The best work happens when employees are fired up. How leaders stoke a lasting flame:
Feel zeal. When up-and-coming companies get acquired by larger corporations, “sometimes that founder’s spirit gets lost,” said Alex Atzberger, president of SAP Ariba, a division of German tech company SAP (SAP) .
When he took over the cloud service last year, Atzberger decided to lead with a founder’s fervor.
“I should care in the same way and with the same sense of urgency,” he told IBD.
Shout it. SAP Ariba has 2 million companies on its business-to-business platform, which helps buyers and sellers connect.
Atzberger is aiming for 5 million by 2020.
“My job is to repeat these numbers as many times as possible so people can remember them,” he said. “It’s important that people understand the big picture.”
Strive to thrive. SAP Ariba's size -- 3,500 employees -- might give it a corporate feel, but Atzberger wants workers to stay grounded.
“Be as hungry and as humble as a startup that might be based in Silicon Valley,” he said. “We need to work just as hard.”
Speed it up. A key question for Atzberger is: by what date?
“There is a tendency for people to get through meetings rather than to drive them to an outcome,” he said. “The element of time is really important. Startups don’t have the luxury of time.”
Assess outlook. Attitude is as essential as ability in Atzberger’s eyes.
“When I have somebody in my organization who wants to do more and take on more responsibility, that’s the best news of the day,” he said. “You want engaged employees.”
Elevate them. Over the past six years, revenue at workforce management firm Kronos Inc. leapt from $600 million to $1 billion.
During that same time, “our employee engagement scores jumped from 60% to the mid-80s today, with more than 90% of Kronos employees saying they are proud to work here,” said CEO Aron Ain.
He sees the connection.
“Our exciting financial results perfectly align with our focus on employee engagement,” Ain said.
Pour it on. Fair pay and excellent benefits are essential. “A given,” Ain said.
How executives interact is the ember that warms the culture.
“You cannot create this type of pride and engagement without fostering strong employee-manager relationships built on trust and transparency,” he said.
Wish them well. Turnover of top performers at Kronos is around 2%. When pros leave, Ain wishes them well -- and invites them to come back any time.
As a result, Kronos has more than 180 boomerang employees. Ain likes that they already know the company’s products and culture.
“Plus I believe the chances they will leave again are even lower,” he said. “I love our strategy in this area.”
Enhance collaboration. Interpersonal conflicts can chill employee engagement efforts.
“When people leave a company, it’s usually because they’re not getting along very well with a manager,” said Connie Bentley, U.S. general manager at people development firm Insights.
The company’s assessment -- based on Jungian psychology -- helps executives understand their approach to professional interactions.
“Self-awareness is the cornerstone of everything we do,” she said.
Be adjustable. Opposites can get along.
“You know how to adjust your approach in your engagement with that person and meet them where they are,” Bentley said.
Being assertive works with some, backfires with others.
“The very preferences that can be our strength can also be our weaknesses,” she said.
Image provided by Shutterstock.
