Q. How do you identify your
weaknesses?
Interview not just the people
who chose your product but
the people who walked away,
and find out why did they go
elsewhere and what was it you
could have, would have,
should have done to capture that individual back to you.
Look at the competition so
that you actually go and look
at what is someone else producing or doing that you are
not. Talk to the consumer and
the employees who are dealing with the product and handling customers on the phone.
Q. How do you involve
employees in the process?
We took it down to the
supervisor level. … We set up
meetings … so that we had an
opportunity to hear from the
housekeepers as to what
would make their jobs easier,
what did they see that we
could do better where we
weren’t performing and what
did they hear that other people
sometimes complained about
or thought we did well.
Go through your organizational chart and identify what level
do you want to get the feedback,
how will you receive it and who
is involved in getting that report
put together for you. And then
go back out and say with your
staff, ‘OK, we heard you, and
this is what we’re doing in
response to what you said.’
Dealing with employees
allows management to address
fear in employment — will my
company make it, are jobs
secure, what about layoffs and
benefits? Employees hear many
things and know many things
about their work environments.
It is always best to assume there
are no secrets, and if there is
good or bad news, they should
hear it first from leadership.
As employees help identify
issues and propose solutions,
they will put more energy into
the results. They own it. Ask
them what they think, incorporate their ideas into the plan and
they will dedicate their work to
it. As employees understand the
mission, its strengths and
opportunities, they are champions and marketers in helping to
achieve success.
HOW TO REACH: The Los Angeles Jewish Home, (818) 774-3000 or www.jha.org
