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Tip 91 Use Math to Create Loyalty
This week’s tip comes from my friend Chip Conley, author of the new book Peak: How Great Companies Get Their Mojo from Maslow and CEO of Joie de Vivre hotels. Many people have told me and Chip that we were separated at birth in terms of our approach to business and life.
On his web site, http://www.chipconley.com/#, Chip offers advice on how to engender loyalty:
“Psychologist John Gottman created a landmark study on marriage and found that successful relationships averaged a 5 to 1 ratio of positive to negative interactions. Other studies in the business world have put this ratio at 3 to 1 with respect to what drives productivity in employees...
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Posted by Keith Ferrazzi on October 4, 2007 | Permalink
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I really appreciate your e-updates. Keep up the great work.
Posted by: Paul | Oct 4, 2007 11:47:43 AM
It's true that if you only talk to your employees or staff when you are not satisfied with their performances, they will dread every time you want to talk to them.
Professional relationships are like marriage: if you turn a blind eye to all the little things your staff or partner do to make you happy and only talk to them to criticize them, the result with be the same: they will leave you and you will have trouble to understand why and might even think it's unfair.
People, whether in their professional or love life, need to feel appreciated. You want to have employees who feel confident about themselves and are productive, don't you? Then acknowledge their efforts when the result is great and give advice about how they could do better next time if you are not satisfied with the result. But the most important thing is for people to know you are fair in your appreciation or criticism of their actions.
Posted by: seb | Oct 4, 2007 11:48:51 AM
I know that although I have had many bosses over the years, the one I consider my best boss/mentor was one who, when this went wrong, would call me and and tell me that "We" had a problem and did I have any suggestions on how to fix it. No blame, no negativity, just a "here's the problem now, what should we as a team do". I can tell you it made a HUGE impression on me and I felt called to step up to giving my absolute best.
Posted by: DeBorah Beatty | Oct 4, 2007 11:58:42 AM
I think it's also important to remember that loyalty is earned - it cannot be bought and cannot be assumed.
In addition to talking to your employees and praising them when something good happens as well as those times when something bad happens, remember that employees ARE people. People like to be talked to, listened to and related to so spend a few minutes with "non-business related" chats - be on the same level with them, don't talk "down" to them. Remember to ask about the family, their new home, their vacation, whatever. Loyalty develops when employees know that you genuinely care and that they are not simply a number on your payroll!
Posted by: Carol Deckert | Oct 4, 2007 11:59:31 AM
I always look forward to your updates; this one particularly FLEW off the page (monitor) as I am currently reading "BLINK", which covers the John Gottman marriage study.
We probably recognize this on an unconcious level every day, but to have it brought to the forefront of our thoughts is very important. We have to ensure we are keeping the count positive in both our personal and professional relationships.
Thank you!
Posted by: cab | Oct 4, 2007 12:38:37 PM
My friend and fellow Michigan State Spartan alum, Jeff Smith, is a master at this activity. He is one of the most well-read guys on earth and regularly sends me links and articles that he knows interest me. I often feel like I’m on the cutting information edge thanks to Jeff. (Keith's tips regularly make it on the list of value-adds I pass on.)
Posted by: Scott Westerman | Oct 4, 2007 12:46:36 PM
As a psychologist, licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, and President/CEO with almost 50 people working for me, I have found that it is rare that a major issue is what creates the problems in a marriage or in an employee situation. It is usually the day to day experience of feeling disrespected and unappreciated that whittles away at the connection and safety in the relationship. Having successes or even effort acknowledged and praised as well as having problems confronted head-on without looking for fault only resolution creates a feeling of being seen as well as valued. A great formula for loyalty and joyful commitment.
Posted by: Dorothy Martin-Neville | Oct 4, 2007 1:33:13 PM
I once had an integrated telemarketing crew to which I only commented about what was performed best. I would point out to the whole team how Johnny did this and Susie did that. In no time, they were all doing everything the way the most productive person, at each task, was doing them. We surpassed very strict annual goals in less than six months.
That team remained intact for at least three years after I left. Not only is that unheard of in telemarketing, but the replacement I appointed was hired away and an anchor to the team retired. It's hard to say how long they might have remained otherwise!
Posted by: Mark H. Hendricks | Oct 4, 2007 1:38:11 PM
Timing is everything. I just got off the phone with a company switching management staff. The new manager understands the importance of appreciating his employees and during this difficult time we decided a personal card sent to their homes would have much more impact than several 'rah rah' meetings at the office.
Remembering we do business with people, not companies will go well for us in the short and long of life.
Appreciation doesn't cost much, but it is priceless.
Posted by: Lin Rimple | Oct 4, 2007 4:26:43 PM
Reminds me of a great experiment in the Kansas City, KS school system. They're in a low income, high crime environment and had all the usual problems, especially behavioral. They changed the culture by creating a strict, but reasonable, code of conduct that was posted everywhere and the teachers and staff were instructed to find students in compliance with the code and appreciate them! Their goal was to appreciate each student at least once a day, and it had to be genuine.
The result - disciplinary referrals to the principal went down by about 80% and test scores jumped up! How come every school isn't doing this?
Posted by: Wes Hopper | Oct 4, 2007 5:33:06 PM
Very good points throughout, but there is one missing here:
When someone in yr network helps you with info or even a direct business referral - how often do you send a thank you note, one way or another? By e-mail, snail-mail, flowers, call and say thanks? Whichever?
This is far too often ignored.
Regards,
Edgar Valdmanis,
Oslo, Norway
Posted by: Edgar Valdmanis | Oct 5, 2007 2:04:48 AM
As an advisor to two high school publications in Greater Latrobe School District, I try to instill each point of KF's wisdom. The eleventh and twelfth grade students are empowered to make decisions and plan to fulfill personal and professional expectaions in the production of a bi-weekly 12 page paper and a monthly 40 page magazine. I am grateful to have been connected to the ideas of KF which are improving the productvity and attitudes of leaders, editors, and staff writers. Sharing the mathematical ratio of spreading a positive attitude has been an awakening. Although these students are choosing to pursue a humanistic philogophy, some have an emperical mind that is grasping the ratio.
Englightening through education!
Posted by: Renee Rusbosin Stallings | Oct 5, 2007 2:34:45 AM
We worked for a turn around of our business. During that time we celebrated every achievement.We never talked about the failures.In every production review meeting we found some successes to celebrate.We turnedaround the company in less than 2 years time.We were making losses for 13 years!
Bringing up achievements in every meeting bring out more and more achievements.
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