At Red Door, one of people's favorite core values is "100-percent
Jerk-Free Environment." If we tell someone about it who doesn't work here, they
laugh as if it were a joke, wait for us to laugh (which we don't), then say,
"Seriously? Wow, that's cool."
The next part, delivered with a knowing, confident smile, is: "We don't
tolerate jerks."
I have worked at some unbelievable (taken both ways) places in my
career and one of the hallmarks of each can be that jerks have ruined good days
and great people have made me feel good about tough days. A jerk can make
anyone dread coming to work. Those jerks can be on the other end of the phone,
such as clients, vendors or partners, or those that work around you including
managers and colleagues. It doesn't have to be that way; it wasn't what I
wanted my days to feel like.
Working in creative environments, I have run into my fair share of
jerks. There was always an excuse as to why they were kept around. They are
entitled because they are the client. They were highly talented at what they do
and we couldn't produce great work without that talent. You don't have to deal
with them much, so just grin and bear it. Those excuses either fuel jerks or
they force great people out; the team is more important than one talented or
even bill-paying jerk. Great people get the job done while jerks detract from
the team a little bit each day.
I'm of the firm belief that while job role and responsibilities are
important parts of keeping employees happy and motivated, fostering a team
oriented environment remains the most critical component to recruiting and
retaining a quality work force. So, we've even gone so far as to implement a
"100 percent Jerk-Free Zone" policy at our company to make this part of our
culture.
It's easy to overlook something as intangible as someone who's "a
jerk," but I've found that if we do, we pay for it. So before making the same
mistake, I thought I'd offer up some things I learned about keeping jerks out
of the office:
Ask a job candidate what they like to do when they're not working.
While not posing inappropriate or private questions, the answers to this
could indicate if a person enjoys working with others in a collaborative
and mutually-beneficial setting. Things like getting involved in team
sports or volunteering time at local community activities are good
indicators.
Conduct 360 peer reviews. I also appreciate honest feedback
from other employees as a secondary gauge to how I and my managers feel
about an individual. The perspectives obtained can be invaluable in identifying
potential issues within the company.
Establish and maintain conflict resolution policies and procedures.
Even the best of people with good intentions will still tick someone off
every now and then; it's human nature. From the outset, we at Red Door
Interactive have clear, workable ways to resolve these issues before they
become bigger. Moreover, it's not simply just to satisfy a legal or
insurance requirement, but rather because it's the right thing to do.
Lead by example. Anyone in a leadership or management position
needs to realize that they're on display and are an example.However, in this case the "jerk" value
is a tricky one, because good, honest, constructive feedback is not necessarily
being a jerk, rather is critical to employees' growth. Therefore, the onus
is on the leader or manager to provide feedback at a higher level rather
than bark an order or inappropriately admonish someone. This sets the tone
for our future leaders and managers.
Have fun. One great way I've found to make the office and the
work we do inspired is the make sure we're having a good time. We've got
several ways at our company; including setting up happy hours, museum
trips, Halloween potlucks and various cultural lunches throughout the
year.
Keep it real. We have to live this one as we do any others.
The "jerk" one is probably the hardest, though, because nothing is more
difficult than to terminate people or to show clients the door. However,
if I don't live up to the creed that we've all signed up for, then we're
not going to build the company in the vision we'd originally established.
I recognize the pressures put on companies to perform means that hiring
managers may try to put the most technically-skilled person in a role even if
the team suffers from it. But building a productive, positive workforce means
more than just placing a proverbial cog inside a wheel. The best office
environments are ones that comprises qualified people that work well together.
I've learned--at times the hard way--that keeping the jerks out is the best
way to retain happy and motivated people.
Really, I am okay with buzzwords. I know that people are likely sick of
them, but I find them appropriate from time to time, even effective in building
culture. Here’s proof: Who do you associate with “Six Sigma” or do you know
what we’re talking about when we reference “Five-Nines Reliability?” Are you
proud of being a “black belt,” yet have never broken a board with your
forehead?
