Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/875930
68 • october 2017 • world fence news The backbone of any organization is the people on the front line. No mat- ter what industry you are in, success depends on engaging and managing the talent and potential of the entire workforce from the bottom to the top. One individual told me, "I am trying to make sure every step of my day makes sense. Should I die while doing my work, I want to make sure I am doing something that matters." Today's changing work environ- ment has redefined our mental land- Transforming workers into winners gregory p. smith, president, chart your course international scape regarding how we play, live, worship, and work. Because of these sweeping chang- es, the expectations and demands of the workforce are different and de- manding. The workplace of today must place a high priority on talent man- agement. The secret of success is the ability to transform ordinary people into ex- traordinary. This takes leadership and a special management philosophy. Transform workers to winners by following the five-step PRIDE model: P – Provide a positive working environment. R – Recognize, reinforce, and re- ward each individual's efforts. I – Involve everyone. D – Develop the potential of your workforce. E – Evaluate and measure contin- uously Provide a positive working environment Creating and managing a good organization takes an entirely differ- ent approach. Indeed, one-third of the executives surveyed by Robert Half International, Inc. now say the work environment is the most critical factor in keeping an employee satisfied in to- day's business world. Happy employees make produc- tive employees. Studies from the Gal- lup organization show employees who have an above-average attitude toward their work will generate 38 percent higher customer satisfaction scores, 22 percent higher productivity, and 27 percent higher profits for their compa- nies. Recognize, reinforce, and reward each individual's efforts Money may attract people to the front door, but something else has to keep them from going out the back. People have a basic human need to feel appreciated, and recognition programs help meet that need as well as generating the behavior important for organizational success. A successful reward and recogni- tion program does not have to be com- plicated to be effective. An equipment dealership in Louisville, Ky. has al- most eliminated turnover by their pro- grams. Incentives and benefits they provide include: • Twice a year, employees' chil- dren receive a $50 savings bond when they bring in their "straight A" report cards. • They reward employees with a "Safety Bonus Program." Each em- ployee's driving record is screened twice a year. Anyone who has a citation is re- moved from the program. Those em- ployees remaining at the end of the year split $2,000. • To minimize the "we-they" syn- drome, every Friday employees rotate jobs for one hour. For example, the person in the parts department becomes a service technician. This builds a stronger team, and improves communication within the company. Involve everyone Typical organizations make de- cisions without input from the work- force. Exceptional organizations in- volve the ideas and suggestions of continued on page 78