Rick Chambers & Associates, LLC
Strategic Communications
  • Home
  • What We Offer
  • Guiding Values
  • Blog
  • Books
  • Contact Us

Where Employee Engagement Begins

3/6/2015

 
PictureImage: Boaz Yiftah/freedigitalphotos.net
An interesting juxtaposition, this: Within days of Target Corp.’s announcement of massive job cuts in its “transformation roadmap,” the folks at Deloitte issued a report warning that the business world is doing a lousy job engaging its employees.

Now why do you suppose that is?

If you’re into vacuous jargon, you’ll thoroughly enjoy Target’s March 3 news release, which is graced with catchy phrases like “reassert its cultural leadership to build unparalleled guest affinity” and “a channel-agnostic approach to growing its business” and even “a shopping experience that is centered on ease and inspiration.” Don’t be surprised if the next Rocky movie replaces the Philadelphia Museum of Art stair-step run with a Target-sponsored Stallone dancing near the power tools.

The reference on jobs is set up with the usual catchwords and phrases: “cost savings,” “efficiencies” and driving leaner, more efficient capabilities.” Nowhere in this cascade of corporate claptrap is there any acknowledgement of the human toll this represents.

Meanwhile, Deloitte’s third annual Global Human Capital Trends report found employee engagement to be the number-one worry among corporations. Yet 60 percent of companies have no meaningful initiatives to measure or improve engagement.

The Deloitte report goes on to cite a number of areas that impact engagement, such as work-life integration, job design and work management. But I found this one particularly interesting: looking at employees as customers and volunteers, not just workers.

To my mind, that’s the key. Employees are engaged when they feel valued. They’re engaged when they believe management cares about them. They’re engaged when they believe the company will do everything possible to avoid destroying their livelihoods in the name of “transformation” and “differentiation in the marketplace”—and when that isn’t possible, showing them the utmost compassion and respect.

Sometimes layoffs can’t be avoided. I get that. I’ve stood at the business end of reporters’ pens, microphones and news cameras countless times to deliver such awful news. But every single time I made sure the human element was addressed, that the pain these people faced was acknowledged. Uncomfortable? Yes. But the right thing to do.

How sad that Target chose instead to stir the blood-lust of the investment community—which has never seen a layoff it didn’t like—by equating the coming pain, in the words of CEO Brian Cornell, with “momentum” that will “ignite Target’s innovative spirit.”

One wonders how Target employees’ spirits are doing right now.


Comments are closed.
    Picture

    Rick Chambers

    Rick is the owner and president of Rick Chambers & Associates, LLC.

    Archives

    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    December 2021
    September 2021
    April 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    January 2020
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    April 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    October 2018
    August 2018
    May 2018
    March 2018
    January 2018
    September 2017
    August 2017
    June 2017
    April 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    September 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    June 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012

    Categories

    All
    Accuracy
    Code Of Ethics
    Communication Ammo
    Communications
    Digital News
    Fairness
    Firefly
    Integrity
    Internal Communication
    Lie
    Loyalty
    Matt Friedman
    Media Relations
    Pr
    Print News
    Prsa
    Public Relations
    Radiance
    Recognition
    Sean Williams
    Serenity
    Spin
    Star Trek
    Star Trek Phase Ii
    Tanner Friedman
    Truth

    RSS Feed

About Us

Rick Chambers & Associates, LLC, brings a solid track record of strategic, diverse, objective-based communications and public relations services. RC&A works closely with clients to understand their business, develop stakeholder relationships, build meaningful dialogue and help share their stories effectively.

Picture
Rick Chambers & Associates, LLC
1514 Kingsbury Drive
Portage, MI 49002-1664
USA
269.873.5820
info@rickchambersassociates.com