The right job titles provide

status and self-esteem and can help you reduce turnover and improve pride.�

People care about their job

titles. Sometimes they will even choose the better title over more pay.�

A recent graduate with a desire to move up in a chosen career field may

feel that acquiring a title that will look good on the resume is worth

accepting a little less money.� Recruiters have discovered that they receive

a better response with well-chosen job titles.� Administrative assistant

or sales associate are boring, bureaucratic, and easy to skip over in

the classifieds. Chief of client relations will attract much more attention!

The president of a computer

service company once tried an experiment: He offered new hires at a remote

location a choice between the title sales manager and salesperson.� Although

the salesperson position paid $2,000 a year more, most people took the

manager title.�

A bicycle storeowner asked

me what he could do to keep his best employee from quitting.� He could

not afford to give him a big raise. I said, "Give him a small raise

and then ask him what job title he would like."� It turned out the

title the employee wanted was Director of Bike Operations (DBO).� Problem

solved. The job title changed his attitude about his job and sounded impressive

to his friends too.

Director of bike operations

has terrific ego appeal. And that is fine. People want to be proud of

their job titles.� A grocery store chain allowed the delicatessen manager

to choose his title--he is now called the "Deli Lama."� We have

to get over the bureaucratic concept that only certain people get certain

job titles and business cards. Allow a little freedom of choice, and you

will reap plenty in loyalty.

The ultimate goal is to energize

people and make them feel good about their jobs.� If it is a choice between

losing a good employee and a job title-I would go with the job title

anytime and especially because giving an employee a prestigious title

is one way to recognize and reward when a raise is not affordable.� Here

are a few job title examples we have seen.

�-Senior vice president

of great people

-Chief talent scout

-Director of fun

-Director of consumer

delight��

-Top dog

-Person in charge

-Top Employee #1

Here are a few other ideas

to consider:

-Invent a new job. A 12-year

veteran at Charles Schwab was considering leaving the company-until

his boss allowed him to invent a new job as organizational troubleshooter

that drew on his technical and business skills. Now vice president in

Schwab's Electronic Brokerage group, he acknowledges that creating

his own job let him "change things and get charged up about work

again," and calls it "the key to my staying."

-Encourage hallway training.

A study to see how much information coworkers shared informally demonstrated

that during a typical week at one company, over 70 percent of the 1,000

workers in the study shared information with fellow employees.� Fifty-five

percent asked co-workers for advice. This spontaneous exchange took place

during the following: meetings; exchanges with customers, supervisors,

and mentors; on-the-job training; site visits; cross- training; shift

changes; same-level employee communication; and simply doing one's

job.� The next time you see employees talking during shift changes, in

the halls, or at coffee breaks, remember that you may be witnessing learning

in progress.���

-Use "stand-ups"

to reinforce company culture. The Ritz-Carlton Hotels have always made

training and development a top priority. Today Ritz-Carlton practices

something called "stand-ups" before each shift.� All employees

across the globe receive a 10- to 15-minute class on the same topic.�

The shift leader inspects each employee for proper uniform, nametag, and

appearance.� The stand-up may also include questions about one of the

Ritz-Carlton's 20 customer service principles. The stand-up concludes

with announcements and a discussion of guest preferences, and then everyone

is ready to begin their shift.

-Chick-fil-A University.�

Chick-fil-A is a popular restaurant chain. Its turnover rates are some

of the lowest in the food industry as the result of its commitment to

training. Through its Chick-fil-A University, new store owners (called

operators) benefit from a comprehensive seven-week training program. Classes

for three weeks are held in a classroom in Atlanta; two weeks of training

take place in the field. After a one-week reinforcement phase, operators

spend five days at their restaurant working with a coach from corporate

headquarters who helps them solve problems and review everything they

learned during the seven-week process.

Free by E-mail: If you would

like a free subscription to our newsletter, please fax us your letterhead

to 770-760-0581 or E-mail us the word "Navigator" to [email protected].

Greg Smith is a nationally

recognized speaker, author, and business performance consultant. He has

written numerous books and featured on television programs such as Bloomberg

News, PBS television, and in publications including Business Week, Kiplingers,

President and CEO, and the Christian Science Monitor. He is the President

and "Captain of the Ship" of a management-consulting firm, Chart

Your Course International, located in Atlanta, Georgia. Phone him at 770-860-9464.

More articles available: https://www.chartcourse.com

Back

to Business Home Page