KQ Article

A financial institution’s success begins and ends with its employees. More than anything else, your people shape your perception in the marketplace. They breathe life into your services and your brand. Remove them from the equation, and only commodity remains.

That’s why it is critical to keep those you employ motivated, informed and involved in the decisions that direct your business. If you create a meaningful mission that your people can put their hearts into fulfilling, exceptional service will arise naturally. And your brand will rise above the rest.

This issue of The Deluxe Knowledge Quarterly provides practical tools and concepts for energizing and engaging your employees. The first article, written by former Southwest Airlines CEO James F. Parker, provides a firsthand account of how creating a larger context for employees can build long-term advantage and help businesses remain profitable during difficult times.

“Employees who think like owners and entrepreneurs will look for ways to improve the business and keep costs down,” Parker writes. “These employees will want their company to succeed, and they will create customers who love the company.”

In “The New ROI,” Gary Adamson stresses that in today’s experience economy, businesses must work toward a Return on Involvement. He argues that the best means of motivating employees to offer a positive customer experience is to entitle them to that same experience themselves.

You’ll also read about findings from a pilot conducted by the 2007 Collaborative, which suggest a clear connection between employee engagement and financial institution profitability.

These and other articles offer several fascinating perspectives on a common premise: that now more than ever, our people are our most important assets. I’m confident you’ll find valuable insight in the pages ahead.

_{© 2010 Luann Widener}