Page 100 - Build a Culture of Employee Engagement with the Principles

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The RESPECT Model: Building a Culture of Employee Engagement

charities. Although I never anticipated it, ColorMe Company was
featured in a 2007 Wall Street Journal article on companies
that give back. Giving back always pays forward.
Some organizations by the nature of their business are
more likely to be well respected by their employees and com-
munity. Nonprofit organizations are an obvious category, as
well as those organizations whose products and services make
a significant contribution to the world. Johnson & Johnson has
been one of my largest clients and a consumer of the RESPECT
Model for several years. They also ranked first among Ameri-
can companies in the Reputation Institute’s 2009 study. Orga-
nizational respect leads directly to discretionary effort; the
more employees respect their organization, the harder they
will work.
Here’s the thing: you don’t have to be a Johnson & Johnson
to inspire your employees. It doesn’t matter what your service
or product, or how large your organization, you can still act in
ways that increase your employees’ respect. Companies that are
socially responsible and positively impact their communities
engender such feelings. Increasing your employees’ respect for
your organization does not require expensive or elaborate under-
takings. For example, my local dry cleaner collects used winter
coats, and then cleans and donates them to those in need. Some
companies organize teams to work with Habitat for Humanity,
hold blood donor drives, or allow employees to take volunteer
days. A rock quarry with whom I worked donated materials and
labor to build a new park for neighborhood children. Employees
take pride in knowing that they work for a company that cares
about people and their community. Every organization has the
potential to help others and, in the process, earn the respect of
its employees.