Have US insurance companies found the key to a more engaged workforce?

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

My husband works for an American finance company that is based in two locations across the US - Greenwich CT and Austin TX - and here in London. The company is run by Americans and has, what I term, a very American feel. 

"I often here about little quirks that we don't adopt here in the UK, like Assistants Day where executive assistants (or PA's as we call them) get given flowers and gifts to celebrate their good work. A great way to engage!"

Image source

The latest quirk

Everyone, in the 100 strong company, recently had the opportunity to take part in a fitness scheme, much like 'The Biggest Loser', to lose a defined amount of weight and get healthier.  

Of course, many companies adopt strategies like competitions and schemes to encourage their employees to be healthier, and ultimately to increase engagement at work, but this fitness scheme is a little different. 

Different how?

In the US, health insurance costs are through the roof, and in private companies, it is often the company that foots the bill. In an attempt to lower costs many companies are given money by their insurers to encourage their employees to live healthier lives and thereby reduce premiums. 

"My husbands company was given $50,000 by their insurer to invest in staff health and wellbeing."

image source

How did they invest the funds?

They chose to invest part of the funds in Fitbits for everyone who wanted to take part in the scheme. Out of the 100 people who could take part in the competition, 30 people took on the challenge. Each person had a maximum of 12 weeks to lose the weight they had agreed to lose, and they could track their progress using their Fitbit.  

Who benefits?

Everyone does. It's win-win all round.

• Companies who take part have an incentive to save on their insurance premium costs
• Employees benefit because they are encouraged to be healthy
• The health insurer may lose funds in premiums, but less insurance claims means more money in the bank. 

"Insurance claims for obesity in the US cost anywhere between an estimated $147 - $210 billion per year."

"The real question for us in the engagement field is, does it help to engage people at work?"

This scheme also has inadvertent benefits for both employer and employee. It means companies: 

• Take a bigger interest in their employees lives leading to increased understanding of their needs at work and how to meet them
• Facilitate stronger working relationships between employer and employee, and employee to employee
• Are encouraged to give their employees free time to exercise leading to more alert employees when at work and employees feeling fitter and healthier.

Since the Fitbit challenge, my husband has been eager to beat his number of steps per day and that of his colleagues. He's felt fitter, healthier and more motivated at work. He says his colleagues have had similar experiences. 

The right employee wellness programme can certainly help to get people more engaged at work, and have positive effects for health insurers, organisations, employees and society as a whole. 

Are some people just unable to change?

A couple of days ago I came across a mini-film about a guy who used to be in the RAF. After many years serving he injured an injury that doctors said had left him permanently disabled. He was told he would never walk unaided again. He was obese and chronically depressed; there seemed to be no hope. The film showed his search for a yoga teacher who would take on his plight and help him to walk again. The film finished with him running in his local park. Somehow, he managed to turn his life around.

As I watched the video, I couldn't help wonder where he got his strength, both physical and mental. I wondered what made some people fight towards a goal and others give up and accept defeat.

I started to think about the things that stand in the way of us making changes in our lives; things like:

• Finances
• Education
• Confidence in yourself and your goal
• Support from those around you
• Environment - where you live or work.

There are likely many more reasons you or I could come up with, and every one of them would be a valid reason. 

The man in the film I described above had many obstacles in the way of his goal - to walk again - the major one being doctors telling him it was medically impossible. Somehow he overcame these obstacles. 

So what got him there? 

Image source

When I was a student, I remember a tutor of mine saying to me "change isn't hard." I questioned him and said that change was hard and how could he think it wasn't? In organisations, we often see resistance to change and many times we struggle to help the people around us get past such resistance. 

He said to me: "it's not change per se that is hard, it's a particular element of change that is hard for that person." He meant that if we bundle all changes into one phenomenon we lose the nuances of what is actually causing the resistance to change. For example; an employee may have a resistance to using a new system in the workplace for many reasons:

• They don't know how to use the new system
• They have a fear of using particular parts of a system - perhaps a certain spreadsheet or application
• Changing their routine takes effort, and people don't see a value in why they need to change
• Changing means, they lose something they had by doing it the 'old way.

