9

Empowerment

Kelsey arrived and took her seat just as Professor Hartley was walking to the front of the room.

“Good morning, everybody. Let’s start with a pop quiz on what we’ve learned so far.” Professor Hartley loved giving pop quizzes for review, and he made them fun. Kelsey had been remembering everything so well and getting so much out of the class, she almost felt as if she could teach it.

When the quiz was over, the professor opened his laptop. “Are you ready for the final letter in ICARE?” he asked. He tapped his keyboard and the screen read:

“You have complete control over some things on your job. For instance, you can find out more about a product on your own, you can be more attentive to your customers, and you always have control over your own performance. There are other parts of your job that you can’t directly control but may be able to influence. Examples of these would be your authority to make decisions, whether your manager trusts you, or whether your manager will listen if you offer feedback. All these things come under the category of Empowerment.”

He tapped the keyboard again and revealed the next slide.

“So let’s discuss this. What makes you feel empowered on your job? Just call out whatever comes to mind,” prompted the professor.

From around the room, students offered examples.

“When I don’t have to ask for help to do something.”

“When my boss listens to an idea I have.”

“When I’m asked for my opinion.”

“When I can solve a customer’s problem on my own.”

“When I know more about a product than my coworkers do.”

“Good answers,” said the professor. “Now can you think of something you’ve done on your own—something to empower yourself on the job? Josie, you have your hand up.”

“I asked my boss if the company could pay for me to take a course on a new computer program I could use on my job, and it was approved. Now I can respond to inquiries a lot faster,” said Josie.

“Connor, what about you?”

“A few weeks ago, I decided to learn the names of the customers who come to my window at the bank, even though we don’t have to. I notice those people choosing my line now, on purpose,” said Connor.

“Great examples!” said the professor. “The more empowered the frontline people in an organization are, the happier the external customers are going to be, because their needs are being met. Having empowered employees ultimately will benefit the customer.”

As students continued sharing their examples, Kelsey thought about how excited she’d been about improving customer service at Ferguson’s over the last couple of months. She had tried to empower herself by bringing her ideas to work, but her suggestions never got any further than her department manager. She was so discouraged that she felt as if she didn’t have control over any part of her job anymore.

Toward the end of class, Professor Hartley announced, “Empowerment is an integral part of the ICARE model, so we’re going to talk more about it next week. In the meantime, here’s your assignment: make a list of the parts of your job where you’re empowered and how you got there—was it already part of your organization’s culture, or did you make it happen yourself? Then think about areas where you’re not in control but would like to be more empowered. Write two or three pages on each and go into as much detail as you can.”

The students stood up and began to move toward the door as the professor called out, “Oh—and don’t forget to go into the online class portal and read the articles I posted. You never know when I may be in the mood for another pop quiz!”

Kelsey stayed after class to talk to Professor Hartley about the phone conversation she’d had with Steven.

“I think you should keep working on your plan,” said the professor. “If your company isn’t open to it, you’ll eventually be able to propose it somewhere else. You know, Kelsey, Ferguson’s isn’t the only place in town. If they don’t want to change, perhaps you need to find a place that’s a better values match for you.”

Kelsey thanked him for his understanding and walked toward the door.

“I’d still be more than happy to talk to Dan for you if you’d like,” the professor called out.

Kelsey looked back and smiled. “Thanks, Professor. I’m thinking about taking you up on that offer. I’ll let you know soon.”

All Kelsey could think about was what it would be like to work somewhere else. Maybe changing jobs really would be her best move.

Eager to get feedback from her mentor and friend, Kelsey had arranged to meet Iris at the clinic early that evening after Iris’s last therapy appointment.

Iris’s office was warm and casual—just as she was. As Kelsey walked in, Iris rose from behind her desk and came around to sit in a chair beside the one she offered to Kelsey.

“You sounded pretty dejected on the phone this morning, Kelsey. Tell me what’s going on.”

Kelsey unloaded about the strange and stressful atmosphere at work, her disappointment at senior management’s rejecting the idea of a customer service initiative, and what Professor Hartley had said about talking to Mr. Murray for her.

“So,” she finished with a sigh, “I’m thinking about applying to work at ShopSmart. What do you think?”

