Tales from the front line lessons to both sides

"Punching In - The Unauthorized Adventures of a Front-Line Employee" by Alex Frankel, Collins, $24.95. He wore the brown of UPS, folded t-shirts at the GAP, sold iPods at an Apple store and served cappuccino at Starbucks. Why? To tell the tale of life in the trenches of the service economy. His most important finding: The employees ARE the firm's culture. Despite all the training manuals, procedures and motivational tools, it's the degree of connection between employees at all levels, but particularly on the front line, that puts the message to work. Culture is spread by word of mouth - not only among employees, but to customers.

If the front-line employees really connect with the organization's message, they share it, work it and communicate it. They like their jobs; they own them. Those facts are not lost on consumers. Where there's disconnect, it's apparent to consumers, too.

Mr. Frankel found that while many employers use assessments to select employees, there's an employer selection process, too. It involves word of mouth. People are drawn to certain firms because of their reputation and the opportunities they offer. That makes your employees recruiters, too.

Mr. Frankel targeted UPS because of his encounter with a part-time kayak instructor who "spoke as enthusiastically about working in howling rainstorms while wearing UPS brown as he spoke about boating wild spring runoff. For him, working at UPS was as raw and real as climbing peaks and surfing big waves…"

In describing his experience at UPS, Mr. Frankel clearly believes that the uniformity of the workforce was a point of pride for UPS employees -- the few, the proud. He was initiated, not indoctrinated. Esprit de corps was a fact of life at UPS. He bought in.

His experience at the GAP was less rewarding. He writes: "On my first day I had the gnawing sense of not really knowing what to do, but I received advice that I needed to be doing something." Fitting room duty was the worst. While the company stated the fitting room gave sales associates the opportunity to add to a customer's experience (and purchases), Mr. Frankel found that he spent most of his time refolding clothes they didn't buy. Boring. Clearly, he wasn't cut out for working at the GAP.

As you read his workplace stories, you gain a greater appreciation of the true value of having the right front-line employees.

"Something Really New - Three Simple Steps to Creating Truly Innovative Products" by Denis Hauptly, AMACOM, $21.95. "New and improved". We see that phrase on product labels all the time. What does it really mean? Is the product easier to use? Does it do a better job? Or, is it a marketing ploy?

The innovative process begins with the RIGHT people answering three questions: "1. What tasks is the product used for? 2. Are there any steps that can be removed from that task? 3. What are the very next tasks the customer will want to perform after using the product?"

Those believing there is only one answer to a question aren't the RIGHT people. Those that seek the answers within their comfort zone aren't the RIGHT people. Both attempt innovation by using only their mastery of the obvious.

The RIGHT people have open minds and ask more questions before creating assumptions. They innovate by unraveling the mystery of the obvious. When they see a kitchen faucet, they may think about dispensing water in exact amounts, or at various temperatures, or including a washing agent in the sprayer's stream.

Imagine a kitchen faucet with a push-button, task-focused brain. That's "Something Really New".