From The Customer Framework’s (TCF) discussions with client board members and investors, we know that the engagement of associates and channel partners does not get the ‘airtime’ it deserves. Yet success depends on having people that both understand what is required of them and have the passion to make it happen.
‘Investing in People’ is a mantra in the majority of large companies, but can also be a misnomer. On the one hand employees or associates are told they are valued,whilst corporate behaviours and decisions often demonstrate the opposite. Training budgets, learning days, fun events and awards are all reducing, whilst workloads are increasing and Management appraisal focuses on productivity KPIs rather than creativity or business outcomes.
At TCF we believe passionately in the need to combine productivity with motivation and engagement. We know that engaged people can make unprofitable businesses profitable or successful businesses more successful.
The context for engagement is different in every circumstance. There are different levels of emotional contract, different cultures, different roles and different histories of organisational change. Accordingly, TCF uses a range of techniques and tools to help companies, including senior mentoring, business games, themed events, guides, training and coaching, etc.
TCF’s chosen starting point is to carry out a rapid and low cost research survey (usually on-line), supported with a few in-depth interviews. This identifies, for different functions, both their understanding
- I know where we are going
- I know my role
- I know what I am measured on
and their engagement
- My manager knows me
- My manager focuses on me
- My manager cares for me
- I believe in what I am doing
- I like it at work
With this background, through a few short meetings with the leaders of the business and HR, a targeted engagement plan canbe quickly implemented which will show results within a few months of launch and ensure that associates and channel partners are engaged in customer management within the organisation.