Communication = Leadership

In a recent NYT interview, Kip Tindell, chief executive of the Container Store said, “Communication is leadership.” At the Container Store, it seems that they communicate everything to every employee, in an effort for total transparency. An amazing concept, that I bet few companies follow. First, there are issues with SEC and insider trading rules. Second, there’s a resource issue—how do you possibly communicate everything to everyone?

But as a communicator who is passionate about engagement, I like several of Tindell’s ideas:

• Communication is leadership. Employees are hungry for information. The more upfront and transparent you can be, the more likely you are to develop an engaged workforce.
• In employment interviews, discuss the company’s philosophy and culture. Don’t just talk about it—have a discussion so that you get a sense of whether the applicant shares those ideals. People who share your company’s philosophy and values are more likely to become engaged employees.
• Like a boat, every person has a wake. When we do something, we leave a wake behind us that affects everyone around us. We should keep this in mind as we make decisions and take action. More positive things will come out of our wake, I’m sure.
• One great person = three good people. The Container Store’s comp philosophy is to pay well for great people. If you’re a great person, that’s good for you, and it’s good for the company (because the employee isn’t likely to get paid that much elsewhere!). I realize it’s not always possible, but compensating employees for the value they provide is a win-win. Compensating great employees—those who are verifiably great—equally to “okay” employees isn’t going to help you retain the A players.

What I don’t like about Tindell’s ideas—meetings. He admits they have frequent, passionate and long meetings that include more participants than may be necessary. Surely we can all make do with fewer, shorter meetings.

Read the interview.

A Great Idea for Morale Building

Focusing on the positives in our lives boosts morale—our own and that of those around us. Eric Best of University Community Hospital put his white board to good use for that purpose. He wrote on the board, “Today was a good day because,” and let employees fill in their own thoughts. Read about it—and see a photo. I LOVE this idea! It’s an outlet for employees to be creative and have fun at work. And it costs nothing.

Before You Click “Send”

Face it, HR send hundreds of emails every year. And most employees don’t even take the time to read them, right? But have you stopped to think about the communications you send out?

Leaders Pave the Way for Engagement

A Business Week article by Alaina Love, co-author of The Purpose Linked Organization: How Passionate Leaders Inspire Winning Teams and Great Results (McGraw-Hill, 2009), caught my eye last month. The article, “You Can Lead. But Can You Inspire?,” offers a quiz on how inspirational you are as a leader. The quiz is a great guide for each of us personally, but also to share with the managers in our companies.

10 Low-Cost Ideas for Building Morale

We’re more than a year into the worst recession in decades. Across the country employers have eliminated jobs, reduced pay and suspended 401(k) benefits. Studies tell us that employees are less engaged and less committed than they were a year ago. Watson-Wyatt’s 2009/2010 U.S. Strategic Rewards Survey reports that engagement is down 9%. What can you do to improve morale with a limited budget?