Put it another way – one person’s buzzword could very well be an
organization’s rallying cry. There are several reasons why I think such
neologisms are of value to businesses:
They are easy to
recall and remember
They have an “insider”
feel
They can signify
something new and valuable
They inherently invite
others – employees and customers alike -- to get onboard
There is a litany of examples where buzzwords have succeeded to being
part of the American culture. Anyone CEO who ever said “there’s no ‘I’ in team”
can relate. Which brings me to the main point of why I love buzzwords; they can
help companies stay internally focused while helping to clearly articulate
their benefit to customers. That’s not to say that one catch phrase will
overcome any operational, product or management issues. However, they can
certainly drive grass roots, word-of-mouth marketing at little costs.
There are, of course, some things I’ve learned when trying to use or
even create a buzzword. Here are a few that I try to keep in mind:
Don’t overuse the catch phrase: It has to be something that’s
natural and meaningful when spoken. Too much of a good thing is just that.
Don’t overly market the buzzword: Truth is, for the idiom to
truly catch on, others have to do it and without prompting. There’s really
very little magic or science to it. It either does or doesn’t. What’s
more, an expensive ad or employee relations campaign will often kill it.
Let others do the buzzing: The best catch phrases are ones
where customers, employees, and partners create. A top-down approach
rarely succeeds.
Here at Red Door, there is special meaning to the word, “jerk” which
relates to our core values (get to know us and you’ll know that there are no
jerks here) or “Ritz experience” which describes our attention to detail and
expectation of always going above and beyond. We have a lexicon unique to us,
but one that bonds the team together.
Herein lies the real power being buzzwords – they are an inherent part
of an organization’s culture, leadership and values. If a company and, more
importantly, its employees, possess passion and zeal for both itself and its
customers, such idioms will have greater potential for widespread adoption.
What’s more, it’s those types of catch phrases I find most endearing, because
they are a true reflection of the organization’s management style and esprit de
corps.
Good managers continually evaluate the performance of their team and
the people that comprise it. This can occur by simply observing interactivity
among the staff or through more formal measures. However, one thing I find
extremely influential in determining the causes for employee success or failure
is in how well supervisors have provided a positive and supportive work
environment to help them excel.
It's the difference between being a task master and a leader. While accountability and personal
responsibility remain paramount to whether an individual will thrive in their
role, supervisors will undoubtedly play a critical part in that outcome. So before
I write an employee evaluation or job offer letter, I ask myself three
questions:
Am I putting the right person in
the right job?
Often times, people are hired or moved into roles based solely on their
past work experience, even though other factors always come into play in
determining someone's potential in a new gig. A different culture, work tempo
or team environment can weigh heavily on the probability for a successful
outcome.
When I evaluate an individual's potential, I try to look at much more
than their current performance when considering them for a position, and
consider important intangibles, such as attitude, desire and team chemistry.
These traits may not supersede the necessary technical skills required by the
new role, but can certainly inhibit the ability for someone to make positive
contributions to an organization in their absence.
Have I given this person the
necessary resources to do the job?
I've seen instances where job titles were in name only, and came
without the necessary people, processes or technology that should go with it.
This can happen through no fault of anyone; for instance, during an economic
downturn, where cost-cutting priorities result in scarce resources.
Nevertheless, I do make every attempt to evaluate what support an individual
should have to do their job well.
I've also found it to be a good idea to get the opinion of the person
in question as to what he or she feels is required; getting them to help
identify what would be ideal, and, as important, what are the absolute
essential elements required to meet the business objectives of their role. As a
result, I gain an even better understanding of the individual's creativity and
initiative, and thus offer greater insight if he or she has the skills and
potential necessary to perform in this new position.
What do I need to learn in order
to be a better supporter of this person?
In my opinion, this is the most overlooked question asked, but arguably
the most critical. I've learned--often through failure--that putting people
in new roles or new people in existing positions may require me to develop news
and more effective ways to communicate and encourage in order achieving a
positive outcome. Understanding this
ahead of time can mitigate any misunderstanding from the start.
