Employer Values and Employee expectations-continued

In the last increment of the piece on employer values I outlined the importance of valuing a person's ability to communicate effectively and to work well in teams. Recalling that this list is not mine but one that I found from an organization that I have a great deal of respect for here is the rest of the list:

• Is accountable- In this case keeping your word on commitments you make on getting things accomplished is very important. The work of others depend on you. If you are not accountable and people can not trust your word then the organization is weaker for it, as is your value to your company.
• Values diversity- one of the things we have learned over the past few years of watching our government at work is that when you value on the opinions of those you like you tend to get a very clouded view of life. Not everyone is right all the time nor is it likely that your "filter" is the same as mine. I tend to get one really good idea every year but it tends to be a very valuable one, sometimes worth millions in additional business. To think that I am the only one with this capability is insane. We all can contribute regardless of our backgrounds, beliefs, or gender.
• Commits to service- It should be obvious that treating your customers as a valued asset should be number one in people's minds but this is not a universally held view. There are a few managers out there that value customers only for the revenue they bring in. Once the contract is signed they have little use for these customers until it is time for a new contract or a renewal. This is an entitlement mentality, "I am entitled to your business", that few customers appreciate. When your competition treats them better guess where they are going. This same mantra is true if you serve internal customers. We often wonder why there are rogue IT organizations in companies. They have developed competition for the true IT organization, most likely because of poor service.
• Delivers excellence- I like this one because it gets to the type of person you are and your beliefs as a part of a group, which is what a company really is. If you are not always in the mode of delivering an excellent product you will be dealing with problems more than new business. Once you go down this path recovering from it is nearly impossible. Many a great company has suffered from a lack of excellence only to fall victim to competition. We have watched the American steel and auto industries go through this and we all know the results.

Have a great new year every one!

Employer Values and Employee expectations

I recently ran across an organization that insists on having their employees and prospective employees agree to certain behaviors and values. I found the process intriguing and thought I would share what I learned about their expectations and some thoughts on what it means from both the employer and employee perspectives. The list was fairly extensive so I will have to break the list up into parts, in no particular order:

• Effective communications- to include active listening to others; responding to others with "a sense of caring and respect"; keeping others informed; conveying information clearly, concisely and respectfully in speaking and in writing; encouraging and modeling open dialogue; to be positive and supportive in all communications; and displays a willingness to share opinions and or concerns with "positive intent".

This would be tough for some I have worked with in the past as they cherish the opportunity for back stabbing and other modes of back channel communications. Their intent was often not positive in nature.

• Demonstrates Teamwork- This includes working collaboratively with others rather than working separately competitively or adversely. Emphasis is given to working to build collaborative relationships across all functional lines to meet mutually agreed upon goals.

Clearly teamwork can be closely related to the first value of communications. As an employer setting expectations early on in a relationship with your human resources can provide you with an advantage later on should behaviors not aligned with these values crop up.

I have to emphasize that this is not my list but that of a organization I have a great deal of respect for, and one that is highly successful in their given niche.

I will provide the next increment of this list shortly.