On one hand, as a society, we put an incredible amount of value on innovation, “leading the way,” the “rebel without a cause” decisiveness displayed by a variety of prominent cultural icons…

On the other, we hold co-workers and leaders accountable for being “team players’ and for gaining consensus before acting.  We single out people who just “go for it” as individualists who don’t take the group’s needs into consideration.

So, what’s the right answer?  Is there?

Asking for Permission

There is definitely value in gaining buy-in from your team and other influential characters in your work life.  For starters, it’s much more likely that you will have people on board with your ideas before ever launching.  This may equate to added help and encouragement as you move forward with your plans… perhaps a helping hand or two when implementation proves more difficult than expected.

That said, and despite our society’s emphasis on being a team player; it often seems that people use asking for permission as a crutch.

Yes, I know we would all like to believe that team players are in it for the team… that they live and breath for the company and, in their off time, dream about how to make work a better place for everyone.  But, the truth is, there are very few altruistic beings in this world.  Most everyone has a “what’s in it for me?” mindset that guides their decision making.  Further, safety in consensus breeds a protective mindset, which in turn gives way to a protective stance in work behavior.

Getting buy-in from others is a pretty convenient way of covering your a$$ should your idea end up becoming a professional fail whale.

Asking for Forgiveness

Just go for it!  What’s the worst that can happen?  No guts, no glory!  Right?

As I’ve asked around on this topic, I’ve found that perceptions of this question are highly dependent on the audience.  Entrepreneurs, innovators and creatives tend to ask for forgiveness.  They are often times motivated by their inner-desires to take risks and make change.  To ask for permission is to trust their instincts and creative spirits in the hands of people who may not share the same amount of passion or vision for the topic.

With that in mind, it’s also important to point out that innovators are often times action-oriented.  They have lost the inner-desire to always be right – to never make mistakes.  Therefore, it’s much more tolerable for them to step off the cliff every now and again.  They have internalized the realization that they will indeed become stronger from their mistakes (so long as it doesn’t kill them, of course).

What Do You Have To Lose?

The repercussions for just “going for it” are usually greater in our minds than in reality.  We have an uncanny ability to build up these other-worldly disaster scenarios that, often times, keep us from taking action… taking risks.

The truth is, in most cases, you will be just fine.  You may have to readjust if your action proves to be a mistake… but, that doesn’t mean that the sky is going to fall down and that you are condemned to spend the rest of your years on this earth as a failure.  Nope!  You get up, dust yourself off and move on to the next thing – this time armed with new knowledge from your past experience.

Over the past few years, I’ve noticed an undertone that companies are starting to focus more on hiring people who have made mistakes.  People who make major change tend to screw up – it’s the nature of the beast and a part of what will make a person more successful in the future.

Tell me how many times you’ve screwed up and I’ll tell you how successful you’ll be!

P.S.  When you are faced with a hard decision, try this.  Imagine that you are at the end (laying on your deathbed).  At that moment, are you wishing that you would have gone for it or chosen to play it safe?  Do you wish that you would have spoken your mind?  Do you wish that you would have asked for permission or forgiveness?  The answer you come to from this perspective should help guide your decisions and, better yet, force you to live based on your values.

As I was searching the web for Christmas presents, I came across this wonder of modern science.

Yes! For a mere investment of $9.98 you can purchase a microwaveable s’mores maker. This handy gadget will help you eliminate burned fingers and drippy chocolate.

And that is the problem.

You see, making s’mores is not just about the s’mores. It’s about the experience – your eyes burning from the wood smoke, taking your mittens off to break the graham crackers in 1/2, practicing your timing over the fire so the marshmallows are toasty but not charred, futily trying to get the marshmallow spread over the chocolate without breaking the graham crackers, laughing at your friend who has sticky, chocolatey marshmallow goo on his face.

What does this have to do with sales? Quite simply, the s’mores gadget solves problems, but eliminates the meaningful experience.