This speaks to a much larger trait that I try to emulate; I must
continually learn new things in order to stay current. The volumes of books
that are frequently published on the subject will attest to that. Management is
as much art as it is science, so new challenges and opportunities related to
employees will continually arise. The trick is not necessarily to know the
answer at the outset, but know what questions to ask first. I firmly believe that doing so can help me
and my team exceed expectations.
By now, most executives clearly understand that their Internet presence is a useful tool to drive revenue, build relationships and reduce costs. In fact, many organizations can now tout their Web, e-commerce and other related sites as their most profitable sales channels.
So why then does their Internet team still look like it did five years ago?
Stuck in the past The fact is many companies don’t realize that despite the success they have enjoyed online, chances are they are still leaving money on the table. Many organizations’ current Internet strategies hearken back to the days when the Marketing department identified the youngest person they could find and said, “You’re it.” That ambitious person took the reins and guided the company as best they could into e-business. However, they can’t be all things to all people.
Today, that organization’s Internet presence strategy is probably still grounded to some degree on whatever continues most interesting to that individual, be it analytics, organic search rankings or social media. Even some of the bigger e-tailers that employ specialists who are focused on conversions, retentions, or basic customer service still look at the Web as a tactical, ad hoc channel, and not as the strategic asset it could be.
Here’s a good way for an organization to gauge if they’re being too myopic in their Internet strategy. Free online tools such as Quantcast (www.quantcast.com), Compete (www.compete.com) and Fireclick’s Conversion Rate index can provide some insight about the kind of traffic the company is receiving as compared to its competitors. Paid resources such as Internet Retailer’s E-Commerce Guide and Hitwise can also offer great details on the various service providers that other companies use, as well as very specific details about what is happening on rivals’ and industry Web sites. Noticeable differences in a competitor’s favor should give any firm reason to rethink their Web presence.
Staff it like any other sales team Companies need to understand in detail how the Web can help build stronger relationships with existing customers as well as attracting new ones that traditional sales channels can’t do as effectively. The key is in knowing who they are. Most organizations already have that data; and may only need help extracting it. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) integration along with CRM analytics may be the ticket to quickly making the most out of the data available in a combination of a company’s customer lists, purchase history, Web analytics and email lists. From there, organizations may consider expanding their Web presence to capture interest from areas though such tactics as social networking, email, online advertising and whitepaper seeding.
However, leveraging any new Internet strategies and programs effectively requires that organizations bring their Web team up to date in order to improve, fix and optimize the different aspects of their online business similar to how other employees in the company are working on the more traditional departments. That means hiring people that can work together in a strategic, coordinated effort on all aspects of Internet Presence Management, not just a select few. It also means that companies must make honest assessments of the internal skills, strengths and interests from its current team to get the most of out them and set them up for the best chance for success. So while today the Web business unit may not be the biggest stream of an organization’s revenue, putting the right people in the right places can grow it to be among them.
Overcoming obstacles in moving forward The challenge, as with other aspects of any business, is where companies should make investments so to enhance that online growth as well as the profitability. Hiring 10-15 additional specialists, though perhaps ideal, is not realistic. Organizations should therefore leverage key partners who can support the different aspects. Not only can they tap into a wide array of experts, but they can also flex these resources much faster – and often times at lower cost – than with full time staff.
Regardless of how one slices it, businesses need to get serious about how to make the most of their Internet presence. The Web can deliver more sales, enhance profitability, reduce costs or strengthen relationships. Most companies still structured similar to years past haven’t fully explored all the ways that to maximize online profitability. The evidence is all around with growing, dedicated e-tailers in nearly every category who have paved the way. The online world is ripe for well-branded companies to take advantage of their carefully cultivated assets.
Given a little creativity, the right breadth and depth of resources, some passion and some dedication, nearly any company can realize monetary benefit by leveraging the business they’ve already built – online.
