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Dean Carter, Patagonia’s head of human resources, finance and legal, wants leaders to change the way we measure employee performance… and our own. Considering the outdoor clothing and gear giant has less than 4% staff turnover rate in a period of time business experts are calling “The Great Resignation,” his ideas couldn’t come at a better moment. But what would this shift in thinking look like, and how could it improve retention and bottom line? When Carter joined Patagonia in May 2015, he was stunned to find the company that prided itself on “irreverence and non-traditional, non-conventional culture” was using a traditional, sit-down annual review process for performance management. Simultaneously Patagonia was making a passionate foray into regenerative agriculture, which moves a step beyond sustainable farming’s “harm-reduction” approach and comprises a set of practices designed to increase and enhance the agroecosystem. Carter immediately saw a way to shift Patagonia’s approach to leadership. He explains it like this:
Armed with white papers demonstrating the damaging effect traditional annual reviews have on employee satisfaction and employee performance, Carter likened Patagonia’s current annual review process to conventional farming practices—which razed growth to the ground and forced an employee to rebuild emotionally—and laid out a plan to implement a “regenerative farming style” continuous-feedback system. Carter believed so fiercely in this approach, he put his job on the line, promising the board he would clear out his desk if the change didn’t result in a profoundly positive outcome. His gamble worked, and within a year, employee morale, satisfaction and retention were on the rise.
As corporate wheels can be slow to turn, Carter followed a phased approach to make the transition, spending the first six months getting his employee base accustomed to quarterly—rather than annual—reviews. Employees were encouraged to set short term performance goals, then participate in informal, employee-led discussions with their managers. To keep the reviews on track, Carter held company-wide training workshops, teaching best practices for giving and receiving feedback. Once his teams had mastered the informal, quarterly reviews, Carter introduced a digitized feedback system [there are many options on the market], which allowed employees to request feedback from colleagues and managers at any time, providing real-time performance evaluation. According to Carter, this generated a cascade effect in which the employee or manager who was asked to provide feedback was then three times more likely to ask for feedback on his or her own job performance. In addition to increasing employee satisfaction and making performance reviews less time-intensive (and costly) for leadership, this digitized, continuous-feedback approach increased employee productivity. “We’ve learned that people who are giving feedback digitally are a lot more likely to hit their goals and objectives,” Carter says, “and they actually get a 20% higher bonus than people who aren’t engaging in digital feedback.” Workforce surveys after the shift showed that employees not only trusted management more than before, but that managers showed greater confidence in employees and were more likely to give them opportunities with greater responsibilities. “I think it’s really important to understand what you put into people as well as what you take out,” Carter says. “At Patagonia, our view is that people are resources to steward, not just resources for extraction and depletion.” With a turnover rate less than 1/3 the national average, Carter’s approach is certainly food for thought. Let us equip you with effective leadership strategies from the world’s most successful business leaders. You bring the team members, and we’ll create an immersive, online-learning program, linking real-life examples with your individual workplace issues. WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! How are your teams navigating the changing landscape of today’s workplace? Have you developed methods which have helped equip them? Do you have questions for other leaders? Please share your ideas, stories and questions below!