The Experience You Provide is as Important as the Solution

“People make buying decisions at an emotional level and justify those decisions with logic.” Kelley Robertson

Every great sales coach will tell you that if you want to make money, you need to find people’s pain points and solve their problems. That is true, but it’s not enough. You must solve people’s problems and provide them with a powerful, positive, emotional experience. Each interaction you have with your clients, from the moment they visit your website or read your tweets to the moments after they purchase something from you is building a series of experiences. It is the accumulation of these experiences that will cause your clients to become loyal and long-term or to look somewhere else.

What can you begin to do today that will go beyond solving a problem for your clients and create an indelible experience that will generate customer excitement, word of mouth advertising and ultimately increased sales?

Earlier today, during my daily digestion of social media, I landed on a blog post written in May 2008.  The article, 10 Ways Generation Y Will Change the Workforce, was interesting, but more interesting were the 63 comments that followed.  It sparked my interest in all generations and their stereotypes, not just Gen Y.

Name that Generation:

“Wow. This article shows the valid reasons why Gen-Y thinks they are so awesome. They have entitlement issues. What this article says is, “Gen Y is here! We don’t want to work hard, but we wants lots of vacation time and high salaries for no reason other then we think we deserve them!” Maybe the parents of these morons needed to beat them more to make them realize life isn’t fair and you have to work for what you want. Again, wow. …”

“Great post! I can definitely agree with that and have already started to use these strategies with my own work habits, especially with how long I work ”

“This is exactly what is wrong with America! We need to start the idea of working our way up, and fighting for what’s right for the company. All you get now-a-days is degreed kids with no common sense. This country is screwed! You think I’M bitter? There’s more out there worse that me.”

Falling into Stereotypes

The comments were exactly what I would have predicted them to be.  Boomers seem extremely critical because “business doesn’t change.” Gen X… cynical of this optimistic and “delusional” generation while Gen Y passionately agreed and defended his view.

Isn’t it interesting how the comments fall right into the stereotype of each generation?

It’s hard to fight against a stereotype when you are faced with others that live it. It’s no longer a battle of generations or people – it is a battle of stereotypes.

The sad part is that each contributor was too caught up in the perceived stereotype of the other to allow any real interaction or meaningful conversation to occur.

Two Sides of the Coin

When I think about Gen Y, I feel there are two different categories my generation falls into.

The first falls into its stereotype.  This group graduates college expecting a job (a high paying one at that) solely because they have a degree.  It doesn’t matter if they have had real job experience, or even a degree in that specific field.

They DO have that piece of paper … so, don’t they deserve a job?

The second, I feel, is most affected by the stereotypes imposed on Gen Y as well as by their “entitled” counterparts. Typically, these are the ones who discovered their passion and became involved (internships, student clubs, etc…).  These are also the workers that request feedback with the end goal of higher performance and additional benefit to their organizations – not just a pat on the back.

They understand the value of going above and beyond, getting involved in different departments and facets of the business and getting their hands dirty at times.  They recognize that they want to work at an organization that rewards those efforts.

These are the products of Gen Y that feel the backlash of the stereotypes and the contributors that Corporate America should strive to protect.

Generational Ambassadors

Feeling this way about my generation, it’s easier for me to understand that all generations have these differences.  Gen X is not just a group of grunge wearing cynics and the baby boomers are not all in denial. But, these stereotypes still exist and they are very real.

It seems the most vocal generational brand ambassadors are those that, unfortunately, live their stereotypes.  Can’t we all just get along?

How do you brand your generation?

Photo Credit, Ben Garney

Time really does fly!  It seems like just yesterday I was driving through the Walt Disney World campus on my way to Disney Institute.  I must admit, it was an experience that I had really looked forward to.  As it ended up, I had every reason to be excited about the week ahead.

