passion

Servant Leadership Is Spreading!

Wow, this Servant Leadership movement is spreading like wildfire! Currently we have four cities in Wisconsin that host quarterly Servant Leadership forums. Our chapter here in the northeast part of the state, Servant Leaders of Wisconsin, Fox Valley group, had more than 150 people attend our last meeting. Bob Chapman from Barry-Wehmiller was our guest speaker during the 90-minute gathering.

 Our next meeting is scheduled for Nov. 14 from 1-3 p.m. at The Marq in De Pere. Our guest speaker will be Tom Thibodeau. He is engaging and fantastic! Tom teaches at Viterbo University in La Crosse and heads the only master’s program in Servant Leadership in the state. He received rave reviews when he spoke for 15 minutes at our first meeting back in May. If you attended the Festival Foods Jim Hunter event, Tom spoke on the stage.

 Tom’s style and passion for Servant Leadership is based on civility in the community. His vision is to create the first Servant-led state! If you are at all curious on building your family, your business and your life around serving others, please attend our free event. You will be inspired—I guarantee it!

 Joe Kiedinger

 ACTION PLAN: Seating is limited so please e-mail Meredith Bartos at meredithb@prophitmarketing.com to reserve your spot!

Employee Engagement

While working on a research project on employee engagement, I’ve come across some interesting information I’d like to share with you.

 Jack and Suzy Welch, of GE and Harvard Business Review respectively, said, “…no company, small or large, can win over the long run without energized employees who believe in the mission and understand how to achieve it.”

 Engaged employees are key to the well-being of companies. Research on 71 companies internationally, by a Chicago HR research and consulting firm, found that there was “almost a 52 percent difference in one-year performance improvement in operating income between companies with highly engaged employees as compared to those companies with low engagement scores.”

 So, what makes up an engaged employee? “Engaged people are proud to work for the company. They are committed to stay and put in the extra effort to facilitate the company’s goals,” said Soni Basi, senior project director at ISR. Curt Coffman, co-author of Gallup’s bestselling book on great managers, First Break All the Rules, reveals that, “Engaged employees are builders. They want to know the desired expectations for their role so they can meet and exceed them. They’re naturally curious about their company and their place in it. They perform at consistently high levels. They want to use their talents and strengths at work every day. They work with passion. They have a visceral connection to their company. And they drive innovation and move their organization forward.”

 How can we see that we all become engaged employees? The responsibility lies within us all. Managers must find ways of keeping employees engaged by providing “a strong relationship with, and clear communication from, their manager…Managers also have to challenge employees within their areas of talent, then help them gain the skills and knowledge they need to build their talents into strengths. And managers should help employees develop ownership of their goals, targets, and milestones, so employees can enhance their contributions to the company and increase their impact,” says Coffman. Coffman continues, “Employees who get to do what they do best everyday move toward engagement. And last but not least, catch him doing things right. Recognize him for excellence. Recognition is personally fulfilling, but even more, recognition communicates what an organization values, and it reinforces employee behaviors that reflect those values.”

 Associates also have a responsibility to become an engaged employee.

 Joe Kiedinger

 Action Plan: What do you find particularly stressful at work? Confront the issue and create a solution. This way you make more time to do what truly makes you happy.