Keeping score on employee engagement

Are your employees proud of where they work? Do they take pride in the quality of the products, services and experiences they provide?

If they’re like a growing percentage of Americans in a wide range of industries, the answer is no.

According to a recent Gallup study, the percentage of Americans who have pride in their work is at an all-time low, having dropped from about 35 percent to 28 percent in the last five years.

Every employer, manager and team leader, including golf course superintendents, general managers and department heads, should find this erosion of pride disturbing on multiple levels.

The first area of concern is employee engagement. Employees who are not proud of the work they do or the organization for which they do it become disconnected from the company’s overall mission and objectives. Productivity and the quality of their work drop. Turnover rates balloon. Worse still, their lack of connection bleeds into their fellow workers and morale suffers. All of which can significantly affect the overall success of the organization.

The second place where we see a lack of pride manifest — and it’s equally alarming — is in customer satisfaction. According to the Gallup research, “The decline in employee pride doesn’t just affect productivity, it directly influences how organizations meet customer expectations, creating ripple effects on customer satisfaction.”

Here are four steps every superintendent can take to keep their teams engaged, proud of the work they do and, in the process, boost customer satisfaction.

1. Connect your team to golfer feedback. The more employees know about how their work is perceived by members and customers, the greater their engagement. To make these perceptions clear, establish a golfer feedback mechanism — online surveys, in-person interviews and focus groups/listening sessions. Set the cadence — quarterly, semi-annually or annually — to add discipline to the process. Be prepared for a bumpy start while you’re adjusting to receiving feedback — constructive and not-so-constructive. Be prepared for criticism and welcome the opportunity to improve the member and customer experience. As your golfers see your sincerity, professionalism and commitment, the feedback will become better, more actionable and more fulfilling.

2. Use customer feedback to adjust cultural practices to address your golfers’ concerns. There’s a major reason the most successful consumer companies regularly seek customer feedback and guidance. They know that if they don’t ask, they’re just guessing. Golfers appreciate being asked their opinions, and their answers will open your eyes to opportunities you may have dismissed or not considered.

Several years ago, the City of Los Angeles engaged our firm to survey more than 6,000 Angeleno golfers. Two remarkable and unexpected lessons were gleaned: 1. Golfers would be willing to pay more for green fees if course conditions were improved. 2. Golfers would support higher prices for golf if the city improved pace of play.

3. Set conditioning standards for your course. Everyone understands the frustration of having their knowledge and experience discounted or dismissed by their manager. Remember that great ideas and inspiration can come from any rung of the organizational ladder. So, make sure to include your staff when deciding on the standards that define your course.

Ask big, open-ended questions: What should we do to improve our golf course? What would make you feel better about being part of this team? Then go from what to how: How do you suggest we put those ideas into action?

And make sure to ask about their aspirations. What are your greatest hopes for our course? For your career? Aspiration is a powerful catalyst. The bigger the dream, the greater the accomplishment.

4. Keep score. Online surveys and other qualifiable data sources help measure improvement toward goals. Three important steps for keeping score:

• Establish a scorekeeping cadence so everyone can anticipate the next time the scores are posted.
• Make the scorekeeping constructive — not something to dread. Celebrate the wins and acknowledge the accomplishments within those victories.
• Make winning its own motivation.

Are you proactively taking steps to connect your team with your golfers? If you are, you’re well on the way to helping your employees take greater pride in their work and improving member and customer satisfaction.