The point is, it's the detail about why the person is resistant to change that provides the insight into helping them get to the new destination. 

Think about a time when someone told you to change something, or you told yourself to make a change "I need to go to the gym more." When you told yourself to do these things was there an intrinsic reason attached to why you needed to change? Did you know how to make the change? E.g. what classes to take, or exercises to use? Did you feel sad when you thought about the time you'd lose with friends because three nights a week would be spent in the gym? 

All of these factors influence your motivation to change. If you have a goal in mind that makes your change effort worthwhile (and you gain the necessary skills to make the change possible) the change suddenly becomes a lot easier - and more enjoyable - to implement. 

The guy from the film so desperately wanted to walk again that he refused to accept his fate; he found a person to help him develop the skills he needed and his goal was so vitally important to him personally that he couldn't let it go. He had a sense of purpose.  

Image source

In organisations, people often don't understand why change will benefit them, and often managers don't think about communicating the need for people to change in a way that brings them some sense of satisfaction. We all need to feel the effort we expend is giving us some sense of reward, and intrinsic rewards, namely: 

• Feeling they are committing to a broader meaningful purpose and
• Feeling that they are competent at their work, but are also significantly challenged for their ability,

 will always achieve longer lasting results and more satisfied employees. 

6 Atypical Ways to Get & Keep New Hires

There's always one. That person in your team who makes it difficult for everyone else. They are the ones that turn up late, have a bad attitude, are negative towards the rest of the team, and consistently look like they'd rather be at home in bed than at work.

Image source

You've tried everything. Weekly check-in meetings, the option to work from home once a week, and countless 'thank you, you did a great job' emails. Nothing works. Joe has been with the company for six months and, despite his glowing CV and track record in the field, you think you made a bad choice bringing him into the team.

So what went wrong? 

Unfortunately, when you get a new person into a role you barely know them from Adam. Going through the 'interview process', it's easy to forget that we are dealing with real people. Even the labels we use in recruitment evoke distance and detachment between the company hiring and the individual being hired.

How can we know who we're really hiring? 

Unfortunately, people often come to a new role to escape something; they: 

• were a bad fit for a team
• didn't feel challenged
• didn't get along with their boss
• had outgrown the role
• wanted a higher salary for their efforts
• or, they were in a bad place in life, and they thought a new job would be the answer.

With all of this going on, it becomes rare that a new role will meet all of the person's expectations. 

So what's the answer?

The hiring processes used in today's workplaces are designed to help us know as much as we can in a short period and a cost effective manner. This means making drastic changes to hiring to allow us to spend quality time with future employees before they join the organisations is, in most cases, not possible. 

"We can't ever truly know who we're hiring, but we can get a positive and honest culture in place right from the outset."

Here are six great ways to get and keep the right new hires:

1. Ask them to be completely honest with you in an interview. 

Sometimes people arrive at your organisation just because they need a job. When this is the case, they are keen to say anything, or claim they will do anything in a role, even if its not their strength. Be sure to ask people what they love most at work. You'll see their face light up when they are being really honest, and it will help you to know if they are really right for the role. 

2. Try the informal approach:

Take your new starter out of the office for a coffee. Being in an informal setting can help people to be more open and honest with you about how they are settling in, and they will be more likely to share what's working and what's not. 

Image source

3. Ask the questions you don't want to know the answers to:

Try not to ignore the situation when people are difficult, there's always a reason people are challenging. Work with them as much as you can and be sure to ask the tough questions; "you seem down, is there something going on at work or home that we can help with?"

4. Give people options:

Help them to feel that if this wasn't the right move for them, or you, that you will give them support to find what is. Perhaps help them to move to another part of the company if that's and option. 

5. Make sure they know the cooling off period is for them as well as you: 

Encourage people to consider that the first few months they are in a role is as much a time for reflection about whether it's what they want, as it is for you to decide if they are a good fit for the role. Giving people a sense of control - and allowing them to continue to go to interviews if either of you is unsure - is a good way to help people feel engaged and not trapped. 

