Submitted by Assurance
Peter Schutz was the CEO of Porsche from 1981-1986. During his tenure at Porsche, he expanded the company (much of it in the U.S.), improved quality issues in their various models and encouraged the company to work together more cohesively as a team.
Peter had different management tactics and techniques he used to turn around team morale, but there was one that struck me as both incredibly profound and so basic at the same time. To improve engagement of Porsche’s employees and increase their productivity, Peter asked his leaders to make sure all employees could quickly and distinctively answer five questions.
The questions include:
- Why are we here?
- What’s expected of me?
- What’s in it for me?
- How am I doing?
- Where do I go for help?
When Peter did his initial assessment of Porsche, he found most employees couldn’t answer these questions. This is where he placed a lot of his focus. I love these questions because it still resonates 35 years later. The questions are simple yet speak volumes when it comes to corporate communication and employee development.
As 2020 planning continues, there’s a great opportunity for staffing executives to incorporate a similar tactic to ensure the organization’s ‘vision’ is understood and employees feel engaged and empowered in their work. If you don’t believe each of your employees can answer these questions, you’ve probably found an area that needs improvement.
Peter is also the author of the leadership book, The Driving Force: Getting Extraordinary Results with Ordinary People – a good read if you have the time. In the meantime, watch this video on Attracting and Retaining Staffing Talent for additional tips on keeping employees happy and engaged.
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