�

engagement is not one-dimensional. It’s found in all facets of life. It can be effortless, natural, and magnetic. In our work with engaging people in the stories of their businesses, we’ve learned the characteristics of what really engages people in such a compelling, sustained way that they feel captivated, drawn in, and connected.

There are four qualities that make engagement more natural – the real roots of engaging people.

1. People want to be a part of something big. Who isn’t interested in being a part of something that’s

bigger than themselves? Think how concert-goers act as one, connecting with hundreds of people they’ve never met that

makes them exude a force far bigger than they

could achieve by themselves. By

association, they feel like they’re a piece of something more significant than they could ever be alone. When this happens, people get a feeling that they are as big as the effort is. This feeling affords a sense of substance, importance, pride, and direction.

2. People want to feel a sense of belonging. When people are truly engaged, they believe that they

really belong. They have a sense of meaning or validation when they feel that they “fit,” they’re accepted, they’re one of the group. It’s a sense of association and connection, and they can go forward together because they have something in common. On the other hand, a feeling of being on the outside, or not belonging, can disintegrate into disillusionment, then disengagement, and ultimately, destructiveness.

From the CEO’s Desk

the Roots ofEngagement

Please turn to page 7.

volume 2 issue 3 winter 2008

Jim HaudanChief Executive Officer Root Learning, Inc.

Look Inside!

Starbucks Serves Up Results

The Two-Minute Drill: Fast Change Requires Engaged Players

Plus a ready-to-use visual tool you can use now!

Visit us at www.rootlearning.com

When people are truly engaged, they believe that they really belong.

�

our company’s stated purpose is “to provide an uplifting experience that enriches

people’s daily lives,” so we’ve set a tall order for ourselves. Our people live this every day. Starbucks has been going through phenomenal growth and expansion, now having 14,000 stores since it started out 25 years ago. Continuing that growth and success requires support from our internal culture.

We had created three leadership training programs focused on management styles and techniques that align with our unique culture. The programs – Increasing Human Effectiveness®, Servant Leadership, and Situational Leadership® – were designed to complement one another, provide foundational knowledge and insight, and develop capabilities that would perpetuate the culture and ensure that the Starbucks brand was lived and breathed internally, as well as delivered to customers. Enrollment was optional, but the programs were offered to store managers, district managers, and retail leaders.

We needed a way to create excitement about the programs to drive enrollment. People needed to see how the three programs not only worked together, but could be used in a very practical way to drive performance and results. An important part of the solution needed to be storytelling – a core part of Starbucks culture, which centers on an informal working environment that embraces diversity in every sense, and builds engagement and commitment by encouraging freedom of self-expression.

I had worked with Root with another employer and saw an obvious fit between our needs and Root’s learning methodology. I knew that a Learning Map® module would be an excellent activity for an upcoming series of conferences to be attended by 10,000 Starbucks managers.

With Root, we developed a 90-minute experience focused on the content of the three training offerings, with an emphasis on practical application. People were challenged to explore things they could to do to share their new knowledge with their employees, and were asked to document what they would do differently and to hold themselves accountable for bringing the initiatives to life in their stores.

The session was presented at seven conferences in seven consecutive weeks – all over the U.S. At each event, the Learning Map® session was the first activity of the three-day agenda – designed to inspire the delegates and provide a “springboard” for the rest of the meeting. The module was designed to be self-facilitated, ensuring that participants were empowered to come to their own conclusions and feel real ownership of the content.

Industry Perspective

Cathy BensonDirector, Learning and Partner Development Starbucks International

Starbucks Serves Up Results

Please turn to page 7.

�

Point of View

Metaphors play a powerful role in business. People usually compare a business in need of immediate change to salvaging a sinking ship, putting out a fire, or repairing a racecar. I like to think of rapid change as running a two-minute drill in football.

Even people who aren’t avid football fans understand the concept of a two-minute drill. When your team is behind and time is running out, there is a specific mindset and series of actions that increase the chance that you’ll win. It’s as simple as that. But you need to have engaged players and a game plan they understand to do it right. Let’s see how this works.

The entire team has to feel the urgency to score. Your team is behind on the scoreboard. Time is running out, so you have to manage the clock well. This may mean lightening the workload so people have a chance to “be in the game” and execute the plays that will help reach the goal line.

