Conquer the Turbulent Waters
in Building an Ownership Culture
Navigating the challenges of your business doesn’t leave a lot of
time to plan how to engage employees in thinking and acting like
owners. But, as numerous studies have shown, gaining the performance
advantages of shared ownership depends on good communication and
engaged employees. Jumping into the turbulent water to build an
ownership culture raises plenty of important questions like:
- How much financial information do we share?
- Do we really have to be "rah-rah" cheerleaders?
- How can we help employees understand how they make a
difference?
- What do we expect of employees who are also owners in our
company?
- How can we best handle required communication?
- Can we build enthusiasm without unrealistically raising
expectations?
  An ownership culture grows out of the unique environment of your
company. The approach that works for one company often is not
appropriate for another. The key to success is developing a plan
that focuses on clear goals and maps out your unique journey. An
experienced guide will make that happen, enabling you to garner
employee ownership’s company performance benefits. "When all the
oars are pulling in the same direction you can have a lot more
impact! Workplace Development helped us get started with planning
our ESOP communication around specific goals. This gave us direction
for how to make even more out of our ESOP," notes Kathy Kalal of the
Albums Inc. ESOP Committee. Workplace Development Inc. has
developed a practical short-cut to launching a successful ESOP
communication effort. Our 18-Month Communication Plan accelerates
the development of an effective ownership culture. The process
builds a month-by-month roadmap for developing knowledge and
enthusiasm about your ESOP. Your customized plan integrates IRS and
DOL required communications, your current communication approaches
and new ideas for making ownership real into your successful effort.
All too often, the responsibility for building a shared culture of
ownership is stuck twisting in a "no action" whirlpool between human
resources, corporate finance, a committee, and executive leaders. A
clear plan spurs people into action, making each function more
effective. With a concrete plan in place, it is possible to delegate
tasks, reduce employee misunderstandings and create more enthusiasm
for ESOP ownership. For
the same investment as sending two or three people to a national
ESOP conference, you will get a professional plan focused on the
unique needs of your company. Workplace Development
associates Cathy Ivancic and Jim Bado have
worked with hundreds of ESOP companies to strengthen the impact of
their ESOP through communication, education, and organizational
development services. They serve as experienced guides – helping
your company avoid the dangerous rapids of unmet exceptations,
maneuver around the rocks of failure and ride the waves that are
inevitably part of the journey.  Return to News You can Use
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