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When it comes to employee happiness, business leaders play a larger role than we might assume. Recent McKinsey research shows today’s employees rate their relationships with management as the top deciding factor in job satisfaction—which matters very much, as research also shows happy employees are 20% more productive than unhappy ones. But, what do today’s employees want--specifically—to be happy, and how do we learn how to give it to them? The answers to both questions might surprise you. Most people remember Harry S. Truman for the long list of world-shaping decisions he made during his two terms as president. Among his accomplishments, Truman eliminated the communist threat in Greece and Turkey, initiated the Marshall Plan, helped organize the Berlin Airlift, helped form the UN and NATO, established the CIA and NSA, and put an end to racial segregation within the US military. What isn’t as commonly known about our 33rd president, however, is that Truman not only learned how to lead a country by leading an undisciplined group of military misfits, but that his approach to creating team happiness was way ahead of its time. Truman’s approach consisted of several principles:
While Truman forged his leadership skills during extreme circumstances, his leadership principles are just as applicable in today’s environment. Recent studies show that employees who believe their leaders care about them as people, have their backs, and will lead them confidently toward the stated goal report the highest job satisfaction. In today’s shifting world, prioritizing employee happiness is a good business decision, and one that’s completely within our skill-set to deliver. Let us equip you with effective leadership strategies from the world’s most successful leaders. You bring the team members, and we’ll create an immersive, learning program, linking real-life examples with your individual workplace issues. WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! How are your teams navigating the changing landscape of today’s workplace? Have you developed methods which have helped equip them? Do you have questions for other leaders? Please share your ideas, stories and questions below! Leadership, in its essence, is about connection. Create this bond with your team, and they will work harder for you, longer for you, and will take risks they wouldn’t otherwise take. Numerous studies show connected leaders enjoy markedly low employee turnover and markedly high team productivity. But how do we connect with our teams in our increasingly disconnected workspaces? Tim Cadogan, CEO of GoFundMe, says it comes down to building community in three specific ways.
When Cadogan joined GoFundMe in March 2020, the WHO was days away from declaring COVID-19 a global pandemic. “We had to transition very quickly,” Cadogan says, “and by the end of my first week, we said, ‘We’re going to go fully distributed.’” Faced with the multiple imperatives of getting to know his new team while simultaneously helping them adjust to a new working environment and increased demand on the GoFundMe platform, Cadogan immediately put three connective approaches into action:
Today, while both resignations and job openings are at record highs, leaders who know how to connect with their people will always enjoy a more stable, productive work environment. “Life happens,” Cadogan says. “A fundamental part of being human is wanting to get through it together.” Let us equip you with effective leadership strategies from the world’s most successful business leaders. You bring the team members, and we’ll create an immersive, online-learning program, linking real-life examples with your individual workplace issues. WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! How are your teams navigating the changing landscape of today’s workplace? Have you developed methods which have helped equip them? Do you have questions for other leaders? Please share your ideas, stories and questions below! The year 2022 is providing business leaders with unprecedented challenges. Hybridization—where employees must learn skill sets outside their traditional roles—and new working environments, which combine in-person and telecommuting employees, require us to be nimble, forward-thinking and intentional to succeed. “What’s necessary in this transformation,” says Safra Catz, CEO of tech giant Oracle, “is courage and a willingness to change.” It begs the question: what leadership strategies work best during times of disruption? Catz has definite ideas.
Let us equip you with effective leadership strategies from the world’s most successful business leaders. You bring the team members, and we’ll create an immersive, online-learning program, linking real-life examples with your individual workplace issues. This month, as we celebrate Lincoln’s birthday, let’s turn the spotlight on the Lincoln Memorial, which is turning 100 this year. Our good friends at the Lincoln Group of the District of Columbia have dug up the story of the original 1922 dedication program, and what a story that is! The lessons for today are startling. So, with permission from the Lincoln Group of D.C., we reprint this article, written by Wendy Swanson. The iconic Lincoln Memorial turns 100 years old this year, and the Lincoln Group of D.C. is hard at work, planning a major centennial commemoration. The Lincoln Group is partnering with the National Park Service (NPS) to present a highly visible and memorable event on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. The event will take place on