Expectations Meet Reality

The truth is… anything Disney comes with high expectations.  Let’s face it, when you are brought up on the enchantment and wonder that is “Disney,” most everything related to the organization will fuel a sense of over-the-top potential.  My state of mind at the time was surely on this track… and, in all fairness, perhaps altered my ability to objectively evaluate the course in the moment.  While I could understand the material and was absolutely taken by the experience as a whole, something in me kept waiting for a magic carpet ride or some crazy other-wordly experience…

Disney Institute is an amazing place to learn.  Between the environment, the instructors, the behind-the-scenes experiences and more… there is no doubt in my mind that DI serves as a very unique opportunity for those interested in expanding their professional filters.  With that said, it is a course designed for training, not frolicking around the parks like a 10 year old (or a childlike 30 year old) .  There is curriculum, you will be expected to focus and you will experience a magnitude of exercises related to the course.  As you might imagine, by the end of the week, participants are beat!

Why The “Digestion” Period?

I was invited to attend the “Business Excellence” series at DI.  The course, in a nutshell, was designed to give the participant a taste test of all the various intensive courses that DI has to offer.  While each segment of the course can serve as a standalone mini-training, the purpose is not to exhaust any particular topic.  With that said, if in going through course you find yourself highly intrigued by… let’s say Brand Loyalty, you may find it frustrating to move past that topic after just one day.  What I found was that my frustration tied directly to my desire for more… which, from my now “digested” perspective, is probably a great thing!

After the week-long adventure concluded, I put some thought around doing a wrap up post… but, ended up holding off.  Finally, after debating what to do next, I decided to sit on the information for a while before giving any final assessment.  The reasons for this have been threefold.

1. I had learned so much that I didn’t know where to start.
2. There were (and continue to be) a thousand things going on at once.
3. I wanted to see what central topics stuck with me months after the training ended.

So, there you have it… my reasons (excuses) for holding off.  Now for the meat and potatoes.

Disney Institute – Lasting Lessons from Business Excellence

As I expected, the concepts shared on branding, user experience and employment culture stuck with me the most.  For starters, these areas are of personal interest.  However, and even with my personal interests taken into account, I do believe that these three areas created some “Wow!” moments for the class.

So, I’m going to go all “Blogger” and list my lessons out here.  I will refrain from referring back to notes so that I can only relay that which stuck!

Branding

1. Branding happens at every stop along the way… if the customer can see/experience it, you have an opportunity to negatively/positively impact the perception on your organization.
2. Every company should embrace the concept of “On Stage” – Since the training and my newly embedded filters, I have become much more in tune with this!
3. People experience your brand… you should strive to understand what emotional impact you have on them when they encounter you and/or your company.
4. A brand takes work… and a lot of it!  Walt Disney didn’t just decide to make “Disney” one of the most well-recognized household names… it required a huge amount of dedication and commitment!

User Experience

1. There are primary and secondary users of your products… we must keep both in mind.  Each influences the other.
2. Thinking through the bottlenecks your clients may experience with your company can make a huge difference (think about how boring it can be to wait in a huge line for a ride… Disney works at making it fun!)
3. Consider the time that your company occupies in a person’s day… how does that impact their other relationships?  What can you do to improve that impact or, at least, make it enjoyable for all impacted parties?
4. Feedback, feedback, feedback!  Hope is not a strategy… we must ask our customers what they think and continuously implement and improve upon their suggestions… KEY!

Employment Culture

1. Disney makes it very easy for a potential employee to change their mind!  No use in hiring someone that either a) doesn’t truly want to be there OR b) has reservations about their future with your company.
2. The spirit and accountability of a workforce can be instilled in alternative ways.  Disney has a “way” of doing things… not just “rules and regulations” – Inspire the behaviors you seek from your team!
3. Make it easy for employees to do things the right “way” and they are much more likely to do them!
4. Give your employees something to be excited about by getting to the heart of what your company does.  People don’t just work for a paycheck… give them something more and they will respond!

What Would Walt Do?

I think back on my experience at Disney Institute with very positive feelings.

