Discovering the Soul of Service by Leonard L. Berry

Author:Leonard L. Berry
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: THE FREE PRESS
Published: 2009-07-15T00:00:00+00:00

Dana Commercial Credit’s bonus program is based strictly on merit. Employees are evaluated at the end of the year and receive bonuses based on their contribution to the business. Management takes the performance evaluation and bonus allocation process seriously and devotes considerable time to it. Bonus recommendations for each employee come from imFte supervisors through product managers and the company’s operating committee to senior management. “Our people understand the best way to get a bonus is to reflect Dana’s value system—customer satisfaction, innovation, finding a better way to deliver the service,” states chief executive Ed Shultz. “Our senior management spends three days and reviews every person on the payroll. Our principal objective is to make sure bonuses truly reflect performance.”

Custom Research Inc. faced a dilemma after it won the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award in 1996. Jeff Pope and Judy Corson had promised to take all employees to the Washington, D.C. awards ceremony should Custom Research win the award. They were unaware that each winning company was limited to 50 guests. Corson and Pope used some principles of family fairness. They held a drawing for the seats in each area and job level to insure that people throughout the company attended the ceremony. On the day of the ceremony, employees not attending enjoyed a special celebration. The ceremony was broadcast live to the office by satellite. The staff shared a catered lunch and received massages and manicures. Then they closed the office and everyone went home early. The people who went to Washington carried a large photo of a staff member who stayed behind. Audrey Omlid did make the trip—she is considered by all at Custom Research to be a world-class receptionist.

Family Fun

Members of strong families enjoy being with one another and they enjoy celebrating achievement. Families invest time and money in having fun together and so do high-trust organizations. Fun is a great trust builder because it conveys caring. Only companies that care would invest in employees’ having fun on the job. Only companies that care would thank employees for their hard work by investing in their laughter and smiles.

The companies studied for this book all have hard-work, high-achievement cultures. But fun always is in the air. Custom Research has good-news meetings, pet day, indoor golf tournaments each Minnesota winter, and treat tables (cookies, M&Ms, potato chips) in work areas. “We believe in carbohydrates,” says researcher Carolyn MacLeod.

Ukrop’s holds an annual company Olympics. Six-member teams from throughout the organization compete in fun events for gold, silver, and bronze medals. The photos of winning teams are posted in store information centers. The company sponsors bowling and golf tournaments and held its first awards and variety show in 1998. Service award dinners and luncheons are held. Several times a year, employees recognized at the annual picnic wear their “Parade of Champions” shirts to work. “We are always thinking of ways we can celebrate,” explains Debbye Mahan, who manages human resources for Ukrop’s support center. “We think of how we can thank employees.

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