• The key to keeping customers satisfied and loyal is to value and train employees while making them an integral part of corporate success.

  • Change is constant. To implement change you must listen, engage, and empower individuals in the change process.

  • Corporations can work five times harder and spend five times more money to gain new customers, or they can keep the ones they have.

  • Personally, I am always ready to learn, although I do not always like being taught. Winston Churchill

  • The number one fear in the world is public speaking. “You” vs. “I” messages are powerful tools for capturing your audience’s attention.

  • First, people don’t grow and change much unless they’re in a supportive environment where people know what they want to do and encourage them to do it.

  • Leadership IQ being equal, it is believed emotional intelligence – how we manage ourselves, our emotions and the emotions of others – accounts for 85 – 90% of what separates the most outstanding leaders from their peers.

  • Effective coaching is a key method for increasing productivity and profitability in an organization. Recent studies have shown that 85% of the workforce wants holistic coaching so that they can continually improve and grow.

  • 25 of every 27 customers who have a bad experience fail to report it because they don’t believe anything will change.

  • The great thing in this world is not so much where we are, but in what direction we are moving. Oliver Wendell Holmes

  • The quality of a person’s life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor. Vince Lombardi

  • No one of us is as smart as all of us – when teams function well, miracles happen.

  • 78% of consumers say their most satisfying experience occurred because of a capable and competent customer service representative.

  • Employee loyalty builds customer loyalty, which builds brand loyalty. It’s as simple - and as difficult - as that.

  • It costs 10 times more to gain a new customer than it does to keep an existing customer.

  • Companies Don’t Solve Problems.
    People Do.

  • The key to building a culture based on Trust and Personal Responsibility is getting all employees to be committed to the organization’s Vision and the Values That Build Trust.

  • A survey of 350 executives across 14 industries, 68% confirmed their companies experienced unanticipated problems in their change process. – International Consortium of Executive Development Research.

  • Learn something every day. Never stop learning.

  • The brighter you are, the more you have to learn.

  • Leadership is being the best you can be, and helping others be the best they can be.

  • 70% of organizational changes fail and these failures can be traced to ineffective leadership.

  • People are the core strategic asset. To be successful, a company must listen, involve, encourage, nurture, support, empower, and reward all its constituencies.

  • 85% of business leaders agree that traditional differentiators alone are no longer a sustainable business strategy.

  • 50 – 70% of how employees perceive their organization can be traced back to the actions of one person – the leader.

  • It is estimated that 80% of mergers and acquisitions that occur today fail to meet initial expectations.

  • "High performing organizations are constantly focusing on improving their capabilities through learning systems, building knowledge capital and transformational learning throughout the organization.” - Ken Blanchard

  • If you want 1 year of prosperity, grow rice. If you want 10 years of prosperity, grow trees. If you want 100 years of prosperity, grow people. – Chinese Proverb

Mass High Tech - Generation Y: They’re graduating, ambitious and involved

With 77 million baby boomers on the verge of retirement, and thousands of recent college graduates soon joining the work force, startups and growing businesses are challenged with leading a multigenerational work force. How will organizations fill the gap of experienced workers while training the next generation of leaders? By separating perceptions from facts when it comes to leading these young employees, also referred to as “Generation Next” or “Millennials” (born between 1982 and 2000).

Perception: The newest members of the work force, those of Generation Y, are less loyal to employers than their predecessors.

Fact: The new generation is as committed and loyal as prior generations, provided they are engaged, empowered and inspired to solve problems and to optimize their productivity.

Attracting and retaining less-experienced employees to develop the next generation of business leaders requires getting young workers involved in the corporate vision, enabling them to grow and to stay committed to the company.

Organizations will be successful by involving Gen-Y employees and seeking their opinions on what the company is doing well; what it needs to do to improve, and how.

Gen-Y will be committed, loyal employees when they believe they can make a real difference in the world; are connected to the vision of the organization; and see clearly how their individual efforts contribute to moving that purpose forward.

Gen-Ys are 72 million strong. They have been raised in a high-tech world that shaped their value system. Many of these recent graduates have grown up in households with hyper-involved parents and overscheduled lives. They are used to being both seen and heard.

They will speak out if they see something is being done incorrectly. They have a positive, can-do attitude about getting the job done well. They will get it done and move on to things they enjoy. They thrive on interesting and challenging work, while seeking a balance of life. They want active involvement in decision-making.

So, leading these individuals requires:

• Clearly articulating the goals of the organization, and helping these individuals understand how their contributions directly relate to the overall success of the organization.

• Building a culture of recognition to foster dedication. Their efforts must be recognized and valued. They want immediate and consistent gratification. Being computer and Internet savvy, they are accustomed to instant results. When a Generation Y person has done an exceptional job on a project, they must be appreciated. Small, frequent rewards are great.
(Starbucks/Dunkin Donuts gift cards, for example). In addition, personal recognition like saying, “Great job on that project,” and the two most underused words in the English language, “Thank you,” will keep them individuals motivated.

• Creating balance. This generation values having a balanced life, staying healthy and fit. Philanthropy is very important to them. They want to make a real difference in the world with new recycling techniques, stopping hunger and supporting relief efforts.

To foster this generation’s relationships with organizations, there should be constant learning, growing and recognition. They thrive on workplace teamwork. Combining the talents of numerous individuals to achieve a common solution inspires them to act responsibly and complete their segment of the project.

Pairing veterans and baby boomers with “Nexters” to pass on knowledge allows for wonderful communication and the building rapport, respect and trust. All of which add to a culture of mutual respect, admiration and creditability. Happy employees are productive employees who are committed and dedicated to the growth and success of the company. 

 

Dianne Durkin is president and founder of Loyalty Factor LLC, a consulting company in Portsmouth, N.H.

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