Building a Better "Mousetrap"

I am kind of excited. I am in the process of pulling together a group of collaborators to talk about the importance of building a strong employment brand and engagement.

I am excited on a couple of levels. Anyone that knows me knows that I am passionate about these subjects to a level where folks get tired of hearing me. I can't help it, I just fervently believe that this kind of a model working together is just bluntly superior to any other organizational model in the long term, and it works for all kinds of organizations; private or public sector and for profit or not for profit.

I am also excited about the opportunity to educate people about what engagement is and engagement is not. Engagement is not satisfaction and engagement is not "happiness". Engagement is discretionary effort freely committed to by employees in support of a common set of goals, values, and objectives. It is also viral. Your customers and your community will "catch it" to if it is done right.

The last reason I am kind of excited is that this initiative as we envision is a collaboration between the local educational community, the business community and others to begin building a framework for an economic plan for a community that has desperately needed one for a long time; and we are planning to do it together.

We are also going to explore root causes and the real foundation of engagement and strong brands and show local businesses two key things:

• This isn't just about big businesses with big advertising budgets
• The basic building blocks are pretty easy and there are resources in every community to help "spread the virus".

I like "win-win" solutions, and personal responsibility, and action rather than inaction. Think local, act local. I like it!

Personal Accountability

This has always been an interesting topic to me. Some of the events of the last few weeks ranging from athletes punching one another out to kids returning to school seems to make it particularly relevant.

A colleague and I were discussing this topic the other day especially as it pertains to health care. Isn't it interesting for all the debate about whether there should be single payer, a public option, how much it will cost, etc. there is little discussion about the individuals role in the whole health care discussion other than as a beneficiary.

I have some pretty strong opinions on this topic. Among them I believe that all Americans should have access to a basic level of health care much like public education and that until we provide that the costs will never really be managed.

I also believe that individuals have a right and responsibility to participate in the management of their own well being and health. We don't talk about that very much. I would venture to say that the majority of Americans who have health insurance are also covered by a group plan- employer, government agency, association, etc. so they have little understanding of how much their health care actually costs and care less until it impacts them in the way of increased co- insurance, higher deductibles, denied claims, or related activities.

I have mentioned a couple of other related concepts regarding health care like our inefficient delivery and focus on the costs of processes rather than paying for outcome based management, but this is a different issue.

I remember years ago when a new employer arrived in town and declared a tobacco free workplace. People were outraged. How interesting? An employer who took the position that if you knowingly contributed to the detriment of your own health they didn't care to subsidize your real or potential higher expenses so they wouldn't hire you.

We tried to pass a law recently requiring all restaurants to post calorie counts for everything on their menu, luckily it failed. Would we want to extend that to homes like the dram shop laws?

Dram shop laws extend liability to private individuals for serving intoxicated people or allowing them to depart your home intoxicated without at least attempting to intervene. Can you see requiring a menu with calorie counts at dinner parties?

I think a big part of the issue is that of personal competency. Personal competency is that "other" right that constitution provides us with in addition to the concept of personal property.

When we began to industrialize and people left the "farm" many went to work for large employers. Large employers responding to both collective bargaining and offering competitive compensation began offering "fringe benefits" including paid time off, retirement and pension plans, and group health insurance benefits. A few years ago it was not atypical for employers to pay all the costs for health insurance for employees and their dependents. Employees had no idea and didn't care what they cost. Add these third party payer systems to advance health care techniques, technology, and a few other things and we created a trillion dollar health insurance industry, and very high expectations.

Very few employers to my knowledge even today talk extensively with their employees about ways they can contribute to lowering health care costs. The idea of "mandated" health screening, enforced wellness, and sliding employer contribution rates based on lifestyle health care costs would probably be seen as some type of corporate fascism. Your employer shouldn't be able to tell you how to manage you lifestyle, right? Even if they pick up the majority of the cost....

I believe until we address the personal accountability issue and employers
actively engage and educate their employees about the root causes of many of the costs we will only be addressing part of the problem. What do you think?

Reflecting on Leadership

What an interesting week on the leadership front.

President Obama gave his first two commencement speeches in two very different venues. At Arizona State there was a lot of controversy over both inviting him as well as the decision not to award him the customary honorary degree. The reason cited was that he has not completed his "body of work". He agreed and in fact challenged the new graduates that just as he has not completed his body of work they are only beginning theirs.

At Notre Dame, the most prestigious Catholic college in the U.S. the controversy was around his position on women's choice as it relates to abortion. His position here was that the two sides would never be reconciled, but we should take steps to stop demonizing those whose viewpoints is different than our own. Not just about abortion, but about many things.

It was interesting today watching the press reaction to Congress' vote on denying the funding to close Guantanamo Bay. They wanted to get the administration to take a position on whether or not that represents the President's first "failure". The Congress apparently has legitimate concerns about the disposition of the detainees and felt the closure is premature. They kept pressing for recognition of a "mistake". The Administration responded that while the Executive Order may have been premature, it did galvanize action.

We really want to classify things as right or wrong, as a win or a loss. I am not sure that is leadership, in fact I am pretty sure it isn't.

On a positive note a colleague of mine was elected to a position on the school board in our community yesterday. I am pleased on a number of levels.

• She is an "includer" and a thinker. I have worked with her in a number of capacities and rarely heard her express "right" or "wrong" positions.
• She is a listener. She weighs things carefully and thoughtfully before coming to a decision or conclusion.
• She is committed. Her personal history shows someone who has served her community in a number of capacities over an extended period of time. This is not any easy time to serve.
• She was endorsed and supported by people from many different perspectives and on differing sides of issues.

These things are important to me because we are a very polarized community. It is very important for many people to be "right". As a result we have no defined road map for how we move forward as a community. We have very high unemployment, budget shortfalls for our schools, and not much of a plan for coming out of it. Perhaps her election is a sign that we are beginning to recognize that progress begins with relationships and willingness to hear the other person.

Last week I mentioned Bill George and his new generation of leaders who focus on "stakeholders" not shareholders. I think she might be one of that new generation. I wish her luck and I offer her my continuing support.

This Monday we celebrate Memorial Day, a tribute and an homage to those who served and those who died to preserve our rights to disagree, personal competency and a number of other core values that we hold dear.

I wonder what those who passed and those who remain think about where we are today not only in terms of our economy, but our values and where we go from here.

I like the fact that the president of Notre Dame mentioned that even while he disagreed with the President on many core issues he was proud of a President who called for discussion and tolerance for differences rather than demonizing those whose viewpoint is different from your own.

I also agree with President Obama and Senator McCain that Guantanomo became a symbol that I didn't care for and that now the issue is not if, but when we close it; and that is a good thing.

What do you think......?