Teams Work

By: Les Gore
Submitted: 2007-01-17 12:45:43
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“The purpose of business is to create and keep a customer,” according to late management guru, Peter Drucker.

And there’s not a multi-channel marketer out there who doesn’t know the importance of a sound CRM strategy—and how critical it can be to the success of a business. CRM is all about acquiring and retaining customers—and enhancing your customers’ experience and relationship with you.

But can you have good CRM without good ERM—Employee Relationship Management?

A number of clients have told me that being better customer-centric has a lot to do with being better employee-centric. Because if your employees get no satisfaction, watch out. You just can’t bully your people into being customer-centric because you say you are.

One of the ways that some of our clients are boosting their employee satisfaction is through team activities. Give it a try. It just might enhance your customer experience.

Involving your staff in team-based activities may increase CRM.

Teamwork, effective work teams, and team building are popular topics in today’s multi-channel organizations. Successful teams and teamwork fuel the accomplishment of your strategic goals. Effective work teams magnify the accomplishments of individual employees and enable you to better serve customers.

If you're experimenting with ongoing teams, start with a few to determine what team activities your organization can support. Teams require resources, and especially, time. Your teams are most effective when:

• A diverse group of employees is able to participate,

• You limit the number of teams on which any one employee may participate,

• The teams establish a regular meeting schedule,

• You require periodic team goal setting,

• Minutes or notes are posted from team meetings or projects; and

• Teams self-perpetuate by regularly adding newer employees.

There are five work teams that every organization needs.

I’ve seen many different approaches to team roles and responsibilities. Different organizations may also group responsibilities differently. As an example, a client recently asked the safety committee to take on employee wellness responsibilities in her organization. The team refused, preferring instead to add environmental responsibilities. With this in mind, these are the five teams most frequently recommended.

1. Leadership Team

Often an organization’s senior managers or department heads, the leadership team is the group that must pull together to lead your organization. The leadership team is responsible for the strategic direction of your company. The leadership team plans, sets goals, provides guidance to, and manages your organization.

2. Motivation or Employee Morale Team

Known by different names in various organizations, the Employee Morale Team plans and carries out events and activities that build a positive spirit among employees. The team’s responsibilities can include activities such as hosting employee lunches, planning company picnics, fund raising for ill employees, and fund raising for philanthropic causes. They lead the celebration of company milestones, employee birthdays, and the arrival of new babies. They sponsor company sports teams. Have fun with this team since the only limit is the imagination of its members.

3. Safety and Environmental Team

This team ensures the safety of employees in the work place. It takes the lead in safety training, monthly safety talks, and the auditing of housekeeping, safety, and workplace organization. The team provides recycling and environmental policy recommendations and leadership as well.

4. Employee Wellness Team

The wellness team focuses on health and fitness for employees. Popular activities include walking clubs, running teams, and periodic testing of health issues such as high blood pressure screening. The wellness team can sponsor whole person wellness activities such as how to make a budget or lunch. It can also learn about investment products—not investment advice.

5. Culture and Communication Team

This team works to define and create the defined company culture necessary for the success of your organization. The team also fosters two-way communication to ensure employee input up the chain of command. It may sponsor the monthly newsletter, a weekly company update, quarterly employee satisfaction surveys, and an employee suggestion process.

Start several company teams such as these, and nurture their success. Remember, teams are a means to an end, not an end in themselves. But do involve people from different parts of the company—mix managers and staff members. Let them get to know one another, what they do. Introduce marketing and merchandising folks to call center and warehouse people—to finance and IT personnel. When your people see successful teams, more of them will become interested in serving on the teams. The teams make your company a better place to work and provide the opportunity for real employee involvement and commitment. And maybe a better customer experience.

Les Gore is founder and managing partner of Executive Search International, a Boston-based, nationally recognized search firm and a 23-year vetern of the "recruiting wars."

Article source: Expert Articles