“What do you think?” asked Iris.

“After learning about the importance of caring for customers and how to build a business around a Culture of Service, I’m convinced that Ferguson’s just isn’t focused on the right things. I also get nervous thinking about the impact ShopSmart may have on our store and that I could even be out of a job if things don’t go well.”

“That’s not a good feeling.”

“No, it’s not—and I know I’m really trying my best to help things get better. But the senior leaders aren’t interested in what I have to say. What do I know? I’m just an hourly employee.” Kelsey could feel her frustration growing again just talking about it.

“I think you should go for it, Kelsey” Iris said firmly. “You’re a positive person, you’re very conscientious about your job, and you really care about your customers. With your service mindset, I think ShopSmart would see you as a perfect addition to its team. It makes sense that you’d probably move up faster there, too, since you already share their service vision. And you wouldn’t feel as if you were pounding your head against the wall anymore—you’d actually feel appreciated.”

“But what if I don’t get the job?”

“You wouldn’t be any worse off than you are now. Apply and see what happens. This is your career you’re talking about. Believe in yourself. I know they’d be lucky to have someone like you!”

Iris’s words were exactly what Kelsey needed to hear. She felt a rush of resilience. “You’re right—I’ve got nothing to lose. I’m going to apply tomorrow.” Kelsey was relieved to have finally made the decision. “Thanks for listening, Iris. You’re a wonderful person to have in my corner. This is all about empowerment—taking control of my own life instead of waiting for something to happen.”

As she considered her fresh decision on the way home, Kelsey felt a pang of guilt—almost as if she were abandoning Steven. I’ll just tell him up front that I’m applying at ShopSmart, she thought. Maybe he’ll think about moving over there, too!

Kelsey got up early the next morning so that she could fill out an online application for ShopSmart before she got ready for work. There was a place to sign up for a face-to-face interview, so she scheduled an appointment for Friday morning—her day off.

She moved her cursor to the Submit square on her laptop screen.

“Submit!” she said out loud as she tapped her laptop. There—she’d done it!

As she was dressing for work, she experienced another twinge of anxiety. But she told herself she wasn’t quitting her job—just keeping her options open.

When Kelsey arrived at the store, everyone was acting uneasy again. She heard some new rumors that changes were coming in the next few days, but of course nobody knew any details.

I wonder who they’re laying off now, Kelsey thought. She caught herself and decided she had to stop thinking so negatively. This is what Mr. Murray was talking about. I’m not even giving my company a fighting chance anymore. I’ve become jaded—and that’s not like me.

It was hard for Kelsey to concentrate on her work, but she did her best. To her surprise, as the day went by, she found herself noticing a few small, positive changes. Maybe it was because of the rumors, but she witnessed some floor managers stepping in to help with long lines and talking to customers. She also saw a couple of new people working—could Ferguson’s be hiring again?

Kelsey would have asked Steven about it, but she didn’t see him all day. She decided to leave him a voice mail and ask for some time to talk the next morning. She had to let him know she was going to interview at ShopSmart on Friday. It was the least she could do, since he’d been so supportive of her, especially in the past several weeks.

On their way to the clinic, Kelsey talked with Grandma Kate about having applied at ShopSmart that morning—and about the second thoughts that were beginning to creep in.

“This morning when I submitted my application, I was sure I was doing the right thing—but now I don’t know if I’m really ready to give up on Ferguson’s. Today I saw some signs that our store management might be starting to care more about the employees and the customers.”

“There’s something to be said for being loyal to your company, honey—but make sure you’re also being true to yourself,” said Grandma Kate. “This is your future, and these are your career opportunities. If you’re convinced that you’ve come to a dead end where you are, there’s nothing wrong with making a change.”

“You’re right,” said Kelsey, feeling confident again about her decision.

Grandma Kate looked thoughtful. “At the same time, though, think hard about whether you’ve done everything you can to influence people at your store. The grass isn’t always greener on the other side, you know.”

Kelsey sighed. Great. Now I’m just as confused as before.

When they walked in the door, Alex was standing at the receptionist’s desk. “Hello, Mrs. Wilson,” he said cheerfully. “Have you been doing your home therapy exercises so that we can start seeing less of you?”

