So how do you, as a manager, improve your relationships with your direct reports so that they deliver on your expectations? The answers can be found in a strong leadership training program – one of the best investments you can make into your brand.
Ask a CEO what his or her most important asset is, and they will likely tell you that it’s their brand or their people. If you think about it, they are actually one in the same, because people (employees) represent the brand. Taking this one step further, you could confidently say that the quality of a company’s brand is equal to the quality of it’s people.
But let’s drill down a bit deeper…
The definition of a brand is delivery on an expectation. For example, when you book a room at the Ritz Carlton, you expect to be pampered and waited on hand and foot. You expect friendliness and a level of service that far exceeds what you would expect from most other hotels. But how is that “expectation” delivered? It’s delivered through its people. Step into a Ritz Carlton and the employee who is having the day from you know where will have the biggest smile on his face eager to serve. Call American Express and the person on the other end of the line will jump through flaming hoops to make sure you have a positive, friendly experience. In the city where I live, every time I step into the local ACE Hardware, there are employees on the floor eager to make sure I walk out with exactly what I need. This is a much different experience than at other stores where employees, when you can find them, just tell you where the item you’re looking for should be instead of helping you in your search.
Drilling down even deeper, why do you think some employees are so eager to please while others are indifferent? It’s not only because they enjoy what they do, it is also because they enjoy working with, and have a high level of respect for their immediate boss. As a point of reference, think back to a time when you worked for someone you made your days miserable. How productive were you? How often did you try to please that person? How many times did you look at the clock waiting to go to lunch or leave for the day? And what about your peers? What was the turnover like? It’s all interconnected and has a direct impact on the bottom line.
So going back to my original question, when people are working for a crummy boss, are they assets to the organization? Or, could you almost say they are liabilities? Careless work, irritability with your customers and a complete lack of interest in going the extra inch to deliver on your expectations can be devastating to your brand, and your bottom line.