In 1971, Albert Mehrabian (currently professor emeritus of psychology, University of California, Los Angeles) undertook a research project that concluded there are basically three elements in any face-to-face communication: 1) words, 2) tone of voice, and 3) body language. These three elements affect the meaning of the message to different degrees: Words account for 7% of the message, tone of voice accounts for 38% of the message, and body language accounts for 55% of the message (Mehrabian, Silent Messages, Belmont, CA, 1971, https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED070130). With this in mind, consider the communication methods you choose. When you use email or text, you are leaving out the voice and body language elements, which can diminish how much (or at least how quickly and effectively) you can communicate. Voice calling can increase your capabilities—video calling even more—yet no method beats face-to-face interactions, as many can attest after the COVID-19 pandemic. Be cognizant of these dynamics when seeking to improve communication and move toward a culture of innovation.
One airport director instituted a monthly lunch with airport partners to share operational activities at the airport, with the intent of improving the customer experience. Representatives from the airlines, rental car agencies, TSA, and CBP gather with leaders from the various airport departments each month to discuss everything from upcoming community events that can impact the airport to snow operations, airfield closures, baggage screening functionality, and checkpoint wait times. This fosters a collaborative work environment that has broken down silos and positioned each contributor to bring their best to serving the customer.
Innovative leaders give their employees a variety of new opportunities that they can learn from on a regular basis. For instance, at manufacturing company 3M, leaders encourage their employees to devote 15% of working time to projects outside the normal scope of their jobs. This goes a long way to keeping employees motivated and inspired. It also serves as a great way to achieve professional development for future job advancements. More ideas for learning can be found in Chapter 6.
In the production system division of car manufacturer Toyota, leaders have transferred authority for quality management and innovation to frontline plant workers. As a result, workers can adjust their work when they see improvement opportunities. When innovative ideas are successful, they are then incorporated into Toyota’s operational processes. If they are not, they can be used to chalk up experience. This exercise enables Toyota leaders and frontline workers to build confidence and trust with one another. Employees who trust their bosses are more likely to take intelligent risks that have potential benefits for the organization.
REI, a sporting goods co-op that consistently ranks as one of the best places to work by Fortune and Forbes, uses a virtual discussion blog on its company intranet called “company campfire” to improve the employee experience. This virtual discussion enables two-way communication between upper management and store clerks. Approximately half of its employees have logged in at least once, and most initial posts by employees receive about 40 comments. The initiative is considered successful because the format gives employees a chance to share what is important to them and enables leaders to demonstrate that they are listening. Meaningful questions and actionable ideas about improving the organization have come from this process. As a result, REI employees are engaged because they can share their voices.
As an individual (administrative or skilled trade contributor), you can greatly contribute to the culture of your team, and potentially that of your business function and entire organization. You may not be able to make the same swift changes as your leaders, but you can apply the principles in this WebResource directly to how you do your job. You can also recommend this WebResource to your leaders and fellow team members.
As a manager, you can help your team shine within your business function. You may have been asked by your business function leader to develop a larger culture of innovation. As you read this, think of how you will pull your team members together to drive the changes necessary to move your organization into the future.
As a business function leader, you drive improvements that make a big difference in your organization. You may have been asked by a member of your executive leadership to help develop a culture of innovation. As you read this, think of how you will pull your managers together to improve the culture of your own business function, as well as that of the entire organization. Also, be sure you are seeking to align with the strategic direction of your organization.
As part of executive leadership, such as an airport director, C-suite, or board, you have the holistic perspective needed to initiate an entire organizational shift to a culture of innovation. As you read this, think of how you will work with your business function leaders to champion improvement efforts across functions. Also be thinking of where there may be opportunities to collaborate outside your organization with your larger stakeholder community.
The Fast Track is a summary of the Deep Dive, providing fewer examples and focusing on key points. Read only the chapter pages if you wish to stay on the Fast Track.
The Deep Dive is the full set of content, rich with examples and analysis of key concepts. Skip the chapter pages and dive right into sub-sections if you wish to read the Deep Dive.
