An Apple a Day---Teamwork and Recognition are Key

by Dan Bolita editor TODAY Magazine

I ran into a friend at a trade show recently. We got to talking about the various shows we attend and how some are easier for exhibitors than others. She told me of her experience at a certain “Windy City” which carries a long-standing notoriety for having particularly challenging contract labor. As many of TAWPI Forums & Expo exhibitors know, because TAWPI’s annual event has been in this unnamed Windy City, there is a reputation that in order to get anything done, skids (and palms) should be greased. So, this mild-mannered exhibitor came to her event (for the record, not a TAWPI event) with a stack of crisp $100 bills, prepared to tip and toke in order to get her barges moved and bales lifted. As it turned out, she had also brought a sizeable quantity of McIntosh apples to be shared at the booth, and quite naturally offered them to the journeymen whose services she needed to hustle freight. Much to her surprise and delight, the stack of dollar bills were never needed. The crew of rugged roustabouts (which, isn’t derogatory, I checked) were so enchanted by the offering of fresh fruit, that they gave her freight the special handling she’d thought only U.S. currency could provide. Which got us thinking about what motivates people?

Obviously the money part is important, and few could continue working without it, some of the best incentives don’t cost a thing. The manual tasks of automated processes can be pretty tedious. Data entry, document prep, and forms correction are demanding jobs. With high turnover and low morale a frequent challenge, keeping skilled staff is a constant battle. The most successful managers identify the importance of employee recognition. Just as an apple can get pallets of freight moved, a word of thanks can motivate a skilled data entry team. Equally important is having those workers view themselves as a team. Two managers—both long-time TAWPI members—come to mind. Wes Friesen, manager of revenue for Portland General Electric, and our retired Board Chair Ken Yokum, both of whom genuinely engage with people, form teams of motivated staff, and know the value of kind word. Many of the attendees at the upcoming TAWPI Forums & Expo (August 12 -15, Boston) are heads of data entry, imaging, and forms processing departments. If motivating staff is a challenge, and stacks of U.S. currency for random disbursement is in short supply, I encourage you to network with your peers. I know that Wes will be there, and who knows, maybe Ken will make a cameo appearance. Ask them advice for team-building, incentives and awards.

You may also want to bring some ripe apples.....