the morning of Sunday, May 22, 2022. As a starting point for planning this year’s centennial commemoration, we looked back in time to study the original ceremony, and use that event as a blueprint of sorts for designing a program for today. We soon saw certain aspects of Lincoln’s legacy—so important in recent times—were not prominent themes (if included at all) in the original festivities. The focus of the Memorial was Lincoln’s saving the Union. Mention of the Emancipation Proclamation and Thirteenth Amendment were intentionally left out of the design because of ongoing segregation. Dr. Robert Moton, the African American director of Tuskegee Institute, was invited to speak at the dedication, but his remarks, critical of segregation and voter suppression laws, were censored. Additionally, Moton was required to stand off-stage before and after his speech, separated from the other speakers—including Chief Justice William Taft, President Warren Harding, and Vice President Calvin Coolidge. The Memorial rose from the still swampy area west of the Washington Monument. Washington politics complicated the process of proposing, approving, designing, and building the marble structure most of us have come to revere. A commission, tasked with its design, bumped up against the powerful speaker of the house, while wrangling among the artists, design disagreements, and structural logistics led to inflated costs. Interruptions during “the war to end all wars,” i.e., World War I, added to the woes, protracting the Memorial’s construction for nine years. What was it like to attend that ceremony? Who was there? What did they say and what didn’t they say? Herein, we offer a portrait of the event. The official program for the original dedication had a straightforward agenda:
If we were transported back in time to that day in 1922, those who know their history would not necessarily be surprised, but might still find the segregated nature of the event jarring. This, after all, was the era of Jim Crow. (Remember, themes such as emancipation and voting rights were left out of the design of the memorial because of the culture of the day, i.e., segregation.) African Americans, who arrived early to honor Father Abraham, and with hopes of gaining a prime viewing spot near the front of the crowd, were not only disappointed, but rudely led to a “colored section” far from the main activity. Meanwhile, a group of Confederate veterans, dressed in their gray uniforms, received seats of honor alongside their counterparts in blue, the Union veterans. The themes of reunion and saving the union were clearly visible. The Speakers: Two of the main speakers at the event, William Howard Taft and the U.S. President (in 1922, that official was Warren G. Harding) were predicable; we would consider them “givens” for this particular type of event. After all, Taft, the president who signed the bill to create the Lincoln Memorial, also served as the chairman of the Lincoln Memorial Commission. He also was the nation’s Chief Justice. He had the honor at the ceremony of presenting the Memorial to Harding, the U.S. President, as a gift to the nation. Harding, in turn, was there to accept this offering on behalf of the county.  A crowd estimated at over 50,000 gathered at the dedication of the Lincoln Memorial on May 30, 1922. Microphones and amplifiers were used to enable attendees to hear the program. The dedication’s third major speaker was Dr. Robert R. Moton, selected to give the keynote address, and the only African American with a primary role in the program. Moton had become president of Tuskegee Institute following the death of its founder and first president, Dr. Booker T. Washington. A civil rights activist, he had written President Harding a letter offering suggestions on improving race relations and was a presidential advisor on this subject. Moton, a nationally well-known African American leader, was conservative in nature, and the Memorial Commission’s “careful” choice to “represent his race” by giving the keynote address. However, he was not given equal treatment. The Speeches: Moton was not given free rein to speak on all the issues he considered pertinent. Prior to the dedication, he was asked to submit his speech for review. After doing so, he received the following correspondence from Chief Justice Taft, acting in his capacity as chairman of the Lincoln Memorial Commission. That telegram, dated May 23, 1922, insisted on revisions to the proposed draft:
 Robert Moton gives his keynote address at the Lincoln Memorial Dedication. (Photo credit: Library of Congress) Organizers of the event censored significant content of the proposed speech as too radical, and demanded a milder version. Sections of the address considered to be “problematic”—and, which were deleted—referenced the failure of the federal government to protect the rights of African Americans. In one deleted section, Moton referred to Lincoln’s mention in the Gettysburg Address of “great unfinished work” and the need to ensure that “government of the people, for the people and by the people should not perish from the earth.” After quoting Lincoln, Moton added:
This language on race relations and social justice did not appear in Moton’s keynote address given on May 30, 1922. In fact, a significant portion of the final section of his original speech was revised. Some may wonder why Moton, working under such restrictions, proceeded with presenting his keynote address. He undoubtedly considered when, and if, he would again have the opportunity to address such a large assemblage (crowd estimates were at 50,000 or more, with additional listeners via radio broadcasts). Although he made cuts, as required, Moton made certain points clear. He talked of reconciliation, but he also called on the nation to complete its “unfinished work.” He observed that from the day of Lincoln’s tragic death, “the noblest minds and hearts, both North and South, were bent to the healing of the breach and the spiritual restoration of the Union.” He expressed his desire that the memorial’s dedication would mark the nation’s renewed commitment “to fulfill to the last letter the task imposed on it by the martyred dead—that it highly resolve that the humblest of citizen of whatever color or creed, shall enjoy that equal opportunity and unhampered freedom for which the immortal Lincoln gave ‘the last full measure of devotion.’” Moton closed by quoting Lincoln’s second inaugural address, adding his own belief:
The audience stood in applause as the band played “America.” Much has been written about Moton’s censored speech. For those who wish to further explore the revisions made to his original speech, the Library of Congress provides a side-by-side comparison of the two versions of the address. The speech not delivered is also contained in The Lincoln Anthology, edited by Harold Holzer, published by Library Classics of the United States, New York, 2009. The speeches of Taft and Harding repeated the original focus of the memorial as a symbol of the unification of the previously divided nation. To Taft, the monument signified “the restoration of brotherly love of the two sections” previously divided, e.g., North and South. Thus, he found the site selected for the memorial, on the Potomac, “the boundary between those two sections, peculiarly appropriate.” In fact, according to the Chief Justice, Lincoln was “as dear to the hearts of the South as to those of the North.” Harding offered remarks that dovetailed those of his predecessor—“how it would soften [Lincoln’s] anguish to know the South long since came to realize that vain assassin robbed it of its most sincere and potent friend.” Harding started his remarks by accepting, on behalf of the government, the monument to the savior of the republic. Again, the focus was unification with no reference to what we, today, consider a major part of Lincoln’s legacy as the Great Emancipator. Harding essentially considered emancipation as a “means to the end”:
 Robert Todd Lincoln (Photo credit: Library of Congress) An important attendee at the dedication, though he was not a speaker, was Robert Todd Lincoln, the only surviving son of the martyred president. He was a special guest at the ceremony, one who received a standing ovation upon taking his seat. During the construction of the memorial, he often had his driver go by the site to observe the progress being made on this tribute to his father. He once even received permission to visit the site during ongoing construction. The dedication was his last public appearance at age 79. The Reaction: The story was reported in various ways, a mixed bag, depending on the source and its political persuasion. Some readers may have wondered if this was “a tale of two ceremonies,” rather than a single event. Many mainstream white newspapers gave little ink to Moton’s speech. One Washington Post article didn’t mention his name, while another in the same publication deemed the address “a triumph and unqualified assertion of American racial progress.” The reaction of The Chicago Defender, an African American publication, was to advise readers that “no memorial dedication had occurred.” A thumbnail sketch of the coverage offered by two publications—one stressing the nation’s inequities, the other national unity—is provided. Two quite different accounts. The Chicago Whip, financed by African American businessmen and leaders, ran an article entitled “‘Distinguished Guests’ Find Themselves Roped Off in Pen, Many Leave In Disgust.” This piece focused on the Jim Crow atmosphere of the event, including how twenty-one descendants of slaves found themselves roped off in a small enclosure, away from the rest of the audience. When shown into the enclosure, they were accosted by a white marine acting as guard and told to "sit down, and that damn quick.” Complaints to the commander of the guard failed to result in his removal. All those seated in the “Jim-crowed” section had been given tickets marked "Section S, Platform.” After several protests, they were denied seats elsewhere. They left the enclosure in disgust, a commotion observed by Dr. Moton, who received loud applause in response to his speech. President Harding’s acceptance of the memorial on behalf of the nation emphasized the fact that “the emancipation of the slaves was merely an incident in Lincoln's prosecution of the Civil War, and that if he could have avoided the war; he never would have freed the slaves.” The Washington Herald’s article, when describing the dignitaries in attendance, also acknowledged the presence of “those who fought in the war under his banner and those who fought against it; sprightly soldiers of the present day, who have just emerged from the greatest conflict known to man; members of the race he freed.” A spirit of unity was displayed by the cheering crowd:
The quotes cited for Taft and Harding in the article, of course, centered on the theme of national unity. The Herald did acknowledge Dr. Moton’s participation in the ceremony. However, the description given of his talk failed to mention the most powerful part of this message—that concerning Lincoln’s “unfinished task” and the need for justice for all.