6. Give people the opportunity to make a difference: Your new hire has fresh eyes into the business, and the freshness isn't there forever so use it wisely. Ask people to tell you what works well here and what doesn't, and listen to them! Listening to and acting on the views of your people is a great way to engage them. 

Learning to Fly

Last week while travelling on a BA flight from Venice to London I picked up a copy of the BA in-flight magazine 'business life, where next?'. I often pick up the in-flight magazines for something to entertain me while I fly, but I usually finish reading them before the engines start. The business life magazine offered a fresher, more upbeat read and I found some interesting work related titbits.

Many a time I've sat on a bus or tube and prayed that people wouldn't speak to me. I would know I had a mountain of work to do, or that I just felt like staring aimlessly out of the window and enjoying a few free minutes to myself. Then it comes, that fateful 'hello, how are you?' to which I answer 'fine thanks', being careful not to ask the same question back through fear of being held in conversation. It speaks again; 'so, where are you headed?' Damn, people are looking, expecting me to engage; the perpetrator is not going to give up. I'm hooked in. So the conversation continues. At first I resent my precious time being stolen, then, from somewhere, I find I'm beginning to enjoy the chat; hell, I'm even smiling!

Image source

It's my stop; it came around quickly. I get off the Tube, and bizarrely I feel some sense of fulfilment. I smiled and made someone else smile. It feels good.

BA's research showed that people in such situations, who had impromptu interactions with other, had more positive travel experiences than those that didn't. So, if interactions make us feel so good, why do we avoid them? Should we give ourselves that little push to be more social animals, even when we don't feel like it? And if we do, what could we gain from it?

As humans we often fear the unknown; it's part of human nature. We don't know if we will like the other person, or if they will like us! So it's easier to avoid at all costs. But are we missing out?

BA are currently testing a new kind of seat on their aircrafts; 'Priority seats - for people who want to talk business.' These seats allow passengers to opt to sit in seats next to other people who have requested communication between passengers. The idea behind it is that after a good chat, and potentially picking up a business contact or two, people will feel more positive about their journey.

What do you think?

business life is available to download free from the App store. I found it an interesting read, perhaps you will too.

How to Unleash Your Creative Dragon

Yesterday I was chatting with a colleague about the conditions we need for our creativity to flow. In a time when I feel under constant pressure to achieve in life, this enlightened me and challenged me to shift focus.

Back in my undergraduate years I studied the concept of psychological flow theory. Flow theory states that to experience flow its vital to have, and believe in one's, ability to achieve, but also to feel challenged enough by a task that it stretches you. Even now, ten years later, I remember the conditions required to feel the desirable state, and I often notice myself falling into a flow state as I work. The problem is, as soon as I notice I am 'flowing' I lose the flow and revert to normal functioning.

When I am in a flow is when I feel I am being my best creative self. Over the years, I've learned that for flow to occur within me I need uninterrupted space, without external noise, self-acceptance and confidence in my abilities (or a lack of internal noise).

I was saying to my colleague that the time I often feel most creative is when I am laying in bed at night just before I go to sleep. This is the time when my mind is most quiet. I spend a lot of my waking day surrounded by external noise from everyday life. This includes the internet, email, social media, phone calls, people talking, all of which in turn creates noise in my head, or my internal voices so to speak. These are the voices of self-doubt, criticism and fear that often make me question my abilities. The noise is what disrupts my flow.

Image source 

So how can we ensure we leave space for creativity. Well, the other thing we discussed is that making a specific space to allow yourself to be creative can be disruptive to creativity because it forces the mind to do something it is potentially not ready to do.

What we need to do is give ourselves the freedom to think and be ourselves as we work. As soon as we forgive ourselves for being less than perfect and for not always meeting expectations placed on us by others or ourselves, suddenly the creativity flows. It may take time and hard to accept that a structured plan of 'must achieve' is not always the most productive way to create output. But if we do what we feel, and what we believe in, the rest will come. For creativity to flow we need to hush not only the external noise but the internal noise too.

Image source 

"When we stop thinking about what we should be doing and start doing what feels right, suddenly we find ourselves in the place we always wanted to be."

