Virtual Communication in the Workplace

A major driver in business has always been the ability to communicate effectively. This is not a profound statement, it is merely a fact.  Few people in the workplace remember IBM’s Selectric with changeable font balls for a choice of script or courier; or another business innovation referred to by some as the “mojowire”, and by others as the fax machine – all amazing improvements to our ability to communicate in the workplace.  Today we are in a virtual communication world approaching Star Trek and very soon, “Beam me up Scottie”, may be a reality.

Considering the challenges of businesses functioning on a global scale, the one factor that has not changed is the need to communicate effectively.  Technical innovations have given us virtual tools to add to our arsenal and absolutely provide major benefits.   The benefits fall into several major categories, including transportation cost saving, knowledge sharing efficiency, improved customer service, and improved employee utilization.

In the first category, transportation – reducing the need to travel to every client meeting or to the office generates costs savings in fuel, time and office overhead, along with a positive green  impact of reducing the carbon footprint. Taking advantage of email, and conference calling are routine and are further enhanced with the use of satellite conferencing, Webinars, or online video calling.  For small group video meetings Skype, Oovoo or Yugma offer free to very low cost options to get everyone in on collaborating to hammer out details at one time.  For communicating educational or promotional roll-out information, a Webinar or web conference may be more appropriate.  Using any number of available options such as Openmeetings, GotoWebinar, Adobe Connect, or Microsoft Office Live, a company can deliver the same message to all members of the company at any location in real time.  That being said, based upon my own experience of holding such a meeting with members in Michigan - USA, South Korea, Australia and Germany; one has to understand that some members could be in their pajamas unless a dress code of business attire is specified!

The second category of benefit is knowledge sharing efficiency.  As a business writer, tutor and educator, I find a team of one is limited, while the greatest kernels of wisdom have come from varying perspectives that can only be present when collaborating with others.  Again, Webinars or Skype and Oovoo like programs are wonderful and easy to use methods for brainstorming and having a face to put with a voice while creating or reviewing material.

In the third category, improved customer service, the positive impact of virtual communication cannot be denied.  Smartly designed voice prompted response systems and live response representatives available on at 24-hour basis prove to be great for the bottom line – some studies claim a 36% impact!  Of course any measure of improvement in keeping customers satisfied with the product, or the service provided is the ultimate goal because happy customers drive a healthy bottom line, and a healthy bottom line drives a healthy company.  Using email, text messaging, phone calls or online response systems are all easy to use and manage methods.

The final major category of benefit for this discussion about using virtual communication in the workplace is improved employee utilization.  The workplace of today cannot thrive without satisfied stakeholders.  Clients have to be satisfied and valued, and equally as important, the workplace cannot survive without motivated, respected, valued and inspired employees.  The same virtual conventions that have brought the world to the doors of the local workplace have brought the local workplace to the front doors of its employee’s homes.  This is another one of the potential cost saving benefits for the employer.  Recognizing that for the first time in history there are five different generations of employees in the workplace.  The employee base potentially represents the greatest diversity in languages spoken, geography encompassed and variations of culture.  Considering this awe inspiring diversity of the workplace, if employers wish to gain the greatest benefit from employees it would be wise to consider that a one size fits all approach may not be best.  For example a Gen-X or millennial generation employee may have little use for elder care benefits, however a baby-boomer or boomer2, may need those benefits to address family care issues.   Millennial generation and Gen-Xer’s may need childcare and educational flexibility.  Sacrificing the value that each generation brings to the workplace is made moot with the successful implementation of virtual communication.  Staying connected to the workplace is made seamless with the use of email, teleconferencing, video calling, Dropbox, SharePoint and other real time collaborative tools.  I also believe blogging and using facebook, tumblr, and a host of other social networking tools can benefit the workplace when used according to guidelines that employees have a hand in creating.