“I sure have,” said Grandma Kate. “When you told me I was almost finished with this darn brace, I promised myself I was going to follow your instructions to the letter. As a matter of fact, I think my wrist is almost back to normal.”

After Alex took Grandma Kate back to the therapy room for their session, Kelsey sat down in the waiting area and picked up a magazine. A woman who looked to be in her thirties was sitting nearby and leaned toward Kelsey.

“I’m waiting for my dad,” the woman said. “He’s got back problems.”

“Oh, that’s too bad,” said Kelsey. “I’m with my grandmother—I drive her to her appointments.”

“Do you work?” asked the woman. “Sorry—I know that’s kind of a nosy question, but I’m unemployed, and I’ve discovered that networking in waiting rooms sometimes can be a good way to find out who’s hiring,” she said.

Kelsey smiled. “Yes—I work at Ferguson’s.”

The woman shook her head and groaned. “Ugh. I worked in retail last year. Hated it. I could never tell what the customers wanted, and the managers were always yelling at me and telling me what to do.” She flipped a page in her magazine and continued. “After about six months, I got fed up and switched to a different store because I heard that it paid more. But once I got there, I found out everybody in that store hated each other, and they were all really lazy. I was the best employee there, but my manager didn’t hold anybody accountable, so I always ended up doing everybody else’s work. I left that place without even giving notice. Then I wished I hadn’t quit the first job, but they’d filled my position right away. I’m still looking for work.”

As the woman spoke, Kelsey could feel her anxiety growing once again. She thought about calling and canceling her interview with ShopSmart until she was more certain about what she should do.

Then, just as quickly, her rational side regained control. My situation is nothing like hers, she thought. She simply had to find Steven first thing in the morning and talk to him. She felt secure enough in her relationship with him to take the chance.

Even though Steven hadn’t responded to her message, Kelsey purposely got to work 30 minutes early on Thursday in the hope of catching him before the store opened. She found him in the break room pouring himself a cup of coffee.

“Hi, Steven—I was hoping to talk to you before everyone got here. Do you have a few minutes?”

“Sure. I got your message. I want to talk to you, too.” They sat down across from each other at the break table.

“Well—” She hesitated, wondering for a moment whether this was a good idea. Just say it, Kelsey! “I’m thinking about applying for a job over at ShopSmart.” She took a deep breath, and the words came pouring out. “In fact, I’ve already applied there—and I have an appointment for an interview tomorrow. I really like working with you, Steven. You’ve been such a good boss, and I know you’re really trying to make things better around here—but I don’t think this company is a good fit for me anymore.” Phew. Done.

Steven didn’t say anything for a few seconds. When he spoke again, his tone was quiet and sincere.

“Believe me, Kelsey, I completely understand why you think Ferguson’s isn’t a good match for you any longer. Actually, I’d been feeling the same way until very recently. I don’t blame you at all for applying at ShopSmart. I also considered going there, but I decided against it—and I hope you will, too.” He paused again, and Kelsey got the impression he was weighing his words carefully.

“Okay. This isn’t public knowledge yet, so you have to keep it to yourself. It’s going to be announced within the next few days,” said Steven in a low voice, looking at the door. Kelsey leaned in.

“With our numbers going down and customer complaints going up in the past year, some major changes have just happened at the corporate level. They’ve replaced the CEO. And even though I can’t give you any details, I can tell you that the new person will be totally committed to both our employees and our customers. Ferguson’s is going to be a top-notch retail organization, Kelsey—somewhere we’re all going to be proud to work.”

Kelsey was speechless. This explained why the mood around the store had seemed so strange.

He continued. “Do you want to know why I wasn’t here yesterday?”

Kelsey nodded her head and stared at him, concentrating on what he was saying.

“I was called in to meet the new CEO. I didn’t know why they were calling me in—I even thought, with all of the weird stuff going on, maybe I was going to get fired. But it turned out the CEO wanted to meet and talk with me because Home and Office is the only department in our store that isn’t floundering. Our department has customers praising our service, not complaining about it. And Kelsey—you’ve been a big part of that success. Because of your strong beliefs about service and your great role modeling, you’ve made everyone on our team want to do a better job.”

