Author: Nailia Tasseel

I’ve got a great big pile of magazines on my desk which are a bit of a challenge to get through, I must admit. But today I read an article in one of them by Michael West, writing in People Management (Oct 05) which really struck a chord.

An environment of positive emotions, he writes, encourages organisational citizenship. I like that phrase. Organisational citizenship – the ‘tendency for people at work to help each other and put extra effort in beyond what is required.’ He goes on to comment that researchers think that this is what makes the difference between the most profitable organisations and the rest.

If this is true, then storytelling is an ideal way of fostering these positive emotions and engendering discretionary effort. Positive emotions encourage us to solve problems more creatively, to negotiate more successfully, to be more productive, to learn from our own performance. So telling positive stories about what we are already doing at work can only serve to spark positive emotions, and so on and so forth. Negative stories do have their place as long as a positive solution is seen as the outcome. They strike at the heart strings, but only when presented in a particular way – negativity is corrosive and can cause hostility and cynicism too.

He finishes by saying ‘The idea that we can create effective organisations by focusing on performance and ignoring the role of our emotions is based on the false premise that emotions can be ignored at work. Positive relationships and a sense of community are the product and cause of positive emotions. We should work with human need, capacity and potential, rather than against them, if we are to create positive organisations that succeed and, at the same time, foster the health and well-being of those who work in them.’

Great article, Mr West.

“Sir, what is the secret of your success?” a reporter asked a bank president.
“Two words.”
“And, Sir, what are they?” asked the reporter.
“Right decisions.”
“And how do you make right decisions?”
“One word.”
“What is that, Sir?”
“Experience.”
“And how do you get Experience?” the reporter asked.
“Two words.”
“And, Sir, what are they?”
“Wrong decisions.”

Consultants Towers Perrin have released the results of a new study which finds that a quarter of employees are actively disengaged – but much of this is down to their leaders….

Simon Caulkin writes in The Observer this week that stories permit ‘meaning and memory’. Like mnemonics, stories enable us to absorb and remember incredibly complex detail. Stories have always been part of marketing, but nowadays is an integral part of a brand.

Not sure about the idea of teepees in carparks , but we certainly go along with Daniel Allen’s views on employee engagement today in the Times…

A CEO friend of mine attended a talk the other day on organisational culture.

The speaker recounted the time he and his wife checked into a hotel bedroom. On the pillow was the usual feedback form, but under the section that read ‘Was The Room Cleaned To Your Satisfaction?’ was a hand-written note saying, ‘Please look under the bed – Betty’.

Much to his wife’s amusement the man started scrabbling under the bed, and found, right in the middle, a small card. On it was written: ‘I’ve cleaned under here as as well – Betty’.

The speaker’s theme was ‘Finding The Betty In Your Organisation!’

I always enjoy reading what David Bolchover has to say. I wonder how many of us concur with his view that while we might be just a little bored with our day to day jobs we could actually do another person’s job perfectly well, if not better.

‘Curious and intelligent minds crave variety and new challenges’, he tells us. So does this add a new dimension to our beliefs on how employees are engaged, motivated and retained? Should we really consider changing roles on a frequent basis to keep our minds fresh and sharp? I enjoyed this article.

I read recently that the 12 Safest Companies in America all have one thing in common – a passion for safety. Question: How do you instil that passion? Answer: Employee engagement. Of course, it stands to reason that employees must be engaged when it comes to safety, but a clear message is being sent out here.

Apparently America’s Safest Companies have a high level of employee involvement and empowerment in safety, as well as upper management commitment which ‘goes beyond just lip service’. So if a high level of employee engagement in the ’safety message’ results in excellence in safety – and a safety performance which exceeds the average – then it seems logical that employees who are engaged in other corporate messages could result in improved performance across the company as a whole. Not something that we didn’t know already, but the words proof, pudding and eating come to mind!

I never cease to be amazed by some of the language that comes out of companies today. And I don’t mean cursing and swearing. It’s the jargon that people use.

OK, some of it comes naturally, is universal, and is the quickest way to make reference to a particular method or process used by all. KPI’s for example – try creating a simple, jargon-free phrase to explain what they’re all about! But how often do you see the word ‘key’ thrown into presentations, willy nilly, as if it is going to make the whole sentence that much more meaningful. Not that the word ‘key’ isn’t very useful – just use it sparingly! My question (sorry, the key rationale for making this point) is, what on earth drives people to use ten words when one will do? You know who you are. Why refer to, say, ‘core capabilities’ when most humans will instantly understand the word ’skills’? Is it because it makes them feel more important / intelligent / senior / powerful / part of the inner corporate sanctum? Or is it just a strategy to buy time while they think of what they’re going to say next? Maybe they just like to hear the sound of their own voice and use jargon to make their mark – a kind of territorial mechanism. Oops, nearly fell into it myself there.

I know people whose love of using jargon and overly complicated language just to make a simple point make you want to lay your head on the table and bang it until you reach oblivion. The reality is that most of us politely nod and smile while our eyes glaze over, glance sideways at our watches and we start thinking about what kind of sandwich we’re going to get for lunch. What it does, in fact, is render that person extremely dull and boring and sends what is actually quite important and useful information on a bypass around the ears/brain and diverts it straight over the head. It is also a huge time-waster.

I hope I’m not being a hypocrite. That’s why we advocate storytelling, because it’s difficult to bring corporate jargon into simple, human experiences which are, in fact, what make us sit up and listen. You might like to buy the book ‘Why Business People Speak Like Idiots: A Bullfighter’s Guide. Great stocking filler for, oh, too many people I care to mention…