And for those who follow after… Near the end of his address, President Harding offered the following insight, one which envisioned the transformation to come for the Lincoln Memorial and its meaning for the country and all peoples: “This memorial, matchless tribute that it is, is less for Abraham Lincoln than for those of us today, and for those who follow after.” As the crowds dispersed following the ceremony, the military band played “My Country ‘Tis of Thee.” History marches on … and as it does, the meaning of our national symbols transform. Such has been the case of the Lincoln Memorial. That same patriotic hymn, “My Country ‘Tis of Thee,” played to dispersing crowds following the dedication ceremony, became a cornerstone of the iconic concert performed by Marion Anderson seventeen years later. Barred from performing at the Daughters of the American Revolution Hall because of her race, she relocated her concert to a larger venue—the steps of the Lincoln Memorial—and for a larger integrated audience. That day, the Lincoln Memorial truly became a symbol for racial justice. From that time on, the meaning of the Memorial has continued to evolve as a symbol and rallying point for patriotic and social justice causes. Martin Luther King, Jr., gave his “I Have a Dream” speech from its steps. Participants in women’s marches have rallied there. From this location, Presidents-elect often share their thoughts with the nation on the evening before their inauguration. Today the Lincoln Memorial is one of the nation’s most sacred patriotic sites—one symbolizing not only unity, but racial and social justice. There too—whether individually or collectively—we can rededicate ourselves to Lincoln’s still “unfinished work,” as we celebrate our Sixteenth President as The Great Emancipator as well as the Savior of the Nation. Other sources for this article: The National Park Service sites offer background on the Memorial, its history, and the dedication, including the dedication day’s speakers and newspaper coverage. Boundary Stones, WETA’s local history website article “The Dedication of the Lincoln Memorial” (https://boundarystones.weta.org/2018/04/18/dedication-lincoln-memorial). “Lincoln Memorial: A Temple of Tolerance,” Harold Holzer; at HistoryNet. Without question, our business world is in the middle of a disruptive, unpredictable time in history. The pandemic has fundamentally changed the way we live and work in ways industry professionals predict will redefine “normal” several times before settling. It begs the question: how do we effectively lead through this period of chaos? According to Jeff Wong, Global Chief Innovation Officer at Ernest & Young (EY), the answer is to identify and empower the hidden “transformers” we already have on our teams.
Joining EY in 2015, Wong quickly built a team of forward-thinking employees he called transformers that created GigNow, a global talent marketplace that added more than 16,000 short-term and 1,300 full-time jobs around the world. Under his leadership, these transformers also built an automation center—reducing the time employees spent on repetitive, mundane tasks by 2.1 million hours its first fiscal year in operation—and created new positions and projects to repurpose and reinvest those saved hours back into the company. When asked what made his team so effective in the notoriously fast-changing and chaotic tech word, Wong was quick to respond: mindset. “When CEOs encourage an innovative mindset that embraces agility, resilience, and flexibility, they can set the stage for unprecedented results.” But, how do we, as leaders, identify our own transformers, and effectively capitalize on this forward-thinking approach? Wong has a method:
Once you have identified your hidden innovators, Wong says it’s time to empower them to help your company move forward. Put them together as a think tank; give them control over a new project; task them with creating a change-plan for an existing project; give them leadership and responsibility over a lesser-performing team. The possibilities are endless. “Empowering employees and enabling them to find deeper meaning in their work starts with building a culture of transformers,” Wong says. The business world is changing around us at a break-neck pace. Fortunately, we already have what we need to keep up. Do you want to find the hidden transformers on your team? Do you need traction or buy-in for new business ideas? Let us share more leadership lessons from insightful leaders in an online workshop. You bring the team members, and we’ll create an immersive learning program, linking real-life examples with your individual workplace issues. JOIN THE CONVERSATION! Are your teams inspired to give their best? Have you developed methods which have helped you on your leadership journey? Please share your ideas and stories below! As I move into this first holiday season without Everett, I find myself grateful for the deep imprint his life left on me and on everyone around him. From his siblings, children and grandchildren, to our work family here at Tigrett Corp., to people he encountered in our Gettysburg community, not a day goes by