“Oh, wow,” was all Kelsey could say.

“At the end of our conversation, the new CEO offered me the job of store manager, here at this store. The company wants us to be the flagship store for the new customer-focused culture they’re going to create companywide.”

Kelsey gasped, “Oh, Steven! That’s just great!” and began to stand up. She was so happy for Steven, she wanted to hug him.

“Hold on, sit down for a second,” Steven said with a laugh. “There’s more.” Kelsey sat down.

“So—here’s the thing. I’ve been cleared by HR to offer you my job—department manager for Home and Office—but I was supposed to wait until the news came out about the new CEO and my promotion. But now, with you saying you’re going to interview at ShopSmart tomorrow, I don’t want to risk losing you to them. So I’m offering it to you right now, Kelsey. I really want you on the team. Please—think about it.”

Her head reeling, Kelsey quickly found her voice. “Steven, I can’t believe this. I don’t know what to say. Everyone’s been talking about layoffs, and I was worried about what would happen to us when ShopSmart opened and whether I might lose my job—and here you are telling me the exact opposite!”

Steven relaxed as he spoke. “With everything that’s gone on around the store in the last few months, morale has been terrible, and people have been assuming the worst. I’m positive that with the new, stronger leadership and teamwork, we can turn that perception around and make our store a great place to work.”

“Ferguson’s is so lucky to have you as store manager—you’ll be great! Congratulations.”

“Thanks—but you haven’t said anything about whether you’re interested in the department manager position.”

“I’m really flattered, Steven, but I don’t know if I’m ready to be a manager,” said Kelsey.

“Kelsey, think about the last couple of months and how you’ve been the one coming to me with suggestions and ideas on how to improve what we do around here. You really care. And because of your desire to serve our customers and make this department successful, I caught the eye of the new CEO! You made me look good. I’d be crazy not to promote you.”

Kelsey smiled. “Thanks, Steven. That’s nice of you to say.”

“We need all our people to understand the importance of true customer service. So, to that end, we want to establish a Legendary Service Culture team at each location. These teams will be focused on creating and sustaining our Culture of Service. The new CEO wants the first team to be launched here at our store—so in addition to leading our Home and Office Department team, Kelsey, you’d be heading up that first Legendary Service Culture team and teaching them what you’ve been teaching me. It’s a huge responsibility, but I’ll be right here to help you and support what you’re doing. After we get our team in place, we’ll probably want you to go to our other stores as they set up their own teams so that you can train all the team leaders.”

Kelsey couldn’t believe it. This was exactly the kind of thing she’d had in mind when she started coming to Steven with the ideas from her class—and now, with the blessing of the new CEO, it was actually happening!

She could hardly contain her excitement. “Steven, I don’t have to think about it anymore. I would be honored to be part of the management team here. We’re going to make Ferguson’s a store where people want to work and customers want to shop.”

“Yes! I can’t tell you how happy I am to hear you say that. Welcome to the team! Maybe I’ll start calling you Professor Young,” said Steven with a big grin as he came around the table and shook Kelsey’s hand enthusiastically. Then he looked toward the door and said quietly, “Now here’s the hard part: you absolutely have to keep this to yourself until the announcement is made to the rest of the staff. It might take a few days. Corporate needs to tie up some loose ends before they can announce the new CEO to everyone.”

“Is it okay if I tell my family?”

Steven winced. “If you’re really careful—but only your immediate family, please. The news will be out soon enough. We don’t want to steal the headlines.”

Just then, the door opened as people began arriving for work. Steven and Kelsey smiled at each other as she turned and left the room.

When Kelsey took her lunch break later in the day, she noticed signs in the break room announcing a special all-company meeting on Monday morning at seven-thirty. Attendance was mandatory. Monday! Could she keep this quiet until Monday?

Kelsey spent the rest of her workday hoping that her face wasn’t giving her away. She couldn’t stop smiling as she thought about this strange twist of fate. She had finally convinced herself she was ready to interview at ShopSmart—and now, instead, she was going to be the manager of her department! My Empowerment assignment for Professor Hartley will be a piece of cake now, she thought. She couldn’t wait for Tuesday’s class—she would have a lot to share!

