September
2003
It seems obvious that engaged employees would be more productive than their disengaged counterparts. But how much more productive? At New Century Financial Corporation, executives are homing in on the answer to that question. And the results are compelling for any manager who wants to boost employee productivity -- and the bottom line.
The Positive Psychology movement offers rich possibilities for executives who want to improve company performance by unleashing human potential. Barbara Fredrickson, Ph.D., is on the vanguard of this movement. In an interview, she shares insights that have startling implications for anyone who wants the best out of a boss, employee, or customer.
Performance management systems often fail because they lack objective measurement. Or they don't include improvement programs for individual workgroups. The strategies in this column, culled from Gallup's 30-year work with elite workgroups in various industries, will help managers improve team performance.
The best managers know how to spot talents, turn them into strengths, and increase their companies' productivity exponentially. They accomplish this by getting employees to apply their gifts in roles that suit and stretch their talents.
As more Thai firms try to compete in the global market, they learn that the quality of their people is critical to winning business. Those firms often start by asking "How do we select talented employees?" But a smarter question would be "How can we keep our talented employees?" -- because the financial implications of losing a single talented worker are enormous.