Leadership Lessons ezine by Mark Sanborn
March 2007
When I speak to companies and organizations about The Fred Factor, I almost always include an extra idea I call Principle 3.5.
As you know, The Fred Factor book explains four principles for turning the ordinary into the extraordinary. Principle 3.5 isn’t in the book.
Principle 3.5: The only thing more powerful than a committed
individual is a team of committed individuals. Work together.
The best organizations have many “Freds” in them. I’m a big believer in the power of an individual to make a positive difference, but when you get a group of like-minded people to working together, the potential is nearly unlimited.
Here are three things a team of Freds can share to better work together to make the ordinary extraordinary:
Support and encouragement
You support your colleagues when you notice their efforts and provide assistance with feedback, recognition and encouragement. A kind word can go a long way towards helping others to keep trying. Support and encouragement energizes a team
Example and Inspiration
Look for and describe examples of Fred-like behavior, within and outside your organization. It is better to see a real-life example than simply discuss an abstract concept. At team meetings, solicit examples. Pick a “Fred story of the week” that best exemplifies what you’re trying to accomplish in your organization.
Ideas and Implementation.
Share tactics and techniques that have worked. Regularly ask others, “What is working for you?” Explain what you’ve tried, what worked, what didn’t work and what you would do differently. Communicate ideas and implementation strategies.
This acronym may be familiar, but that doesn’t make it any less true. TEAM: TogetherEveryone Accomplishes More. Be a Fred, but also work to create a team of Freds.
The following is an excellent report submitted by a team of Freds at CTI Resource Management Services.
© 2006. Mark Sanborn. All rights reserved. Please contact us if you’d like to reprint this article.
Fred @ Work
Finding FRED: How One Idea Revolutionized a Company
| Nominate a FredHelp us acknowledge the Freds that we all encounter on a daily basis whether through work or in our lives outside of work. Please use the nomination form found here to tell us your Fred’s story. And please, tell a story not just, “I nominate Joe because he’s a great guy,” but tell us what actions of Joe’s make him a Fred. This kind of information will help us all become more Fred-like by providing us specific ideas and actions that we can model in our own lives. It’s a Fred-like activity in and of itself! |
by Gabe Rodriguez
Let them HEAR your smile!
That is the mantra which drives one Jacksonville, Florida business.
Since 2003, CTI Resource Management Services, Incorporated, a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business has provided Fast, Friendly and Efficient Support Services to government organizations throughout the world. Priding themselves on the ability to provide clients with the best possible services– they have quickly established themselves as a premier government service provider.
Two years ago, when President and CEO Christopher Imbach heard about The Fred Factor from a mentor, it didn’t take long for him to realize this was something that needed to be part of CTI. “These principles are the foundation of our company,” Imbach said.
In January 2006, CTI implemented the FRED of the Quarter and FRED of the Year award programs in order to recognize employees who exemplify FRED-like qualities to customers and co-workers.
Since then, CTI has recognized one Customer Service Representative (CSR) and one Team Leader every quarter. Award recipients receive a letter of commendation from the president , a trophy, reserved parking, a FRED lanyard, paid time off, and a monetary award ranging from $200 for CSR’s to $750 for Team Leaders. At the end of a calendar year, quarterly winners become candidates for the Annual FRED award, recognizing the most outstanding team members and leaders. These individuals receive an additional $500 to $1000, as well as extra paid time off.
Micah Redmond, the CSR recognized as FRED of the quarter, fourth quarter 2006, said he was both surprised and delighted by the honor. “I deeply appreciated the recognition,” Redmond said. “The generous incentives really demonstrate the type of company CTI is and that motivates me to aim higher to help others.”
Nominees are evaluated on how well they display FRED traits including:
Friendly to customers and fellow employees;
Reliable in attendance; can count on him/her;
Extraordinary performance of duty and attitude;
Dedicated to the mission of CTI, to making a difference and helping others;
Sound Leadership, setting an example through influential leadership
Selection criteria include company and community involvement, collateral duties and customer feedback. A selection board recommends FRED recipients based on a predetermined grading scale and the winner is chosen by the company President and Executive Vice President. Winners are announced in a formal awards ceremony each quarter.
The success of the recognition program can be attributed to the consistency in which the FRED culture is promoted. “We strive to make FRED an integral part of the day to day operations of our company” Imbach said.
From the moment they walk through the door everyone is reminded to be on the lookout for a FRED. There are two engraved FRED recognition boards at the office entrance in addition to FRED signs in the break room. Supervisors take time to publicize FRED sightings on the company’s intranet site.
New CTI employees are given their own personal copy of The Fred Factor and are required to attend a FRED Factor workshop where they can learn and discuss the FRED principles in detail. By creating a company filled with FRED’s, CTI is changing the face of government support services.
Human Resources Director Dr. Todney Bynes best summarized the achievements of the program, “The Fred Factor principles have been instrumental to increasing our company morale and the FRED award is a great tool for recognizing employees.”
Building relationships and creating value for others is paramount to the success of CTI.
It is their hard work and FRED-like determination that has put this company on the map and on the leading edge of business.