Kelsey burst through the front door and ran to the kitchen phone as she called out to her grandmother. “Grandma Kate, you’re never going to believe what happened today! Come here and listen to the phone call I’m going to make!”

Grandma Kate came hurrying around the corner. “What’s going on? It must be something awfully good.”

Kelsey studied a number she’d written on a sticky note as she punched buttons on the phone.

“Hello? Yes. My name is Kelsey Young, and I have an appointment for a job interview with HR tomorrow morning at ten o’clock. Yes, I’ll hold.”

With a twinkle in her eye, Kelsey looked across the room at Grandma Kate and held up her finger. She mouthed the word wait.

“Yes? Yes, Kelsey Young, ten o’clock. I just need to let you know I have to cancel my interview. No—not reschedule, just cancel. Why?” She smiled broadly. “Well—I guess you could say I changed my mind. Okay. Thank you, too. Goodbye.” She hung up the phone and pumped her fists in the air triumphantly as she grinned at her grandmother.

“Kelsey Young, tell me right now what you’re up to!” Grandma Kate insisted.

“You are looking at the new manager of the Home and Office Department at Ferguson’s!”

“Oh, my goodness! I’m so happy for you, honey!” Grandma Kate exclaimed as she held out her arms and they met in the center of the kitchen for a bear hug.

Noticing that something was different, Kelsey pulled away and said, “Grandma, why aren’t you wearing your wrist brace?”

“Well, that’s my news of the day, although it’s not nearly as exciting as yours,” Grandma Kate said with a smile. “Iris called today and told me I didn’t need to wear the brace anymore as long as I kept up with my new exercises.”

“That’s wonderful,” said Kelsey.

Grandma Kate continued. “After my session with Alex yesterday, he told Iris he felt that my wrist had healed to the point where I could start going without the brace—and he thinks I need only one or two more sessions at the clinic. Isn’t it nice that Iris could go by Alex’s recommendation instead of having to examine me herself?”

“Grandma, that’s a great example of Empowerment, the last part of the ICARE model—we learned about it in class this week,” said Kelsey.

“Oh, you and your ICARE model,” said Grandma Kate with a laugh and a wave of her hand.

“Don’t laugh—the ICARE model represents the five biggest reasons I’ve been promoted to department manager!” Kelsey danced a few steps around the kitchen floor.

“This calls for ice cream for dinner!” exclaimed Grandma Kate. “You get the bowls and scoop, I’ll get the chocolate brownie chunk, and you can tell me everything.”

The energy at Ferguson’s on Monday morning was electrifying. The employees had heard that good news, not bad, was going to be announced, so everyone was gathered at the front of the store, eager to find out what was going on. At exactly seven-thirty, a woman Kelsey had never seen before came to the podium at the front of the room and called everyone to attention.

“Good morning! Thanks so much for coming in early today. By the way, in case you’re wondering, you will be paid for attending this meeting.”

Cheers rose from the group, followed by low murmuring.

“Most of you don’t know me, but my name is Gretchen Holden and I’m chairman of Ferguson’s board of directors. I’m sure that by now, many of you have heard about changes being made in the organization. Over the last year, we have come to the conclusion that the numbers on financial reports aren’t the only thing that makes an organization successful. Through employee surveys, we found out our internal customers—that means all of you—weren’t feeling valued for your contributions.”

Suddenly, you could have heard a pin drop.

“What’s more, customer surveys told us our external customers weren’t feeling valued, either. Both of these findings were completely unacceptable—and we came to realize that our organization was going to have to make some very big changes if we wanted to stay in business. Ferguson’s had a critical need for a companywide Culture of Service initiative—and the change needed to start at the top.

“We held many executive meetings regarding this proposal. A few leaders didn’t share the vision and couldn’t see themselves getting on board with it. They thought everything was fine the way it was and didn’t see the need for a change. Those people are no longer with the organization.”

Audible gasps could be heard in the crowd.

“We are confident that the leaders who remain, along with the newly hired members of our executive leadership team, are going to take Ferguson’s to new heights of service—and financial success. We’re all very excited about the possibilities that lie ahead, and we want you to know we are committed to you—our people. You’re the ones who make it all possible.”

