Stay on the message
Caylor has to keep her message of community involvement
in front of about 1,000 employees and 11 offices in the
Houston area. The most effective way to do that is by getting
out among your employees and engaging them in person. But
when dealing with the mathematical realities of 1,000 employees, 24 hours in a day and seven days in a week, face-to-face
reinforcement becomes more than a little problematic.
While the message needs to start with you, Caylor says you
can’t be the only force driving a wide-ranging community-centered philosophy throughout your company. You need help to
drive the message, and sometimes, the most powerful teaching
tools are your employees’ own peers.
“I find that the more we’re able to surround our employees
with examples of things their peers have done, with opportunities for them to replicate that, there are some pretty
important success stories that come out of that,” Caylor says.
Caylor uses Merrill Lynch’s worldwide communication network to broadcast community involvement success stories
throughout and beyond the Houston area. By quickly disseminating stories about their peers, Caylor tries to create a conversation-starter,
whether it be in meetings or banter around
the watercooler. The most effective way to make the message
of building relationships and community involvement relevant
is to get people talking about it.
“We have a broad distribution list, we can touch everyone in
a matter of seconds via internal communications, and we have
regularly scheduled meetings throughout all of our offices,”
she says. “We have multiple touch points, and I’ve found it to
be very effective. Every partner at Merrill Lynch, every employee, can now talk about the vision of being an essential partner,
the vision of being a responsible citizen and vision of being one
seamless firm.”
Your company’s vision for the future has to come from the
top, and you have to communicate that tirelessly. But the energy that will turn that vision into reality will come from your
employees. Caylor says inspiring your employees to follow you
— and making sure that inspiration does not wane — is one of
your most important jobs as long as you occupy your company’s top perch.
“There is a quote, and it’s also a book title, ‘From success to
significance,’” Caylor says. “I know so many people feel that
way. You have to organize your vision with a smaller group of
people, engage your people, follow up and follow through
again. Do not treat this as a flyby. Make the commitment to be
there again and again, year after year.
“It takes a lot of energy, a lot of time and a lot of commitment,
and you just have to know that going in upfront. The benefits
to your organization will come down the line — and they will
come. But you first have to be willing to put your heart and
soul into it.”
HOW TO REACH: Merrill Lynch & Co. Inc., www.merrilllynch.com