The right players have to be on the field. To win, you need engaged people who are willing and able to do the job with vigor and expertise. Each player needs to do their part proficiently to make the change happen. In a two-minute drill, it’s imperative that the people on the field truly want to be in the game and know that they’re the best players for this situation. No matter how great your game plan, your change effort won’t succeed without engaged people playing the positions where they can best contribute. If the game changes, you may need to substitute players so you have the absolute most effective players on the field.

The quarterback must take control of the game and communicate the game plan. In some businesses, the leaders send in “experts” to lead some plays – a consultant or black belt or kaizen expert. Would a football team send out an equipment manager or the trainer to lead a two-minute drill? Not likely! It’s the quarterback who needs to lead in situations that require fast change. The QB needs to clarify the entire game plan so all the players know precisely what’s expected of each one of them on every play.

Execute the right play. When the ball is snapped, each person has to execute the game plan as it was planned. At this point, if some players do their own thing, you get chaos. Teamwork is the cornerstone of successful execution. And just as the officials on a football field bring out the chains, a good team wants a measurement of how they’re doing in the moment. Did we gain five yards? Ten? How much further do we need to go to score? With immediate feed-back, it’s easier to plan the next play.

Celebrate the victory. In football, there are specific rules that limit the amount of celebration a team can indulge in! It’s practically the opposite in most businesses. Many victories pass without even a high five, let alone champagne. If you want engaged players, you need to celebrate wins. If you want to help people feel good about what they do and repeat the kind of behaviors that led to the victory, celebrate!

There’s one last step that many teams skip. And it’s very important:

Watch the game films. Find out what you learned. If your department has just improved performance or learned a lean process, figure out how you won. Every successful team runs a post-game analysis, looking for patterns and plays that helped achieve the victory that they can replicate. Learning what won that particular game will go a long way toward establishing a winning tradition for your team. Remember: In a two-minute drill there are no spectators allowed! See you at the game!

Clinton O. Longenecker is a leader in the area of rapid organizational improvement. His latest book (co-written with Greg R. Papp and Timothy C. Stansfield), is The Two-Minute Drill: Lessons for Rapid

Organizational Improvement from America’s Greatest Game (Jossey-Bass,

2007). For more information, visit Twominutedrill.org.

the Two-Minute Drill:Fast Change Requires Engaged Players

Clinton O. LongeneckerProfessor of Leadership and Organizational Excellence, University of Toledo

�

Try this with your team!

After 7 years, I’m still

not sure I fit in…

Expert at

thinking

small.Too bad

he doesn’t have a clue that he’s lighting

up the block.

It would be a ratrace if someone were

in here with me.

Maybe after another7 years, we’ll invite him

to the team!

This Root Learning Map® visual is a product of Root Learning® Inc., Sylvania, OH 43560 www.rootlearning.com theWatercooler_011808_RootInternal ©2008

What’s the state of engagement at your company? Does it resemble this sketch? Gather your team around this illustration and ask the questions on the facing page.

stuck in aRat Race?

Most people come to work wanting to do their best. But there are things that keep them from feeling truly engaged. We’ve identified four things that people require to be a real part of an engaged team – the Roots of Engagement. In this sketch, we see a worker who finds it impossible to be engaged. Work through these questions to understand why.

1. The first Root of Engagement is that people want to be a part of something big. Describe the “world” of the rat in the wheel and read the quotes and label.

2. Why is this wheel keeping him from feeling part of something big? How can he escape the wheel?

3. The second Root of Engagement is that people want to feel a sense of belonging. Describe the scene at the right. Have you seen this behavior in your workplace?

4. How can you minimize this situation?

5. The third Root of Engagement is that people want to go on a meaningful journey. Read the label beneath the wheel. Have you ever felt this way? Do the people at your workplace feel this way?

6. How can you eliminate this kind of feeling?

7. The fourth Root of Engagement is that people want to know that their contributions make a significant impact or difference. Does this rat know what he’s contributing to the success of his company?

8. What’s the best way to let people know how important their contributions are to your company’s success?

9. Imagine that the rat is freed from the wheel and that his blinders are removed. How could he be a better contributor after he looks around the scene?