My friend used a great analogy, which may seem somewhat crude but is a very useful thing to consider when we look at the conditions required to be creative.

Do you ever make yourself need the toilet? If you say to yourself, right, I haven't been to the toilet today I must go, can you go? No! Of course not, your body will tell you when it's time to go. It's much to the same with what we create. Making the body do something does not mean it will oblige. Sometimes we just have to let nature take its course.

Listen to Your People and Save Your Business

This morning, to get a little light relief from ironing out the finer details of wedding planning, I decided to watch one of my favourite work-related shows, Undercover Boss. 

I've watched this show many times and each time I am amazed at how surprised the big boss is by their findings. So much so that it reminds me of why I started out in business on my own in the first place; my goal has always been and always will be:

'Give everyone in your organisation a voice. Only then will you get the best from your people.'

This week the focus of the show was Tower Hamlets Council and it saw the Chief Executive (CE) going undercover to work as one of the frontline workers. As the CE quoted: 

"Working undercover on the frontline you see it as it is rather than how they want you to see it. People put on a show when they know you are a more senior person."

Image source

Council workers perform many essential services for the residents in a borough; from pest control and waste management to child protection services, from libraries and doctors surgeries to meals on wheels. However, many of these services have suffered in recent years due to budget cuts and massive strains on resources. 

Budget cuts are no new thing to local councils in the UK, and they are always fraught with dispute and despair whenever they arise. Unfortunately, they are often necessary; the real problems arise when the wrong cuts are made. 

One of the stops for the CE this week was accompanying a female care worker who'd been delivering meals on wheels to elderly patients for 33 years. She was an inspiration, showing the utmost care, respect and genuine concern for each and every patient she visited. Unfortunately, due to budget cuts, the time she spent with her elderly clients was cut dramatically to meet demand for services. 

The CE recognised that the situation visibly pained the long-standing worker, and he noted that she did her best to arrange her deliveries to spend the longest time possible with the people who needed her most. His revelation was: 

“’Meals on Wheels’ is more than just delivering a meal and walking away.” 

To address the issue, the CE asked the care worker to join a new committee he had designed to ensure the care of clients was of top priority. He told the care worker that her insight was vital to making the project a success. 

We always need budget cuts; change occurs in organisations and money is frequently required elsewhere to meet the current internal or external needs of the company - it's a fact of life. However, by making blind choices about changes required in organisations without speaking to the frontline workers first, senior leaders are bound to make incorrect decisions. 

The most important thing to recognise in any organisation is the need to understand the consequences of our actions. Yes, we are running businesses, but in many cases, we are also providing services to those who need it most. 

There are too many companies that operate without talking to the people on the shop floor. In some ways, this is helpful because it takes the emotion out of business and allows us to make strong financial decisions, but is that what business should really be about? Are we saying, as a race, we value financial gain more than the needs of our own? 

Business is more than making money; business is about people. 

 Image source

Calling a Spade a Spade... Mistrust in Organisations

We all know the phrase 'honesty is the best policy' and I'm sure most of us have quoted said phrase when preaching to our loved ones or when raving about the latest promises from political parties. So why is it that when it comes to how we treat our people in business the phrase is all but forgotten and often blatantly ignored?

I've come across this many times in my work over the last few years and each time the topic of whether employees should be told the truth or spun a web of believable nonsense is treated as non important. "We'll just say it's a development centre but really we're looking to performance manage people out." Aside from the ethical and moral issues that come up around these sorts of actions, what impact does this have on the business and its bottom line?

By spinning a web of deceit for your people, you can create the following:

• Mistrust amongst your people; both those that are performance managed out and those that keep their jobs. 

• A feeling of worthlessness amongst employees; if people get the message that you feel it's ok to lie to them this will result in them feeling a sense being unworthy of the truth. 

These factors could result in employees having a lack of confidence to speak out at other mistruths they witness, and could encourage them to lie on other matters. Before you know it, you have created a culture based on lies and wrongdoings.

Being honest about the purpose of testing your people - if it's not there and we can't teach it, we need to find someone who can do what we need - will ensure they know where they stand. They will believe that telling the truth on other matters is what is expected of them and be working towards creating an open and honest feedback culture at the benefit of your organisational growth. 

