The Leading Edge - Winter 2009 - (Page 6)

cover identiFy the right CULtUre Terri Herren of The Herren Dimension says if companies want to embrace the idea of cultivating top performers, they first must decide if a performance-based culture is in their best interest strategically. “While knowledge-based industries tend to place more emphasis on performance and continuous improvement, it can be achieved in any industry and in all sizes of companies,” says Herren, who has worked more than 25 years in organizational and human resource development. “It starts with company leaders committing to a performance-based culture as a strategic business objective.” With such a commitment, companies also must devote their resources to developing processes and education, she says. “Retaining top performers is a critical competitive advantage.” Sure, she says, a company can treat all employees the same, but that’s like a teacher giving all students the same grade because they show up for class. Performance is not rewarded. “Top performers want to work for companies that provide greater recognition and rewards to them versus other employees who just show up for work,” Herren says. aPPreCiate and reCognize Shortly after he started working at a McDonald’s front counter, Paul Facella was asked by the general manager to come to a corner of the store. There, all his co-workers had gathered and the manager announced Facella had done such a good job in his first month that he would receive a nickel-an-hour raise (he was earning about $1.25 an hour). “Immediately, I was hooked,” he says today, 30-plus years later and having spent most of his career at McDonald’s, rising to the level of regional vice president. Most recently, Facella authored Everything I Know About Business I Learned at McDonald’s. He points to a Gallup study that showed 65 percent of American workers reported that they did not receive recognition within the previous year—and other reports show that frequently the No. 1 reason employees cite for departure is that they don’t feel appreciated. McDonald’s understands that data—and right from the start, Facella saw the company encourage employees early and often after iterating what was expected of the individual, what goals were set for the store, etc. When employees set a record for an hour or a day at a store, the manager might compensate the crew with time-and-a-half for that hour or day. McDonald’s corporate office also recognizes staff, licensees and vendors— presenting almost two dozen distinct awards annually. All employee ranks are eligible for the President’s Award, which is given to the top 1 percent in the company. The winners are given stock options and flown to Chicago along with their significant others for a special dinner. Facella says it’s important to recognize and include the person behind the winner too for his or her support. “We do it with fanfare,” Facella notes. But fanfare doesn’t have to mean big, expensive gestures. “It can be as simple as shaking hands and saying congratulations,” he says. ThEy DoN’T juST WANT To ENjoy ThEIr Work, ThEy WANT To bE pASSIoNATE AbouT IT. Osborne explains that in the accounting industry, one of the biggest HR challenges is finding the person with two to five years of experience. Thus, keeping staff with similar experience is a must. Ryan D. Istre, audit senior manager at PKF of Texas, a Leading Edge Alliance firm, says everyone always considers other opportunities. But doing so just made him realize how lucky he was. “They never gave me reason to look elsewhere,” he says. Upon college graduation in 2000, Istre began as an associate. Within two years he was promoted to senior associate, then manager, and last year became a senior manager. Opportunities for advancement and a pleasant atmosphere that feels like a family—where everyone knows everyone’s name and executives have open-door policies—are attributes that have helped him decide on his future. “I don’t plan on going anywhere else,” Istre says. SS&G has next generation leadership classes, which brings together both senior and relatively new directors as well as some of the up-and-coming managers and senior associates. SS&G encourages its experienced directors to take less-experienced staff when visiting clients and prospects, so they, too, have the opportunity to get exposure and see how things operate in the field. Osborne says it’s important to realize that the same plan won’t work for everyone—some might want more opportunities to work directly with clients, others might prefer to focus on business operations or training fellow employees. “Help get them involved in those things that they like doing,” she says. oFFer earLy exeCUtive oPPortUnitieS Involve younger staff members in leadership and development activities, says Rebecca Osborne, director of human resources at SS&G Financial Services, a Leading Edge Alliance firm. By leading and helping the firm develop, the employees know their voices are valued and they can learn more about all the opportunities and potential within the organization at an early stage in their careers. FULFiLL a PaSSion “Great employees are not mercenaries,” says Richard Chang, who operates his own 6 VOLUME 9 n ISSUE 2 n WInTER 2009

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of The Leading Edge - Winter 2009

The Leading Edge - Winter 2009 Contents Stay on the Climb New Business Often Hinges on an Exceptional Proposal 2009: What’s Ahead and What's Behind for Businesses, Consumers and More Top 10 Misconceptions of Doing Business in Canada In a Nutshell: Q&A The Leading Edge Alliance

The Leading Edge - Winter 2009

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