Seven for í07: Juice Inc. Offers Tips for Creating a High-Performance, Satisfying Work Environment

Conversation is the operating system within all organizations, and those that successfully invest in quality communications ñ rather than descend into ìcorporate ADDî -- will reap rewards in both employee energy and bottom-line results.

This lesson, stated by Juice Inc. co-founder Alex Somos, is one learned after years of leading an international training organization and working in the trenches alongside corporate clients. Now, North American consulting firm Juice Inc. works with corporations to boost employee energy and retention, create a productive culture and build communication and collaboration -- all of which deliver increased profitability.

Somos summarizes the following tips for creating a high-performing work environment, where itís easier to get results and employees feel good about work:

1. ìCorporate Willî resolves business issues. Corporate will is the resolve from an organization at the top to see results through to the end. Once employees understand an organizationís measurable objectives (such as productivity or safety), leaders can establish the processes and systems that support, model, measure and reward desired outcomes.

2. The quality of an organization is directly related to the quality of its internal conversations. Ultimately, conversations are the ìoperating systemî within an organization, explains Somos. ìRecruitment runs off hiring conversations, performance runs off training conversations and revenue runs off sales conversations,î he notes. ìThe more time an organization invests into this ëoperating system,í the greater return they will see.î

3. Recognize and address the symptoms of ìCorporate ADD.î Disorganization, distraction and a lack of focus all lead to difficulty in delivering results. Once these symptoms are recognized, organizations can begin to create more focus in the results they are trying to achieve.

4. The ìFeelings Economyî generates significant, bottom-line results. Humans feel first and think second, says Somos. ìThe first response from people is generally an emotional one,î he states. ìAs they interact with you, they are internally assessing, ëDo I feel put down? Respected? Listened to?í The ability for managers and leaders to understand the feelings economy can create unprecedented results.î

5. Meetings should have a ìPullí focus, rather than a ìPushî mentality. ìLogic and passion are not enough to convey a point of view,î says Somos. ìThatís because people tolerate your conclusions, and act on their own. When you try and push your agenda onto someone else, you donít always get the results you intend.î Pulling out another personís point of view provides the opportunity to frame a message in a way that is genuinely accepted.

6. Energy gets things done ñ itís the best source of employee productivity. Energy is the ability to do work; in a 30-day period, an employeeís knowledge and experience only grows incrementally, but itís their personal energy level that causes large spikes in productivity. Tapping that energy is the key to achieving engaged employees and higher performance.

7. Understanding the ìBigger Realityî creates context and multiplies results. ìThe higher up a person becomes in an organization, the less they hear about whatís really going on,î says Somos. ìCEOs rarely hear the candid truth, and if they do, it is sanitized and couched, without the real message getting through.î Encouraging (and rewarding) reality ñ or truth ñ will help create clarity, speed up processes, eliminate misunderstanding and yield unexpected results.

As co-founder and president of global company Eagleís Flight, Alex Somos created a unique culture that led to unprecedented results. Clients and distributors from more than 27 countries visited regularly, just to experience it first-hand. With the above tips, todayís organizations can create their own ìmust seeî work environments.

ìJUICE: Release Your Companyís Intelligent Energy Through Powerful Conversations,î a new book from Juice Inc., offers tips for leaders on the use of ìPull Conversationsî to develop a high-performing culture. Copies can be purchased at www.juiceinc.ca or by calling 519-822-5479. The website also hosts the Juice Resource Centre, which offers information on workshops, speaking engagements, articles and excerpts.