My working-class father worked 44 years for the same company, a successful, winning company. His company provided lifetime employment in a good job with excellent pay. They also provided outstanding benefits and a pension plan. Although dad passed-away over 25 years ago, my 90-year-old mother is financially stable, thanks to his retiree health and pension plan.
Building a Winning Company
While lifetime employment is a thing of the past, there are at least three keys to building a winning company in the 21st Century; 1) loyalty, 2) employee engagement, and 3) trust.
#1 Loyalty
Why would a company provide lifetime employment and retiree benefits to a simple, hard-working, hourly employee? One word: loyalty. The company was loyal to dad, and he was loyal to them. Today, however, loyalty has mostly vanished from the halls of Corporate America. Loyalty must be re-established by organizational leaders.
#2 Employee Engagement
During the era of mass layoffs in the 1980’s and 1990’s, the unwritten corporate social contract with employees was broken. Fast forward to today; employee engagement is at an all-time low. People no longer believe in their leaders. Workers are starving to find companies with a worthwhile mission. Leaders are looking for employees who are committed to their company. Employee engagement will return when leaders treat employees with care and concern, and include them in the mission of the company.
#3 Trust
According to extensive research, trust is the secret sauce of extraordinarily successful, enduring companies. An atmosphere of trust, not necessarily great benefits and perks, creates winning workplaces that are good for employees, families, leaders, owners, shareholders, as well as the community.
