PRLA Summer 2019

Summer 2019 • PENNSYLVANIA RESTAURANT & LODGING matters •  9 NEED TO KNOW how to develop your team and grow your business? How would you like an answer that is simple and easy to implement, and one that is proven to be effective and efficient? Sounds good, right? Make no mistake, leadership today is challenging! As leaders, we face multiple issues including developing our people, fending off the competition, and making the most of our available time and schedules. Yes, this is a challenging economy and a challenging time to be a leader. And while it feels like we need to be focused on a million different things, the truth is there is really just one thing we need to put our energy into if we want to effectively lead in today’s economy. If, as leaders, we truly focused on this one thing, we would hit our goals, attract more customers, and increase our results. This one strategy, if executed effectively, will ensure we decrease our stress and increase our results. Let me explain; legendary leader Jack Welch, the former CEO of General Electric, once said that in order to grow an organization, leaders need to focus on three areas: 1. Cash Flow 2.Customer Service 3. Employee Engagement According to Mr. Welch, these three areas are where leaders need to focus their time and their energy to ensure positive results. And he is right. All three of those areas are critical when it comes to business growth. However, in today’s fast-paced world even the best leaders struggle to have the time and energy needed to focus on all three. So what if there was an easier way, a more simple approach? Well, there is! There is one strategy, one area, that if focused on will have a positive impact on all three. One area that works like a catalyst for the other two. That one area every leader needs to focus on is employee engagement. Think about it. If you put your time and energy into developing your people and engaging your employees, it would have a positive effect on your cash flow and your customer experience. Both would improve. The more engaged your team, the more productive they are. The more productive they are, the better your customer’s experience. The better the customer experience, the better your bottom line results. It doesn’t work the other way around. Improving cash flow will not necessarily have a positive impact on the customer experience or your employee engagement. And making your customers happy will not necessarily improve cash flow or make your employees engage. Focusing your time and energy on inspiring, motivating, and fully engaging your employees will ensure you have positive results with your cash flow, your customer’s experience, and of course, the engagement level of your employees. Invest in engaging your employees and you will have an organization that is thriving and growing. So there you have it, leadership made simple. The next time you are faced with a long to-do list and questions about how you are going to get it all done, remember the highest and best use of your time is to invest yourself in developing others. Employee engagement is the most powerful of leadership and business growth strategies. • Meridith Elliott Powell is a keynotes speaker and award-winning author. She helps her clients learn the business growth strategies needed to succeed no matter what this economy does. For more information, free ideas and strategies, visit her website www.valuespeaker.com or call directly 828-243-3510, or connect on LinkedIn! Learn more about Meridith on page 14. By Meridith Elliott Powell Leadership Made Simple Cash Flow Customer Service Employee Engagement