She paused as the crowd applauded.

“With that, I’d like to introduce our new chief executive officer. He comes to us with an abundance of experience in the industry, most recently as vice president of operations for ShopSmart. Please join me in welcoming Mr. Dan Murray.”

Everyone started applauding and strained to get a glimpse of the new CEO as he made his way to the podium. Kelsey couldn’t believe her ears—or her eyes—when she saw the chairman hand the microphone to Dan Murray.

“Thank you, Gretchen. I want to start by letting all of you know how happy I am to be part of this great organization. I look forward to meeting each of you while I’m here over the next few days. We’re going to make this location the flagship store for our new service culture initiative, particularly since ShopSmart will be our neighbor soon—and I know exactly how good they are,” he said with a twinkle in his eye.

“Now I’d like to introduce someone who is no stranger to you. This person has stood out as a true leader in your store and is motivated to help develop the next generation of managers at Ferguson’s. Please join me in congratulating your new store manager, Mr. Steven Walker.”

Through cheers and applause, Steven made his way to the front and shook hands with Dan. Kelsey thought he looked a little self-conscious, but he was smiling as he took the microphone.

“I want to thank the board and Mr. Murray for giving me this fantastic opportunity. I look forward to working with all of you and hearing your ideas for how we can join together to make our store the employer of choice for our people, the store of choice for our customers, and a profitable, well-run organization for our owners.” He pumped his fist in the air. “And I’m ready for us to take on ShopSmart!” he said to a loud ovation.

When the meeting was over and everyone had dispersed, Steven arrived in the Home and Office Department and called a quick team huddle.

“I want you all to know that I wouldn’t have received this promotion if it hadn’t been for each of you doing your best to make our department stand out. Thank you so much for your hard work these past few months, especially when changes were happening and you didn’t know what was going on. I’m going to be in a dual role for the next several weeks as I make the transition from department manager to store manager, but I’ll be here and available whenever you need me.”

He turned and gestured toward Kelsey. “I’m happy to announce that Kelsey Young will be taking my place as manager of Home and Office.”

Everyone congratulated Kelsey with smiles, hugs, and words of support.

Later, as Kelsey was about to leave for lunch, Steven and Dan Murray walked up.

“Kelsey, I was happy to hear from Steven that you’ve agreed to be the new manager of this department. Congratulations,” said Dan as he shook Kelsey’s hand.

“Thanks, Mr. Murray,” said Kelsey with a smile. “I was so shocked when you walked up to the microphone! After hearing the things you said to my class a few weeks ago, I know how lucky we are to have you.”

“Remember—it’s Dan,” he said. “When I spoke to your class, I was in negotiations with Ferguson’s, but of course I couldn’t say anything about it because nothing was final yet. ShopSmart is a great organization, and I’m extremely proud of what we accomplished there, but I was ready for a new challenge. Now we have a great opportunity to work together and make Ferguson’s a service leader, starting with this store. I’m glad to have you on the team, Kelsey. I know you’re going to help us make the changes necessary to implement our vision.”

“I can’t wait to apply all the great methods I’ve been learning in Professor Hartley’s course,” said Kelsey. “I’m very excited to be part of the management team.”

Dan made his way around to talk to everyone in the department and then moved on to meet people in other departments.

Before Steven walked away, he said, “Kelsey, let’s set aside some time next week to discuss your transition as well as things we can do to start creating a real service mindset here.”

Kelsey sighed happily as she watched Steven walk away. Everything was finally falling into place.

The rest of the day flew by. Kelsey had a million ideas running through her head for things she wanted to accomplish within her department and also on the Legendary Service Culture team. Relieved that she no longer had to keep her promotion a secret, she spent some time that night texting friends—and tomorrow she would be able to give the news to Professor Hartley and the rest of the class.

“Good morning, everyone. We have a full day, so let’s get started,” said Professor Hartley.

“Last week I asked you to think about situations where you feel empowered in your job. Anyone want to offer an example?”

Kelsey’s hand shot up.