where someone does not share with me a story of how Everett touched someone’s life. A teacher through-and-through, Everett believed we learn best through colorful role models to emulate. What better way to honor his memory than to share some leadership lessons from his life? Always Be Curious. Everywhere we went, Everett asked questions. He would strike up conversations with people in grocery store lines and restaurants, while taking walks around our neighborhood, and with students in leadership classes we taught over the years. While I would stand quietly, content to wait in silence for our turn at the register or a class to begin, Everett would use the time to learn more about the people around him. Many times, we would enter a restaurant, give our names to the maître d’, and Everett would ask how business was going. Instead of simply nodding at the response and pushing to get to our table, Everett would encourage the person to share, and would pepper the conversation with questions designed to coax out more of the story. Fascinating tales would roll out in front of us, and by the time dessert arrived, we had not only made a new friend, but we’d learned something we didn’t know before. Everett believed everyone has something valuable to teach, and his genuine curiosity and desire to learn more about the people he encountered opened doors to new ideas and sparked learning journeys we might not have otherwise encountered. Listen Completely. When Everett and I would attend a cocktail reception or business function, we usually split up and tried to meet as many people as possible. I would charge around the room looking for some spark of interest but would quickly grow bored and gravitate toward the buffet, rather than conversation. When I eventually met up with Everett, I would find him surrounded by a group of people, all talking animatedly, while he stood in their center, nodding, smiling and listening. I remember asking myself how our experiences with people could be so wildly different. How did Everett put people so at ease, and inspire such openness? I watched, and found that he began by asking a question, then looking the person straight in the eye while the new friend answered. Everett didn’t fidget or look over his shoulder. He didn’t graze on hors d’ oeuvres or sip wine. He gave the speaker his entire focus, and in return, the new friend responded with enthusiasm. People matter more. As a banker and commercial lender, Everett had always encouraged people to share their stories—their successes and difficulties, their dreams and goals—as he guided them toward financing decisions. Rather than looking simply at numbers, Everett took the time to consider and explain how each financial possibility would impact the business and the people attached to it so the business owners could make the best decision, whether or not it was the most profitable for the bank. When Everett had to turn down a loan request, he didn’t simply send the business owners on their way, but he spent a considerable amount of time talking with them—explaining, with patience and kindness, why a loan was not the best idea, and guiding them toward what they might do, instead. His people-over-profit approach made a difference, and years later, customers still returned to the bank to seek him out and thank him for helping them know it was not the right time for a loan, and for caring enough to guide them in a new direction. Everett touched many lives. As 2021 draws to a close, and 2022 peeks over the horizon, I can see a year marked with memories and with joy over the profound and lasting ways Everett improved everyone around him. Change is hard. As I read over the words of this letter, though, I can’t help but smile. Everett is still teaching me how to be a leader. And, I am still listening. - Antigoni Memorial Fund
Everett was passionate about our leadership training business, and he derived so much pleasure in seeing people “turned on” by history and inspiring role models. No words can express our sadness at his loss, or our gratitude for the years we had together. We will honor his memory by continuing the work he began, and by standing behind his belief that everyone has the capacity to be a great leader. As a tribute to Everett and his love of education and history, we have set up a memorial fund for a section of the new history museum of the Adams County Historical Society. We plan to name the World War II section of the museum in his honor. If you would like to honor Everett with a donation, you may contact the historical society online (www.achs-pa.org) and specify that your gift is in memory of Everett Ladd; or you may also write to the society at: Adams County Historical Society, 368 Springs Avenue, Gettysburg, PA 17325. From all of us at Tigrett Leadership Academy – thank you for making us part of your team! We wish you the happiest holiday season and the most productive new year! Storytelling is a powerful, generative leadership tool. In a season of information overload, it has the power to cut through the noise, motivating change when other approaches have failed. But how do we, as leaders, harness its power?
