Employee Engagement = Organizational Improvement

I just finished up a consulting project that centered on improving the client organization's business performance. In this particular situation, they had several problems: low customer loyalty (repeat/referral), inefficient processes, high turnover. The client expected some expensive and drawn-out intervention to fix it. If they had gone with a typical consultant, they likely would have been correct.

But they hired my team ("the anti-consultants") ...and they were thrilled to be wrong.

In this particular instance, well-placed effort on engaging their employees created a ripple effect that positively impacted everything else - especially in challenging times. It works like this:

Connect with (really engage/care for) the employee =
1. higher morale/teamwork/productivity (more ownership, buy-in, and passion)
2. more efficiencies (employees are the closest to the operations and know how to improve it)
3. higher satisfaction/loyalty (employees are closest to the customer and can create better relationships - which, coincidentally, have been modeled by leadership as part of the engagement effort.)

Isn't it wonderful to see a business achieve it's potential? They especially appreciate that these dramatic improvements are occurring while the economic environment is killing off the weak businesses, injuring the average businesses, and rewarding the businesses that invest wisely in developing their people.

It's never too late to improve...right up until the "death rattle".

What are YOU doing to engage your employees/save your business during this difficult time?

Think about it...but more importantly, act on it...today!