By the time the week was over I was exhausted and perhaps mentally overwhelmed.  However, now, almost 3 months later, I still find myself thinking about the training on a very regular basis.  Day-to-day business situations take on a whole different feel when analyzed from a Disney perspective.  It’s been both fun and enlightening to engage challenges with this new filter… and I look forward to more of it in the future!

To the kind people at Disney Institute, I sincerely appreciate the time, energy and resources you willingly gave during our stay with you.  You made it a magical experience and I’m very grateful for having been invited!

To the business people of the world who are looking to expand your training horizons… go check out what Disney Institute has to offer.  Whether for yourself, your team or your company as a whole, Disney Institute offers a wide array of courses to meet your individual needs.  I have a high level of confidence that they will not only meet, but exceed your expectations!

If you missed the fun while we were all going through the course, hop over to the Disney Institute page on my site to see photos, tweets and related blog posts!  Click Here!

I just wrapped up an interview with a local magazine and the interviewer asked me this question:

“You worked with a wide range of clients, from family-owned businesses to several Fortune 500 companies, what have you learned from both?”

I think the answer to that question merits a post.

I learned that both business models have a lot to learn from each other. In fact, if both models combine their strengths, the results will be tremendous.

Corporate Crap

Looking at Fortune 500 companies, particularly publicly-held companies, their emphasis is on profitability. There isn’t anything inherently wrong with that priority; businesses have to be profitable to survive. The danger comes when profitability becomes a singular focus or when the only important result is the next quarter’s closing stock price. With that focus, companies often choose to make sacrifices in vital areas that cripple long-term success. I worked for four publicly held Fortune 500 companies. I saw leadership shoot themselves in the long-term “foot” in an effort to find an extra $1,000 in saving. For example:

• Companies are cutting back on commissions paid to sales people – the people who are bringing in new customers.
• What about professional continuing education and training? Employees who need to learn how to do their jobs better (to serve their customers better so they can improve customer retention) are suffering under on-the-job training from managers who aren’t trainers and are just as frustrated as they are.
• I worked at a company where the brilliant executive team (not) decided to save money by cutting back on salary increases. The result? A group of their front-line customer-service employees received a 10 cent hourly increase at the time of their performance review. How excited were those employees to serve their customers and put a positive face on the company? The company had 38% turnover in 60 days in this group of 120 employees. It took months to find qualified replacements. It was no surprise to see profits plummet.

The ways in which companies choose to focus on profitability has impacted more than just the employees, it has impacted the American people, specifically the taxpayers. Remember the contention around the “Big 3″ begging for government subsidies while flying in luxurious corporate jets?

Small businesses don’t have it all right either.

I am stunned by the number of small business owners whose singular priority is to build and maintain relationships. They don’t have budgets, they have not set financial goals, they can’t tell me what their average cost per sale is and they don’t know how much profit they netted last month. Yes, developing strong relationships is a hugely important business practice. This strategy will earn you credibility in the marketplace,  expand your circle of influence and help you grow and retain your customer base . That said, if you don’t develop a financial strategy that will keep you healthy and strong, your business will close. If you don’t balance meeting the needs of your customers against your P&L, you will fail.

It’s all about your focus.

If corporations want to win long-term, they need to devote more resources to their customers and their employees. Folks, the market is changing and if you haven’t been taking care of your people, get ready for some turnover.

If small businesses want to win long-term, they need to devote more time to understanding the numbers at a micro level and creating a sturdy financial plan.

What other lessons can small business learn from corporate and vice-versa?

Photo courtesy of rogerimp.

Alicia Arenas is a guest blogger for The Red Recruiter.

The right place at the right time…

Can you imagine how your life would change if you could solve that riddle?  Where is this “place” and what “time” has everyone been referring to?

After a day of way too much brainstorming and a few too many philosophical wanderings, my conclusion is that the time is always and the place is everywhere.

