![]() ![]() My order is frequently messed up - even when I’m the only customer. Sometimes they’re friendly, sometimes not. The employees, generally all young, are disengaged. ![]() They’re diverse in age, race, appearance, and personality. The employees are competent, relaxed, and friendly. No matter how long the line, I can get in and out in under 10 minutes, and my embarrassingly complex order is always delivered correctly. One chain has a good product and excellent staff. I frequent a couple of national coffee chains for my daily latte. How does this concept play out in organizations? Here a couple of real-world examples from my own observations. Impact: Low morale, increased attrition Symbolic actions, intended or not, tell your employees how much you value them, whether or not you trust them, how intelligent and capable you think they are, and your perception of your own value compared to theirs. Possible Interpretation: Respect for employees is an empty claim, probably designed to influence employees to work harder. Impact: Frustration resulting from hypocrisy, lowered productivity, poor internal communicationĮxample: Stated organizational values include respect for employees, but firings are frequent, and one or more executives have been overheard referring to employees as “expendable.” Possible Interpretation: The company is only paying lip service to bottom-up communication. Here are two examples of symbolic actions that can create dissonance and possible negative employee reactions:Įxample: New employee training emphasizes leadership’s “open-door policy.” But a high-level manager keeps his office door closed most of the time and only talks to his direct reports a couple of times a week. That inform employee perceptions Dissonance - emotional discomfort resulting from observing hypocritical speech or action Look at whether your organization’s actions are consistent with its words. Two key concepts in this realm are symbolic action and dissonance: Symbolic Action - behaviors and actions ![]() Managers and organizations frequently misunderstand the relationship between their behavior and employee performance. Visit any well-known organization’s employment page, and you will likely find phrases like “competitive benefits and salary,”, “superior employee development,” and “work hard, play hard.” But what happens when a manager’s behavior or an employee policy directly conflicts with these assertions? Thus, it is crucial to understand all the ways we communicate expectations to them. Are you cognizant of all the intended and unintended ways you communicate with your employees? Fully engaged employees are essential for customer satisfaction. Does your company struggle with customer satisfaction? Do your employees fully engage with the mission and values of your organization on your customers’ behalf? Sometimes it seems as if all the policies, procedures, and propaganda we put into place have little effect on company culture, employee engagement, and customer service.īut, often, we are unaware of how our behavior may contradict stated employee policies and organizational values. ![]()
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