Not only do groups make better decisions, but once agreed to, decisions are far easier to implement and have much greater likelihood of success. More and more research points to advantages of group engagement and decision-making. It is no longer a matter of why you should adopt a high engagement strategy with your people to gain agility, but rather how to implement this process.

Roadway is a trucking company that is currently implementing a high engagement strategy in their organization with some tremendous successes. Their approach includes three elements and may very well be model for other organizations. The three elements of their program are: 1.) Education, 2.) Tools, 3.) High Engagement.

First, Roadway is spending a lot of time educating their people about business. They have adopted much of thinking from Jack Stack’s book, “The Great Game of Business.” The key is to help their employees understand financials of business and how they affect numbers. Second, they have trained their people in basic principles of LEAN so that they can evaluate current processes and procedures and have a basis for making changes that will positively affect bottom line. Finally, they have adopted and use a positive approach to achieving “High Engagement.” Rather than focusing on problems in company, they have chosen to look at strengths of company and build on those strengths using David Coopperrider’s 4D model for positive change.

The results at Roadway have been impressive. There are many stories of success at individual terminals that are now being shared across company and in meantime just one of measures they use has recorded a $10 million improvement over last 4 years. Roadway is rapidly developing Agility to help them face a very competitive and rapidly changing world. Without it, they would most likely not have survived.

ã Copyright Bob Cannon/The Cannon Advantage, 2003. All rights reserved.

Byline Bob Cannon helps visionary leaders make decisions that gain a competitive advantaget. Check out other interesting articles available in Taking Aim newsletter available at www.cannonadvantage.com . Bob can be reached at (216) 408-9495 or mailto: bob@cannonadvantage.com

This article courtesy of http://www.cannonadvantage.com. You may freely reprint this article on your website or in your newsletter provided this courtesy notice and author name and URL remain intact.

· Try doing something new and different.

· Listen attentively, patiently, and with good nature.

· Even if complaint seems unreasonable, don't tell him so. Keep it to yourself.

· Because nobody wants to be accused of being unreasonable, especially if it's true, admit that he might be right. (The implication is that you may be wrong.)

· Invite him to offer you in his own words a solution to his complaint. Say, for example, "If you were in my shoes, what would you do to correct situation?" (Be careful not to call his complaint or situation a problem, because doing so might aggravate him to point that he loses his ability to think and express himself clearly.)

· Listen carefully and actively. Read his body language.

· Use feedback questions or statements to let him know that you're trying to understand and meet his needs. (Begin responses with statements like, "If I understand you correctly, ...")

When you take time to listen to your complaining customers or employee, you'll hear what he’s telling you. Then you’ll be in a better position to turn him into a satisfied and loyal customer.

Remember: When you maximize your potential and that of complaining customer, everyone wins. When you don't, we all lose. © MMIV, Etienne A. Gibbs, MSW