Consider this:

1. Opportunity never stops, it just evolves. Our job is to see it and pursue it.
2. No matter where you live, what you do or who you want to be… your chances are greater when you focus on and pursue your desires.  The alternative is to sit idle… become stagnant.
3. Opportunities present themselves in many forms. When we are open to those many forms, it is easier to recognize them when they come our way.  Leave the preconceived notions of a “perfect opportunity” behind.
4. Disappointment is your friend… it forces you to move on. These moments of truth can become your best chances to recognize and embrace a new opportunity… so stay open!  The more time you dedicate to focusing on the bad – the less time you focus on point #2.

Strengths and Clarity

I’ve been exploring some concepts lately around career development and potential as they correspond to a person embracing their strengths.  For reasons that I will eventually discuss, the topic is at the center of a pretty exciting project that I’ve been engaged with.

As someone who has dedicated their professional career to talent acquisition, the concept of strength alignment definitely perks my interest.  It makes me consider a few things:

• How many people who are outwardly miserable dedicate to professions that fall outside of their passions/strengths?
• How could a person’s life improve if they were given a path to capitalize on their main strengths?
• How many high achievers have you met who did not fully embrace their inner talents?

Whether you are hiring someone or advancing your own career… exploring how long-term success and personal strengths operate together seems like an important topic to consider – really important!

It might seem all fluffy and idealistic to think that we can all achieve more and accomplish our dreams… but is it?  Perhaps our reluctance has everything to do with our inner fear of rejection – the risk of striving for something and falling short… the potential embarrassment we will face by failing to accomplish our dreams.  Perhaps it has to do with the perceived complexity of identifying what we are good at and figuring out how we can funnel those talents in a constructive direction.

Just remember, dreams are like Play-Doh – they can morph and change as much as you want them to.  Natural talents, on the other hand, are a part of who we are… starting with these key elements, we are able to build a huge array of potential dreams and desires.

Build a dream, pursue that dream, fail, build another dream, add water, repeat.  The likelihood of you living in a van down by the river is pretty low… so, take some risks.

Talent Meets Opportunity

I had a point… so, let me get back to it.

Timing is one part, but talent/strength alignment is the other.  The likelihood of a person recognizing an opportunity goes way up when they are dedicating to something that they are skilled at or passionate about.  I’ve seen this in my own life and I see it in the careers of the many people I encounter.

I don’t know what the true answers or conclusions are to all of these mental wanderings… I suppose that it’s just some food for thought.  Perhaps it will spur something that leads you to something greater – perhaps it won’t.

I’d love to know what you think about the topic.

How do you see talent manifest itself… cause major change… impact a person’s life?  Do you think that people tend to do what they are good at or what they find a job in?  How can we change all this and open doors?

Photo Credit, Michel Filion

It’s been an amazing past week!  Having my first experience at Walt Disney World and going through Disney Institute created more than a few ideas for posts.  In particular, I’m planning to dive deeper in the areas of branding process, user experience and perhaps the way in which Disney built their employee culture.  If you would like for me to discuss one particular aspect of their training, feel free to drop me a note or comment below.  I’d be happy to create the content around your curiosity.

Now it’s time to pack and get ready for another busy week.  I’m off to Chicago in the morning (in a few hours) for the very first Red Shoe Project TweetUp on Monday and to speak at a Skilled Recruiters Network event on Tuesday.  It promises to be a non-stop, red shoe wearing, Chi-Town extravaganza!

If you have yet to visit the new Red Shoe Project website, I encourage you to do so.  While it’s still in the works, your feedback is very helpful in creating a design that is both easy to use and visually appealing.  I appreciate your help!

http://redshoeproject.org

Any recommendations for where I should snap a Red Shoe Project photo in Chicago?  This will be my first time to spend more than 6 hours in the city and I’ve heard great things!

Company culture is a tricky topic.  Let’s face it; we don’t all have Cinderella, Belle and Mickey running around to help us establish that childlike emotional commitment to our brands like Disney does.  The ability to excite, innovate and entertain our future employees in the same powerful way would be amazing… but, that will never be the reality for most.

So, what can we do to create the same sort of passion and enthusiasm for our employment brands that I have found in one particular Intern at Disney Institute?