“Since starting this course and learning so much about customer service, I’ve been making suggestions at work to see if Ferguson’s could apply some of the methods we’ve been learning. My department manager, Steven, really liked the idea of improving our service and seemed to appreciate my interest. But other than Steven, it seemed as if nobody cared. The more I looked around, the more I could see that we weren’t going to be able to impact customers the way we wanted to, and I got discouraged. Then, when Dan Murray came to speak to our class, I realized ShopSmart had the culture I was looking for. That’s when I started thinking about working there.

“But last Thursday, the day before I was going to interview at ShopSmart, everything changed. I learned that Ferguson’s was going to get a new CEO—and it turned out to be Mr. Murray! Steven got promoted to store manager and asked me to take his place as the Home and Office Department manager. He also wants me to help set up Legendary Service Culture teams at all of our stores. He said he chose me because I had shown interest in improving the service culture at our store, and he could tell I really cared about our internal and external customers.”

“Well, that’s a pretty exciting turn of events,” said the professor. “Congratulations!”

“I really want to thank you, Professor Hartley, for talking about the importance of relationships and the different ways of caring for customers,” said Kelsey. “I know that made all the difference.”

“That’s a great example of Empowerment in action—taking control of things that affect you. I know you’ll enjoy working with Dan. You’ll learn a lot from him. He’s a great guy,” said the professor.

“Now I’d like everyone to take 10 minutes to find a partner and share a story about a time during this past week when you felt empowered on your job.”

The room buzzed for several minutes. Then the professor held up his hand and said, “Who just heard a good story from their partner that they want to share with the class?”

A young woman raised her hand.

“Mariana, I see you were talking with Nathan. What’s his Empowerment story?”

“Nathan really likes his job at the country club,” began Mariana, “but he hasn’t had a raise in two years. Last week, after we talked about Empowerment in class, he made an appointment to meet with his supervisor. When he went to the meeting, he gave his boss a paper that listed his personal qualities, skills, and accomplishments, as well as ways that he felt his job performance had improved. He also brought notes he’d saved from two of the club members, praising him for going the extra mile to provide good service. Nathan said that during the meeting he focused on being polite and professional, and on asking for what he needed. His boss told him that he was impressed with his initiative and gave him a two-dollar-an-hour raise.”

“Thanks, Mariana—that’s a perfect example of Empowerment. And Nathan—congratulations on the raise!” The professor looked around the room. “Who else has a story to share?”

Several hands went up this time.

“Hank, you had Mason as a partner. What’s his story?”

“Well, Mason works on the phone at one of those big call centers where they take complaints and do troubleshooting all day long. He said sometimes the stress kind of gets to him and his buddies. So about a year ago, he and some other people started talking to their HR department about getting some kind of a stress-busting area fixed up where they could go during their breaks and lunch. HR already had a well-ness program, so they were interested in hearing the ideas. It’s been in the works for a while, and last week, they finally opened a big new employee lounge with picnic tables, vending machines, a cabinet full of board games, a Ping-Pong table, and—” He turned to Mason. “What was that other thing, Mason?”

“Air hockey. We even have air hockey!” said Mason with a smile.

“There’s a company that cares about its people,” said Professor Hartley.

After a few more students shared stories, he asked, “Okay, class, what common themes are we hearing in these stories?”

“People took the initiative to affect their own future—they didn’t wait for someone else to do it for them,” one student commented.

Another student said, “It was like they were in control. They figured out what they wanted and found a way to make it happen.”

“Exactly,” said Professor Hartley. “Remember the Empowerment strategy about being in control of things that affect you? You need to take control of things that are important to you and take the lead to make them happen. An added benefit, as I’ve touched on before, is that people who are treated well at work will pass along that respect and goodwill to their customers. As a result, customers will be more loyal to that organization and maybe even tell their friends about how they were treated. When they do that, they essentially become part of the company’s sales force. When people feel valued for their contributions and are empowered to make decisions, they’re more passionate about their job and their organization. That has a direct impact on customers—as well as on the ever-important bottom line.

“Now,” said the professor, “what happens when you don’t take control of things that are important to you?”

“You end up always doing what someone else wants you to do—but that might not be what you want for yourself or what’s best for your coworkers or your customers,” a student said.

