(Time to read this Blog is about 3 minutes)

Before we get to the main topic, here are a few things to get you thinking or smiling:

1. My Biz Quote of the week:  
   “Many clients tell me they have an advertising problem.  But what they really have is a ‘compelling value’ problem.  Simply put, advertising is creative bragging and many businesses aren’t doing anything worth bragging about.  When we’re delivering compelling value, compelling communication should be easy.”   
   …Donald Cooper.
    
2. Quick Biz Tip:
   What can you do to help customers fight inflation?
    
   To help customers fight inflation amid rising interest rates, Pizza Pizza, Canada’s largest pizza chain, last year promoted ‘Fixed Rate Pizza’ by guaranteeing not to raise the price of their extra-large 4-topping pizza for a year.   This promotion, their most successful in 56 years, has been continued till the end of 2023!
    
   In a new inflation-fighting promotion, they’re offering a medium pizza for the same price as a small.  While many food products are shrinking the size of their product offering (shrinkflation), Pizza Pizza is delivering 44% more for the same price.
    
   These two inflation-fighting programs are clearly resonating with inflation-weary consumers.  So, what can you do to help your customers deal with the stress of inflation in these challenging economic times?
    
3. That’s a lot of balls! There are approximately 54,000 balls used throughout the 2-week Wimbledon Tennis Tournament in the UK.  The balls, produced in the Philippines, have been supplied by the Dunlop Slazenger Group since 1902.
    
4. Too many cooks? 14 chefs and other culinary professionals travel with Beyonce on her  current Renaissance World Tour, including pastry and vegan chefs.  I’d be hanging out with the pastry chefs!  😊
    
5. What can you do to ‘up’ your delivery game? Walmart is bringing its subscription-based Delivery Pass to Canada. The program costs $89 per year and offers free next-day delivery on more than 65,000 items.

The 10 Keys To ‘Employee Engagement’…how do you rate?   

The #1 problem in every business in the world today is attracting top performers.  Then, once you’ve attracted them, it’s vital that you engage and retain them, or you’re just ‘spinning your wheels’.  Employee engagement is the key to productivity and retention.

Below is my Biz Tool to help you rate your business on ‘The 10 Keys to Employee Engagement’.  All managers, supervisors and a cross-section of frint-line staff should take a few minutes to complete this.  Rate the business on each of the ’10 Keys’ below, on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being excellent.   You’ll be amazed at what you discover.  Then, at the bottom, calculate your ‘Total Engagement Score’ out of a possible 100 points.

Note:  Have each member of your Management Team, along with a cross-section of your front-line people complete this Biz Tool, individually, and compare the scores.  Do you all see the business and its ‘Key Engagement Factors’ in the same way?  Probably not.

1. All Team members know who we are as a business. They help create, understand and embrace  our Purpose, Values, Value Promise and our Vision & Mission. They know and are proud of our history.
2. They know why their job is important and how it affects customers, the rest of the Team, the community, the environment and the bottom line.
3. Our Managers and Supervisors are competent, fair, energized and congruent with our culture and values. They’re committed to the growth of the business and each member of their Team.
4. All Team members are effectively and continually trained to do their job and are encouraged and empowered to take initiative, within defined boundaries.
5. We have a career path with effective coaching and mentoring for those with the interest and ability to grow themselves and the business.
6. All Team members are compensated competitively and fairly. Our ‘Benefit Package’ and ‘Employment Policies’ help our Team feel supported, valued and secure…and help them achieve work-life balance.
7. We have a positive, encouraging, energized and inclusive culture that promotes excellence, teamwork, passion and joy. We do not tolerate bullying, disrespectful or unsafe behaviour.
8. We have a culture of clarity, commitment, urgency and accountability. There are meaningful incentives, rewards and celebrations for success…and non-performance is dealt with fairly, quickly and effectively.
9. Ideas for improvement, feedback and respectful debate are encouraged, listened to and acted on.
      
10. Team members know how the business is doing, how they’re doing, where improvement is needed, by when…and their role in making that improvement happen.

Our “Total Engagement Score” out of a possible 100.

So, what do your individual and total ‘Engagement Scores’ tell you about what needs improvement? For each action you commit to take, be specific about what will be done, by whom, by when, at what cost, with what outcomes, measured how. If you’d like some Coaching on this challenge of attracting, engaging and retaining top performers, I’m easy to find at donald@donaldcooper.com .

That’s it for this week…

Live brilliantly!       

Donald Cooper 

Donald Cooper speaks and coaches internationally on management, marketing, and profitability.  He can be reached by email at donald@donaldcooper.com in Toronto, Canada.