Individuals have to embrace leveraging the technology which is evolving at a mind boggling speed.  Communication, whether virtual, or in your face, is only as good as the people engaged in communicating.  The human element is the key to all successful virtual communication.  It is important to understand that generational position has little to do with the ability to leverage any virtual communication tools.  True enough, the millennials probably have the edge on playing Guitar Hero or Halo, but there is no conclusive evidence that younger employees are any better than more senior co-workers at mastering virtual technology most used in the workplace.  What is true is that all generations of employees benefit most from supervision that can keep them engaged, whether working virtually or in a physical office location.  Supervision and management have to keep moral up so that when employees are not in sight, they are still in mind.  Virtual communication also makes it easier to blur the line between work and personal life.  It is up to management to work with employees to develop policies that foster career and work life balance.

Twitter speak, and the language of text messaging will never replace the long respected and admired elements of language resulting in a well turned sentence.  However, it is possible from time to time, we may need a reminder not to “facebook, Skype or ‘txt’ our bff” during a meeting, or not to email a co-worker sitting in the office next door, or just over the cubicle wall.

In looking at the methods, and the impact of virtual communication in the workplace – the benefits outweigh the negative side effects.  Technology will continue to evolve, and I believe it remains important to remember that differences in language, time zones, local customs, and culture are all challenges to virtual communication in the workplace.

 A final thought, when Alexander Graham Bell used his original modern technological creation for the first time, he was summoning the assistance of another human as he said, “Mr. Watson, come here. I need you.”  -- In my opinion, even with the phenomenal benefits of virtual communication in the workplace, at some point we will all need to summon our own Mr. Watson.

Is It Time For A Social Media Policy?

Thinking back to when I was a training instructor for a Michigan utility company, one of the tasks I had was monitoring the customer service representatives to make sure they were responding properly to inquiries and maintaining a pleasant and professional demeanor.  For the most part it was routine and each call was completed in less than five minutes.  On occasion, there would be a CSR that made personal calls and some were quite embarrassing for the ear to endure.  Of course there were policies against using the company telephone system for personal reasons, but it happened.  When it was discovered, the person would be reminded of the corporate policy.  There were never any violations involving the computers because back then, (I am a bit embarrassed to admit), computers were nothing more than a cathode ray tube with a black screen and amber letters and numbers, and no Internet!  Hard to believe, but it is true.  Fast forward to 2011 -- we have Internet gone wild with in your "facebook", swimming in "plenty of fish", shown on "YouTube"and cleaned up and connected on "Linked In".  I believe there are so many social networking sites that it defies the imagination.  Can people get carried away using social media in the workplace that is often such a part of life in general?  You bet!  We have all likely heard stories about people who have taken things a bit too far -- sometimes purposely, and sometimes unintentionally.  So, is it time for companies to add social media protocol to their policies and procedures manual?  You bet!  As many companies have discovered, social media can be used as an incredible tool for branding corporate image, promoting products, services, events, educating employees and the general public as well.  Therefore, rather construct a rigid policy with a list of what employees CAN NOT do using social media, consider the opposite approach.  Think about using the arsenal of the employee base to become an extension of the marketing department.  Perhaps consider beginning with engaging all employees in determining what is acceptable and what is not.  Identify those employees who are the most savvy and interested in becoming involved in the process,and create outlets for them to add value by using their skills and interests by creating employee blog sites with teams of employee bloggers, or create facebook pages to announce and promote community service activities.  Make the authorized use of social media a positive and encouraged activity that contributes to marketing goals and objectives.

Marketing Your Brand is a Team Sport

The leaves are beginning to turn, autumn is in the air – it is football season!  After several conversations with my son, who loves the game and is a great resource for sharing strategy, explaining plays, and answering my questions about what the referee is saying, I pondered which player is most valuable to the team.  Initially, I thought it must be the Quarterback; after all he is the one calling the plays.  My son kindly pointed out that the QB is only on the field with the offense and, “without the linemen, the QB would rarely be able to successfully pass or hand-off the ball, and without a receiver or a running back, the QB would not have a player to take the ball toward the end zone.”  Without a coach to teach, motivate, and inspire, many team members would find it nearly impossible to reach their potential as a player. Football really is a team sport. Perhaps that is one of the reasons it engenders such great camaraderie and generates emotional contagion.