“And whose fault is that?” the professor asked hypo-thetically. “Too many times, people play the victim at work, thinking that their managers should know what they need—as if managers were able to read minds. Talking to your supervisor about what you need is part of Empowerment. It’s great when managers are in tune with their employees, but you can’t expect them to know all of your needs or interests unless you tell them. And if managers don’t know what their people need, in the end, it could be bad for the organization. This also applies to asking your supervisor for feedback on whether you’re doing a good job. You don’t necessarily have to wait a year for your annual performance review—ask for a one-on-one meeting to get specifics on what you’re doing right and where you need to improve.”

The professor went on. “Since frontline employees are closest to the customer, it’s critical for an organization, on a day-to-day basis, to have a way of capturing the information frontline folks hear from customers as a way to improve service. The best organizations ask employees to pass feedback, good and bad, up the ladder so that leaders can decide whether they need to take action. This simple process can be essential for a company’s success.”

“Now I have good news and bad news,” said the professor. “The good news is that once leaders and employees have learned the ICARE model, they have the knowledge and skills they need to start putting the model into action. The bad news is that most companies stop right there and don’t put a sus-tainability plan in place to make sure people are using these new skills. Someone in the organization—preferably a team—needs to be appointed to keep service on everyone’s mind.”

Kelsey felt a surge of excitement as she thought about the Legendary Service Culture team she would be heading up at Ferguson’s.

“The challenge with any kind of training, especially when an organization is trying to change its culture,” said the professor, “is that the learning needs to stay at the front of everyone’s mind. If this doesn’t happen, and if new behaviors aren’t praised and old behaviors redirected, it’s very easy for employees to return to their old ways.

“It all goes back to what I said on the first day of class—it starts with relationships. If we can all work on creating and sustaining a culture of nurturing the relationships we have with one another and with our external customers, our organizations can’t help but reap the benefits”

What a different attitude I have when I feel good about my job, Kelsey thought as she drove to work Monday morning.

Although she wouldn’t officially take over as department manager for another month, she felt compelled to get to the morning meeting before everyone else did to set a good example and to greet her coworkers and make them feel welcome. It’s all about relationships and building a strong team, she thought as people started walking in.

After the meeting, Steven and Kelsey met in Steven’s office. Even though Steven was now the store manager, he was also continuing as the department manager until Kelsey could be trained properly. They spent an hour talking about Kelsey’s upcoming transition.

“I want to make sure we set you up for success in this position, Kelsey,” said Steven. “Managing people is a lot different from being an individual contributor, and believe me, I still have plenty to learn about leadership. I’m looking forward to working with you to make this store the best it can be.” He gave her a schedule of ongoing training for the next few months, including an online module that would help her develop her leadership skills.

“Now,” he said as he leaned back in his chair, “let me hear your ideas for the Legendary Service Culture team. I know you’ve probably been thinking about it every day since you learned it would be part of your new job”

Kelsey laughed. “Yes, actually, I have” she said, getting out her notes. “Tell me what you think of these ideas. Each store’s LSC team will have a representative from each department who is responsible for going to the weekly LSC team meetings and taking information back to their department manager. The department manager would follow through with the Legendary Service and ICARE model training for associates during their weekly department meetings.

“The other half of each LSC team member’s role would be to come to meetings ready to report their department’s progress on putting the new service vision into practice. They would also pass along any feedback their department receives from customers about our new Culture of Service—hopefully, positive confirmation that our new culture was affecting customers in a good way.”

“So far it all sounds great—tell me more,” said Steven, obviously pleased.

“Since we’re beta testing the LSC team concept first at our store, I’d like to send a memo to our department managers today or tomorrow,” continued Kelsey, “to ask each of them to appoint an associate to serve a three-month term on the LSC team. And I think it would be good for each store to compensate the LSC team members with a Ferguson’s gift card at the end of their term, as a way of thanking them for serving on the team.”

“We’ll work through the details, but you’re definitely covering all the bases. I knew you’d be the right person to head this up,” said Steven. “Between your new manager duties and setting up the LSC teams, you’re going to be a very busy woman for a few months!”

Kelsey left work that day tired but content. She was finally part of an organization that really cared about people.