“There are
things known
and there are
things
unknown, and
in between are
the doors of
perception”
- Aldous Huxley -
things known
and there are
things
unknown, and
in between are
the doors of
perception”
- Aldous Huxley -
The SEARS Model of the Employee Customer Profit Chain is well known in most organisations. This
valuable way of looking at the direct influence of the employee’s behaviour on the revenue growth of the organisation does not generally get the attention it requires. The model explains how the employee’s attitude towards the job as well as the attitude towards the company worked for, directly influence behaviour. This subsequently influences employee retention as well as service delivery and the quality of the products they produce. The service level of staff and the product quality directly influence customers’ impressions and customer retention and recommendation. This subsequently drives the revenue growth of the company. I believe that if you can influence the attitude of an individual you can influence your business growth/ profits. For many decades academics have searched for ways to motivate and influence people. Most organisations disregard their control or direct influence on employees’ attitudes. This disempowering behaviour results in desperate measures such as dominating or forcing staff into action. If you can change an individual’s way of thinking you can change his/her emotions. The way individuals
think is often a result of the perceptions created in their environment. This could be perceptions created while growing up, at home, a work environment, or the influence of a current or previous boss. Managing these perceptions is critical to influencing their thinking and subsequently their emotions and their attitudes. Being proactive as an organisation means that you have more control over the perceptions created. If an organisation can decide prior to acting what perceptions they want to create with staff it empowers them to influence staff attitudes. Perceptions are formed through expectations, frame of reference, stereo types and previous exposure. If you want to influence the perceptions of a group, all of these “perception creators” have to be managed. For example: If you want to create the perception that you are a people driven organisation you have to create the perceptions in the individuals minds that they can expect participation and involvement in decision making. A way of creating these expectations would be to communicate those expectations formally and informally choosing the appropriate ways of conveying the message consistently. At a meeting a manager would typically say: “We have an important decision to make as a company which has a direct influence on all of us. You need to contribute your thoughts and feelings when we talk about this at our next meeting. The decision involves…” If leadership and management in an organisation can realise the power of managing perceptions and the impact it has on staff attitude it is a good start to changing the way they do business.
think is often a result of the perceptions created in their environment. This could be perceptions created while growing up, at home, a work environment, or the influence of a current or previous boss. Managing these perceptions is critical to influencing their thinking and subsequently their emotions and their attitudes. Being proactive as an organisation means that you have more control over the perceptions created. If an organisation can decide prior to acting what perceptions they want to create with staff it empowers them to influence staff attitudes. Perceptions are formed through expectations, frame of reference, stereo types and previous exposure. If you want to influence the perceptions of a group, all of these “perception creators” have to be managed. For example: If you want to create the perception that you are a people driven organisation you have to create the perceptions in the individuals minds that they can expect participation and involvement in decision making. A way of creating these expectations would be to communicate those expectations formally and informally choosing the appropriate ways of conveying the message consistently. At a meeting a manager would typically say: “We have an important decision to make as a company which has a direct influence on all of us. You need to contribute your thoughts and feelings when we talk about this at our next meeting. The decision involves…” If leadership and management in an organisation can realise the power of managing perceptions and the impact it has on staff attitude it is a good start to changing the way they do business.
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| SEARS Model: Employee- Customer Profit Chain |