It struck me that the game of football is a great metaphor for operating a corporate marketing division and camaraderie and emotional contagion would not be a bad thing to give marketing a boost.  Recently, I was asked by a client to help them create a unique industry brand for their company.  The company is small, and cannot afford a diversified marketing staff or full-time public relations professionals. Rather than claim I could create their brand and give them a turnkey package to promote it, I suggested, in my professional opinion, a better approach that could be implemented for any company serious about creating and marketing their brand.  It isn’t really complicated but it does require commitment.

First of all, recognize who you are as a company and create your own quick pitch mantra. Working with a consultant like me, or another talented professional can ease you through the process. Take the time to train each employee.  Start in the executive suite, if it exists, and don’t stop until everyone has been introduced to, and taught to recite the quick pitch mantra on cue.   Teach all employees to share the quick pitch whenever they have an opportunity, and help them to identify opportunities.  Some examples of opportunities could include informal meetings with friends, during participation with professional associations, or during volunteer activities with not-for-profit organizations, and of course, never over look the powerful impact of using social media. Executives should model behavior for other employees and work with them to create their own quick pitch for how their job ties into the success of the company. 

Secondly, identify subject matter experts across disciplines.  These SME’s will become the coaches for their teams and will be the point people for helping with internal information dissemination.

Thirdly, don’t stop at the training phase.  Everyone must be empowered to become a cheerleader!  Never let a week pass that does not include encouragement to everyone.  It can be a Monday morning inspirational email blast, an end of the week mass distributed voicemail for reaching a special goal, or thanks to stand out employees for random acts of kindness and support of others. Be sure to remember the preferred information reception needs of the entire employee base if it is intergenerational by using means and methods appropriate for the type of position, generational mix of employees and convenience.  Make it easy to communicate the message, easy to retrieve it, and easy to remember.

And finally, make sure there are plenty of hugs to go around.  That may sound corny, but making people aware that they are appreciated can be a tremendous boost to morale.  Happy, inspired employees are more productive and more likely to take the internal messages to the sources needed to brand the company image externally. 

Marketing to create corporate brand identity and product brand awareness is a team sport that requires all team members to work together and support each other.  Companies that recognize this are far more likely to experience harmony that will lead them to end zone where they will score better bottom lines.

Case Studies of Best Practices - Career Life Fit Programs

Annotation for Case Studies

The next four blog entries provide a review of four places of employment that have incorporated career life fit programs into their culture. I selected the four companies because each represents a different type of work environment. The first case features The MITRE Corporation, a global not-for-profit with locations in 60 countries. The second case presents the Detroit Chamber of Commerce, the largest chamber of commerce in the United States. The third case is the University of South Carolina, a large public educational institution and the fourth is a Florida area corporation called Tech Data, a global distributor of information technology, with over 90,000 customers and annual sales of over $21 million as of its last fiscal year.

The case studies for MITRE Corporation, The Detroit Chamber of Commerce and the University of South Carolina were compiled by the Sloan Work and Family Network, Boston College. The case study for Tech Data Corporation, is my independent work that involved contacting the company and interviewing people in the human resources department and employees who have accessed the resources available through the program.

Case Study - Flexible Work Arrangement – MITRE Corporation

Summary of the Problem
     MITRE formed in 1958, is a not-for-­profit organization provides high level professional services and research for government agencies. The roughly 6,000 employees at MITRE are all non unionized, two thirds male, and most all have advanced college degrees. When surveyed, the MITRE employees identified two barriers they felt challenged work and life balance. The first barrier was a requirement that employees work a minimum five day week. The second barrier was a requirement that forced employees to take a full­ day absence for a missed partial day of work even if they worked the equivalent of a full week the other four days of the week. For example, working ten hours over four days would total forty hours but absence would be charged if the employee missed any part of the fifth day.