History remembers Madam C. J. Walker as the first self-made woman millionaire in America. Marketing her line of homemade haircare products for Black women, Walker built a business empire, first selling door-to-door, then empowering a legion of Black “Beauty Culturalists” to sell her products. Though her rise from impoverished washerwoman to wealthy businesswoman was paved with hard work, her approach was straightforward and simple: she told her story. Here are two lessons we can learn:
Leadership storytelling can take many forms. Whether you seek to inspire your team by sharing how you overcame a particular struggle, or you need to generate trust and buy-in by sharing how a new business practice has benefitted others, harnessing the power of storytelling can help you achieve your goal. Do you want to know what motivates and inspires your employees? Do you need buy-in for new business ideas or practices? Let us share more leadership lessons from insightful leaders in an online workshop. You bring the team members, and we’ll create an immersive learning program, linking real-life examples with your individual workplace issues. JOIN THE CONVERSATION! Are your teams inspired to give their best? Have you developed methods which have helped you on your leadership journey? Please share your ideas and stories, below! Few leaders would argue the importance of knowing your target demographics and the psychographics that drive their decisions. But do you know this information about the people you lead? A third-generation CEO of H&M, Karl-Johan Persson took the reins of his grandfather’s corporation in July 2009 and immediately began work on a company-wide sustainability program. By early 2010, H&M had drastically reduced its use of traditionally sourced cotton, and by 2011, debuted its “Conscious Collection,” which consisted of fashions made with 100% organic cotton and other sustainable materials. Soon after, Persson spearheaded an international program, offering customers 15% off their purchases when they brought in old clothes—from any manufacturer—to be recycled or donated to charity. Public reaction was positive. Interestingly, employee reaction was positive, as well. Team leaders reported their sales staff’s passionately directing customers to the sustainably sourced options in the store, and often overheard cashiers prompting buyers to bring an item to recycle the next time they shopped with H&M. Persson, it seemed, had tapped into something his employees cared deeply about, and it improved their job performance. Profits soared. In the home office, Persson was working with his leadership teams to expand H&M’s sustainability program when Rana Plaza, a garment factory in Bangledesh, collapsed, killing more than 1,100 people. Even though no H&M clothing was manufactured by the factory, Persson immediately facilitated conversations between clothing manufacturers and government officials to create greater oversight of the Bangledesh garment industry. Again, employee support was immediate and emphatic. Deciding that true sustainability had to ensure fair treatment of all people touched by the manufacturing process, and encouraged that his employee base shared this vision, Persson worked with his leadership teams to take next steps—beginning with Cambodian factories that manufactured H&M clothes. Within months, Persson flew to Cambodia to discuss working conditions and fair wages with government officials. Through his extensive network, he helped bring labor unions and decision makers together, and the resulting negotiation produced an increase in wages 21% higher than the Cambodian garment workers had initially requested. Employee response was explosive. U.S. job satisfaction surveys, which had hovered near the 59% typical with U.S. companies, soared to 76%. H&M’s salesforce believed in the mission of the company, and without any change to their working conditions, reported greater happiness and motivation to do their best work. There is a lot we can learn from this. Knowing what motivates those we lead is an incredibly important part of leadership strategy. Whether we use the information to shape future projects that involve an entire department, or to make individual assignments on a case-by-case basis, understanding the target demographic for the job, and the psychographics that motivate the employee are key. Do you want to know what motivates your employees? Do you want to help your teams approach their work with excitement? Let us share more leadership lessons from insightful leaders in an online workshop. You bring the team members, and we’ll create an immersive learning program, linking real-life examples with your individual workplace issues.
JOIN THE CONVERSATION! Are your teams motivated to give their best? Have you developed methods which have helped you on your leadership journey? Please share your ideas and stories, below. |
