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The Cycle of Engagement Case Study - Sam Walton People who have learned to get "internal" feedback from their own daily activities are engaged by the interaction with customers/beneficiaries. They become energized by the cycle of engagement and further develop the ability to give themselves objective feedback which enables "full engagement." The cycle of engagement is engaged associates on the frontlines engaging customers who in turn re-engage those same associates as well as partners both internal and external to the enterprise. For example, if a service provider is engaged they will engage the customer and in turn be re-engaged through customer interaction. These activities will bring about more customer and partner engagement through support. The cycle will build its own momentum as it repeats. This case is an example of how the cycle of engagement can work. A report on the what turned out to be one of the final big enterprise wide efforts by one of the greatest entrepreneurs--Sam Walton. Called the ten foot rule, associates would be reminded by a line marked on the floor as the entered the customer areas of Wal-Mart and Sam's stores of the length or distance for which the rule applied. The rule was simply that when the associate was within ten feet of a customer they would make eye contact, smile, and greet the customer with an offer to assist. Sam Walton knew that not only would associates engage customers but, more importantly, the interaction would also engage the associate with an experience of exhilaration from participation and self-confidence. By making this effort into a habit a cycle of engagement would grow. Momentum of this engagement would provide associates enjoyment, appreciation, recognition, and reflection from daily operations. In addition to feedback they currently received from colleagues and supervisors they would also get feedback from their own daily activities. These experiences over time would help associates learn the ability to give themselves objective feedback. Individually and collectively asking (mostly non-verbally) the critical questions for "How are we doing?"
As an entrepreneur, Sam Walton, also understood the ethic of a customer dialogue which maintained the voice of the customer on the frontlines of daily operations. Transcending programs and systems were the workplace relationships with customers, partners, and fellow associates.
In summary, the cycle of engagement builds a momentum, much like a flywheel effect, based on human interaction. Focus, learning, and commitments are from daily experiences and relationships as everyone develops the ability to provide themselves with objective feedback. It works best when group leaders do it with rather than to everyone. It even works in classroom situations if the instructor wants to take learners on a journey toward reaching a competency level. And the bonus is they also develop the ability to provide themselves objective feedback, a life skill they can apply in any group situation.
© 2005 George Reavis - george@thankingcustomers.com |
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