MITRE’s Solution – Flexible Work Arrangement Program

     Since MITRE implemented the flexible work arrangement, employee retention has increased and employees rank flexibility as one of the top reasons to work at the company. In his Giglio note that “One of the things they like the most about flexibility at MITRE is the fact that the flexibility is flexible”(2). The employees are empowered to decide along with their manager’s approval, to work a shortened work week or choose an alternative hours schedule for a limited time as needed to accommodate their needs. As a result, employees report a greater feeling of having their work and their life in balance. In addition, employees say they enjoy an enhanced level of trust between staff and management due to MITRE’s flexibility opportunities. The case points to benefits for both the employee and the employer. There is a general feeling of increased trust between employees and management. Prior to the implementation of the flexible work arrangement program MITRE had a voluntary attrition rate of 8% and for certain employees with high demand skills the rate was even higher. In the five years following implementation of the program the voluntary attrition rate dropped to three percent and has since stabilized at four percent. In terms of worker productivity specific statistics were not compiled but the company feels that productivity has not suffered as a result of the program employee morale and job satisfaction has improved greatly. MITRE currently uses the flexible work feature of their company as a recruiting tool for new talent.
     Anecdotally, many employees tell managers that they feel they are more productive and that they work hard to support the company since it supported them in trying to achieve greater work/life balance. As pointed out by Rhonda Rapoport in Beyond Work-Family Balance, ”It is a fact of life the senior managers carry more weight than others”(160) and according the senior management at MITRE it is necessary to get top ­level support and involvement. They also noted that it is important to train both employees and managers up front, infuse effective communication, outline program expectations and be willing to make modifications along the way.
     I found this case interesting and the dual benefits to both employees and employers are admirable. One dynamic that I found interesting was the fact that the majority of the employees are male in mostly high level professional and technical positions. The case study does not differentiate between who was disappointed with the company’s original policy which was inflexible and punitive. Considering that MITRE fits the model of a corporation that originally was structured on the norm of white male gender bias, I wonder if the employees most impacted by the old system and the new flexible system are women. It appears that MITRE has continued to excel in work life programs as the company has received annual awards for eight years from the Alliance for Workplace Excellence (AWE). The AWE recognized companies for excellence in each of these categories:

• Family and Employee Friendly Policies and Practices
• Supportive Corporate Culture and Management Practices
• Strong Employee Health and Wellness Initiatives
• Comprehensive Growth and Learning Opportunities
• Demonstrated Commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility and Employee Volunteerism

"Recognition by AWE means a great deal," said Bill Albright, director of MITRE's Quality of Work Life and Diversity division in the company's human resources organization. "We continually strive to provide employees with the tools needed to achieve work-life balance and maintain a healthy lifestyle. These goals have truly become part of MITRE's culture."

Case Study - Workplace Flexibility and Phased Retirement, The University of North Carolina

Summary of the Problem

The University of North Carolina, chartered in 1789, is the first public university in the United States. It has over 183,000 students spread across sixteen campuses.. UNC employs 36,000 fulltime employees of which 10,000 are fulltime faculty. A survey of tenured faculty revealed that a significant number of tenured faculty were nearing retirement age. The University realized there would be a significant knowledge and experience gap as large numbers of those eligible left the system. Among faculty responding to a university survey on the program, “the overwhelming majority were male, white and married, paralleling the broader demographic characteristics of senior faculty within UNC” (1). The mean age of respondents was 65 years; some 80 percent were male; nearly 93 percent were Caucasian; approximately 84 percent were married. In addition, 74 percent held the rank of professor before entering the program. Respondents had spent an average of 30 years in service at their current institution.