Katy Ray Sears lives and breathes Disney.  Shortly after arriving to Orlando we met Katy for the first time – polite, enthusiastic and absolutely crazy for Disney.  Katy is currently serving as an Intern for the Disney Institute.  Her technical role is the Group & Convention Public Relations Intern… but, in all reality… she is much more than that!  This “Intern” bleeds pixie dust!

When it comes to Disney, Katy is a true brand champion.  Not in a forced down your throat, you must eat and breathe Walt Disney kind of way – it’s more of a childlike wonderment that is very difficult to not get excited over.  It’s not in the words as much as the way that her eyes grow wide and sparkly anytime she speaks about the organization.  She is, in my opinion, the type of cast member (internal employee to Disney) that truly captures the spirit of the organization.

So, for fun, I asked this passionate Disney ambassador to give me her top ten list of things about Disney that stick out in her mind and why she chose them.

Katy Ray Sears’ Top Ten Favorite Things About Disney

1. Walt Disney – Because he shows that one person can change the world!
2. Main Street USA – It embodies the spirit of America, comfort and memories.
3. Peter Pan’s Flight – Where else can you fly over London in a Pirate Ship?
4. Princesses – They symbolize dreams that everyone has.
5. Carousel of Progress – Walt’s own idea from beginning to end…
6. Great Movie Ride – Ride through Hollywood’s greatest movie scenes and get right in the middle of the action!
7. Parades & Fireworks – Especially “Wishes”
8. Fantasmic – Greatest show ever!
9. The Kids – Walt Disney World gives them something to believe in, no matter their circumstances.
10. Cinderella’s Castle – It’s a real representation of dreams coming true!

Here is the actual note…

Katy Ray is a fantastic addition to the Disney team.  She will represent them well now and into the future with her amazing level of intensity for the organization and her commitment to delivering on Disney’s key standards for guest satisfaction.

Company culture and the way in which it flows through your employees’ veins is highly dependent on their abilities to emotional connect and verbally communicate what makes their company great!

Give your employees something to get excited about!  Develop stories and examples of your culture that they will eagerly want to share with their families, friends and everyone else they come into contact with.

Can you imagine what a group of Katy Rays would do for your organization?

Regardless of whether or not you are a fan, most people would agree that Disney has done an excellent job at establishing a brand that commands respect.  Let’s face it; any company that makes it all the way to the multi-billion dollar mark has done something right.

Disney Institute clearly establishes to the participant that the organization is jam packed with policies, procedures and internal traditions that center around providing an amazing experience to their guests.  The goal is that this experience will be so well executed upon that guests/buyers feel compelled to make Disney a regular part of their vacation, movie and entertainment schedules… and many of their buyers do!

During the “Brand Loyalty” overview, the instructors specifically hit on six categories of brand development.  These steps are presented as a graduated set of categories for your business.

Disney’s Six Stages of Brand Evolution

1. Unbranded Goods
2. Brand as Reference
3. Brand as Personality
4. Brand as Icon
5. Brand as Company
6. Brand as Policy

In essence, a brand would develop from the category of “Unbranded Goods” all the way through to the “Brand as Policy” stage.  At that final point, brand becomes much more than a thought or hypothetical future direction… it becomes an institutionalized set of policies that guide the organization to a level of consistency – all of this, of course, leading to a consistent experience for the consumers of the brand.

The trainers in our “Disney’s Approach to Business Excellence” course have reviewed internal business approaches and methodologies in great detail.  From how lines at the amusement parks are laid out to how the organization conducts their On-Boarding classes… “Traditions”.  Branding and the overall commitment to the “magic” are obvious!

So, what can we learn from Disney about branding?  How can we apply the series of steps above to our own ventures… be them personal or professional?  Are you providing a consistent, Disney-like experience to your buyers, end users and/or internal clients?

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this!  Where would you consider yourself or your company to be in the branding process?