Initially, this may seem completely unachievable, but it is possible. If you have a culture whereby people are working together towards the good of the organisation, generally people will understand if their skills do not contribute towards the end goal. Of course, this may not always be the case and people may respond badly to such honesty at first, but if you create a culture of trust and open feedback, people will always know where they are and what to expect. 

Managers, are you really getting the most from your people?

As a manager, it is very tempting to ignore requests for change from employees; these requests often mean spending large chunks of money on a new process or system, or a request for a salary increase. What we often fail to see, is that even just by listening to someone and showing your empathy and understanding, but often doing little to change the situation, can help. 

Listen to your people

Ultimately, it is likely that your teams know more about their working challenges than you do, due to the simple fact that they work with the challenges on a daily basis. Listening to your people is vital. Sadly, this is often ignored, especially when it comes to large scale change across organisations. 

There is a well known psychological study which led to what we know today as the Hawthorne Effect. This phenomenon occurs when people improve their behaviour or productivity output due to the simple fact there has been a change in their working environment, whether or not the change results in an improvement to their working conditions. 

Image Source

This change can be as minor as being observed for a short period. Of course, we can't observe everyone all of the time, and we wouldn't want to because the effect would wear off, but by showing people you care, they will respond accordingly. The key is sincerity. 

Granted, this is a temporary measure, but it shows the potential positive impact of creating an environment of listening, sharing and displaying genuine concern for one another in the workplace. It also provides you with vital insight into the workings of you teams; you never know when this information might be useful. 

The crux of this is that people want to feel like they matter. Employees want to feel they are part of something important and without them the end goal wouldn't be as possible. But in order to bring people with you on your journey, you need to understand their motivations for work. 

Understanding your people

Knowing your people is the key to a happy workforce. In our modern world of non-traditional male and female roles, and the widespread introduction of flexible working, you are very behind the times if you are not sensitive to the work / life balance needs of your people. 

I recently spoke to a friend of mine and she relayed to me the challenges she could see across her national team, and that she knew she could help to make changes to ensure the team operated more efficiently. However, she is also the mother of a young child and was concerned to speak up at the fear that she may have to travel extensively and work long hours to achieve her goal. 

This fear factor is exactly what we should be trying to eliminate if we want a successful business. The environment we should be creating is an open forum for ideas and discussion and the opportunity for people to take calculated risks. 

The lack of this in the workplace, again comes back to our fear of spending; if people are allowed to have ideas, it often means spending and change. But, by talking together about reaching a larger purpose or goal, the smaller things become easier to achieve because they are in service of a bigger purpose. You become more creative, more resourceful as a team and can get things moving in the right direction - together.  

Image Source

It is sad that people have less passion for their work because they don't want to travel or leave work late instead opting to be at home with their child; but why wouldn't they?? It's normal to want a work / life balance. But whilst at work, we are not getting the best from our teams because they don't want to rock the boat and put themselves in a difficult position. We need to get the best from our people to get the best out of our business. 

There is another common principle used in psychology called the psychological contract. This is an unwritten contract between you and your people; an expectation of how you will both behave during your contract together. By being mindful of what your employees want, expect and need from you, you will get more back from them.

Here are some tips to help you do that:

1. Talk to people - find out their honest career goals - what do they really want out of their career and what work / life balance do they want. Give a little back to your employees, and they will give you more. 

2. Be flexible with hours. If someone needs to leave at 4.30pm to collect their child from school - let them do it. You've likely lost their engagement for the last hour of that day anyway because they are thinking about where they would rather be and should be - with their family. Even if they are only there for six hours a day, but they are happier and more motivated, you will get more from them than you would in their normal eight hours.

3. Provide people with the best resources to get the job done. Don't just say - it's too expensive to send you to X so you can't visit that team or take that course. Ensure you talk freely with them to come up with an affordable but effective option for making the job possible. You will get more from people if you work WITH them, not against them.

Being a manager is a tough job, but it can be made much easier if you have happy and effective employees. Take some of these tips on board, and you will be surprised at what can be achieved.