win a prestigious award like this? Here are a few ways.
To better develop employee potential, Tommi's company recently designed and implemented a Compuware Quality Management System (CQMS) based on some well-established and respected standards including the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award program and Six Sigma. CQMS was created to help every employee achieve quality in his or her performance objectives and work better as part of a team.
To support the life-balance challenges people have, Compuware has an employee child day care center on the premises, which accommodates more than 300 children. When employees feel secure about their children's care, they are free to do their best on the job.
To further create the family-focused atmosphere in the company, Compuware's first-class employee newsletter is sent to employees at home so that company news can be shared with their families.
Offering employees, especially female workers, these opportunities earned Compuware the National Association of Female Executive's top honor. Compuware was named twelfth on the association's top 30 list of companies offering opportunities for career development for women.
Educating people, offering continuous promotional opportunities, and creating a family-supportive work environment is the key to attracting and retaining the best industry people. What is your company doing to support employees in these areas?
Don't just add eggs. In addition to being a terrific leader, Tommi is a wonderful chef. Even with her busy work and travel schedule, Tommi finds time to cook and bake. To encourage people to think for themselves, Tommi uses the analogy, "Don't just add eggs."
She explained to me (while baking her famous chocolate chip cookies) that even though a recipe calls for eggs, we know enough to take the egg out of the shell. But that same thinking does not always happen in business. Too many times employees blindly follow instructions without questioning or challenging what's been told or written.
For example, the marketing manager asks an employee to cut expenses. Without careful thinking, the employee can make bold moves which actually harm the marketing and sales process and the company goals. Instead, Tommi encourages her people to think, ask questions, and make suggestions instead of just following directions. In other words, "Don't just add eggs." Are you encouraging your employees to think and challenge before acting?
Stick your neck out. As you can tell, Tommi supports people who work hard and think for themselves. The Giraffe Award is a personal recognition award from Tommi given to associates who "stick their necks out." Individual recognition by a top executive is the most prized honor at any company. What are you doing to personally acknowledge star performers?
Create inter-departmental teamwork. Most companies realize the importance of collaborative relationships between marketing, sales, product development, and distribution. But how about the finance department? It's not uncommon for the "money people" to have a strained relationship with the operations side of the business, so Tommi set out to change that. She created a Profit Award, a prize given by the finance department to the region that sets itself apart through outstanding work that adds to the bottom line. This may include increased sales, collection of account receivables, or exceeding a revenue target.
This isn't just any award. It's a giant, stuffed, bright-green frog! Because of the size of the company, two frogs are awarded each quarter. The frogs stay in the region following the winning time period, then get reassigned. The Japanese team dressed the frog in a kimono; the Dallas team adorned the frog with a ten-gallon hat; and the Brazil associates added Mardi Gras beads to this coveted amphibian. The Profit Frogs are awarded with great ceremony (picture a corporate executive carrying a frog in public and even dressing like one!) and are featured in the Compuware newsletter.
What are you doing to be sure all departments are included in company initiatives?
Tommi sets high standards and expects the best, and her people deliver. Why? She treats customers and employees with respect. Customers are asked how they can best be served. Employees have a work environment where they can prosper. She encourages people to think for themselves, take risks, and she recognizes them for that. She supports teamwork by including all departments in the company culture. And on top of that, she creates fun! If Tommi can accomplish all of that with 9,500 employees, think what you can you do with your company.
And who would have thought giraffes, eggs, and frogs could take business to new places? *
The author
Emily Huling, CIC, CMC, helps the insurance industry achieve excellence in customer service, sales, and leadership. Her new book, Selling from the Inside--Creating a Front Line that Adds to Your Bottom
Line, is now available. For information call (888) 309-8802 or visit www.sellingstrategies.com.