Most everyone likes to know that they are appreciated.  Your kids, family members, neighbors… a simple and sincere compliment can often times help in building better relationships.  I’m not an advocate for making up compliments just for the sake of doing it -- that would be counterproductive in the long-run.  What I’m talking about is simply taking the time out to recognize people around you when they do something that makes you happy.  Simple, right?

So, how does this apply to work?

Well, we spend a pretty good amount of time working.  In fact, if you take the amount of hours that you are around your co-workers as compared to your family, friends and neighbors… you are very likely balancing your life between the two realms.  So, just as it would apply to your home life, making an effort to recognize others can and should build goodwill at work.  So, why don’t more people do it?  Great question!  This could be a late night television list…

1. I’m too busy to worry about that stuff.
2. We are here to do our jobs.
3. We are adults, we don’t need special attention.
4. I gave him/her a raise -- doesn’t that show I care?
5. I rated him/her high on their review.
6. It’s not really our culture.
7. I’m not into all that fluffy stuff.
8. Gold stars are so Jr. High!
9. They already know that I think they do good work.
10. We save our recognition awards for the monthly ceremony (wooop teee dooo!)

A SHRM Conference “Stand Out”

This was my first year attending the annual SHRM conference.  Press pass in hand, I wandered around looking for interesting things to write about.  I had been approached by at least 75 different companies to do an interview with their various experts -- I wasn’t interested in that route.  I was hell-bent to find something different, interesting… something that made me sit back and say, “That’s going to matter!”  I found that in a company out of Michigan called Baudville.

To me, this was the diamond in the ruff I had been looking for.  You see, I wanted to share information about the SHRM conference through blogging and tweeting, but talking about hundreds of vendors really didn’t seem all that enticing.  The true interest, for me, was in finding a company with a fresh message, a staff that actually liked what they were doing and, last but not least, a keyhole to the “most interesting” for those of you who weren’t able to make it.  You are coming next year, right?

Baudville does something that other companies do.  They specialize in providing tools necessary for recognizing your employees.  Not a big deal in itself.  What is a big deal is the way that they present it and the how they encourage workplaces to be better.

In my conversation with Brad Darooge, CEO of Baudville, he made a comment that I had to write down.  “Recognition is just a word.  Ultimately, what we are trying to do is improve the relationships between companies and their workers.”  From a different person, I would have taken this as a canned response… but, Brad is not just saying it.  Baudville is pushing to change the way we exist at work.  Watch this.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHKbc2gxi-8

So, the question turns to “How?”

Through the use of funny, ice-breaking, artistic and cost-effective tokens of appreciation, Baudville is giving managers the ability to do more in a way that stands out.  Recognition should not be complex… it should be commonplace and easy to deliver.  It does not require a monthly meeting or a special ceremony.  It requires a sincere attitude and the understanding that people work for people, not companies.  If you disagree on that point, I invite you to sit with me for a day while I recruit people away from some of the “Best Places To Work.”  Come see… it’ll be fun!

Stephanie Lloyd wrote a great piece the other day on how our current economy is breeding a very dangerous situation for companies.  The delusion that paying less and getting more will last for any substantial amount of time is deconstructed with a powerful argument by Stephanie.

Losing great people isn’t cheap.  If giving them a small pat on the back could change that situation and save your company money, you may want to consider a more robust recognition program.  Baudville, in my opinion, is positioned very well to be a part of that growing need as we move forward into some pretty turbulent times in the area of retention.

Here is a list of some Baudville employees out on Twitter:

Brad Darooge -- CEO

Kristy Sherland -- VP of Product Development

Lilly Maric -- Product Art Manager

Cori Curtis -- PR Coordinator

Cindy Gilman -- HR Manager

How are you recognizing your employees?  Have you seen anything truly innovative in a while?  Share your thoughts!

Disclaimer:  I was not compensated by Baudville in any way to write this post.  I chose them because I was impressed.  Their product, their people and their forward-looking approach left me feeling compelled to share more about this great organization.