University of North Carolina’s Solution – Workplace Flexibility and Phased Retirement 

The UNC phased retirement program began as a trial in1998 and was approved as a continuing benefit for tenured faculty in 2001. The phased retirement program allows full­time faculty a voluntary opportunity to transition into retirement by retiring, giving up tenure and returning to work on a part­ time basis if they are at least 50 years old, with at least five years of full­time service at their current institution, and eligible to receive retirement benefits. Participants continue under contracts that can last from one to five years in length. Each faculty member negotiates their schedule and so far 524 faculty members have taken part. In fall 2004, the most recent semester for which statistics are available, 69 faculty members were actively participating. Which is fewer that the 208 participants in fall 2003. The university has considered expanding the program to include administrators within the faculty personnel system, but so far has not done so.

Obviously the faculty members benefited from the program which provided them with a choice to ease into the transition of retirement while providing the UNC the ability to systematically implement faculty succession planning. The majority of the participants said they were pleased with their decision to participate in the program and would recommend participation to a colleague. Since participants teach fewer classes and significantly reduce administrative responsibilities their non work time is used in a variety of ways, including self employment, volunteer activities and managing care giver responsibilities. The University feels that its phased retirement program is well­ designed and equitably applied, benefiting faculty as well as the university.

The University of North Carolina program is admirable because it recognizes the benefits of slowing the brain drain that takes place when a significant number of the best and brightest minds are forced to depart due to mandatory policies that do not reflect the work place of today. It is disappointing that the program has not
been extended to all levels of the employee base. Further it seems that the program could be expanded to
take into account the gender bias that exists along the tenure track that has prevented many women from
being able to achieve tenure at the same rate as their male counterparts should they elect to have children.

Case Study – Attracting and Retaining Top Talent -Tech Data Corporation

Summary of the Problem

Tech Data Corporation, founded in 1975, is an international IT distribution firm with 8,000 employees and annual sales of $22 billion during the most recent fiscal year. The Florida based corporation is challenged to attract and retain top talent in a constantly evolving industry. To that end, for as many as fifteen years the company has consistently developed and enhanced programs to support the health and well being of employees by introducing a variety of options to assist in creating work/life balance. Most of the benefits are not remarkable or particularly innovative in their attempt to address the provision of flexible work schedules for many employees. Most of the amenities are exclusive to the Clearwater, Florida location and include on site dry cleaning and laundry services, shoe repair services, an on-call automobile detailing cleaning service, a fitness center, basketball court, a learning library and stipends for use of an independent childcare facility located on the same campus as the head quarters. 

Recognizing Changing Employee Needs

The Flexible Work Arrangements, (FWA) program is aimed at addressing changing employee needs and attracting and retaining younger employees seeking incentives. The FWA has been in place for approximately three years, and provides the opportunity for some employees to request flexible work arrangements. Based on the business needs, not all positions are eligible for the FWA, and there are organizational guidelines around performance requirements for those who apply. Where applicable and approved, the employees can potentially apply for: 

• 4/80 - Working 4 days a week, for total of 80 hours during a 2 week period 
• 9/80, with every other week having a day off 
• Work from home (depending on position, approval, performance and job role, can be eligible to work at home 1 day per week) 

The work from home option presents many variables including one day per week or one day every other week. The benefits from the array of programs for to employees include flexibility to schedule family appointments or to avoid the stress of traffic by working from home in a less stressful environment. The benefit to the company includes greater productivity from employees who are more relaxed, and less distracted which potentially leads to greater productivity. Tech Data also uses the FWA as a recruitment and retention tool particularly for Generation X and millennial candidates who seek employment that fits into their lifestyle rather than fitting their lifestyle into work. Unfortunately this benefit is currently only offered at the corporate location in Clearwater. 

Continuous Evolvement

Tech Data plans to offer self service kiosk sponsored by United Health Care, to provide employees at the corporate headquarters and each of the locations in the United States the ability to monitor vital health and wellness indicators. Employees will also have the option to record and track their blood pressure, heart rate, pulse, and weight online and update the information at will. There will also be a representative from UHC on site once each week to address questions from employees regarding healthy living and preventative actions.