10. In what ways are the people in your company or team like this rat? What can you do to change this picture?

�

After 7 years, I’m still

not sure I fit in…

Expert at

thinking

small.Too bad

he doesn’t have a clue that he’s lighting

up the block.

It would be a ratrace if someone were

in here with me.

Maybe after another7 years, we’ll invite him

to the team!

This Root Learning Map® visual is a product of Root Learning® Inc., Sylvania, OH 43560 www.rootlearning.com theWatercooler_011808_RootInternal ©2008

What’s the state of engagement at your company? Does it resemble this sketch? Gather your team around this illustration and ask the questions on the facing page.

�

Beaumont HospitalsFrom Two Hospitals to OneBeaumont:

Introducing a New Strategybeaumont Hospitals

have served southeast Michigan since 1955, growing from one small facility to a two-hospital regional medical center. Today, our medical staff includes more than 2,400 physicians, representing more than 91 medical and surgical specialties. In 2006, we embarked on a new strategy to unify the centers under a “OneBeaumont” banner.

To do this, we needed to communicate the new strategy to our physicians, nurses, donors, and local community leaders, as well as employees. Although Beaumont had an excellent reputation and enviable share of the market, new local providers were offering improved services. We recognized the need to “step up our game.” The new strategy focused on integrating our two hospitals into a single “OneBeaumont” entity. This required change across a number of fronts. Our new CEO, Ken Matzick, was very vested in the need to change.

We worked with Root Learning to create four Learning Map® modules to create a line of sight from the

stakeholders to the new strategy. The modules focused on answering why we were changing, what was changing, and how individuals and teams would support that change.

From Alignment to EngagementThe solution began at the top – the iterative and collaborative development process of creating a Learning Map® module aligned our project team and senior leaders around the strategic imperatives. Our CEO was convinced that this unforeseen benefit delivered exceptional value.

The modules were presented to 16,000 employees in 120 sessions over a 13-week period. Employees went through the modules in four-hour sessions at a central training facility. Bus transportation was provided, and employees were paid to attend. Pre- and post-experience surveys were electronically fielded on representative content to measure knowledge transfer.

As a result, our Gallup Engagement Score rose from 3.8 to 3.89 after people experienced the learning modules. Our leadership feels that the methodology of self-discovery and dialogue has become “hard-wired” into the OneBeaumont culture. Today, the modules have been added to the onboarding experience, linking all strategic goals back to OneBeaumont and providing critical context.

Ken Matzick said, “We’re very pleased with the early results of our efforts to engage our employees in understanding and implementing our strategic plan. Feedback was very positive, and many commented that they couldn’t wait for their staffs to go through the learning experience.”

Case Study

Jean Ann LarsonChief Learning Officer Beaumont Hospitals

�

the Roots of Engagement

3. People want to go on a meaningful journey. We all want to be on some kind of adventure that

matters. There’s a feeling of pioneering, excitement, and discovery! It’s the part of the human spirit that suggests we can be more, that we are more. We all want to create something that doesn’t exist right now. Who wants to sum up a lifetime by saying, “I did a great job maintaining what was already there”? What’s important is, “Here’s what it was like when I arrived, and here’s how I made it better!” Our journey is a challenge and an opportunity that compels us to take risks and makes overcoming the barriers worth the effort.

4. People want to know that their contributions make a significant impact or difference. People

want to be written into the story, to know that what they do really makes a difference – especially in the lives of other people. If I’m there, I’m part of the story.

Consider the concert-goers –by dressing up in the band’s signature shirts and singing a rock anthem, they believe that they’re making that concert a greater experience for everyone, and their actions affect the outcome of the event.

Engaged people feel that whatever they’re doing is unquestionably connected to making a difference in the lives of other people. Leaders at all levels need to remember that people crave these four necessities: being part of something big, belonging, going on a meaningful journey, and knowing they make a difference. When these “roots” are present, engagement occurs naturally – even in business.

The Art of Engagement: Bridging the Canyons Between People, Process, and Possibilities, by Jim Haudan, is available for preorder on Amazon.com. Search for Jim Haudan.

The results were extremely gratifying. The Learning Map® module engaged people in the details of the training, but more than that, it went beyond content, to capture their hearts and heads. This was a great opportunity for people to

interact and connect with peers. When everyone has a chance to discuss important issues, our learning retention is better.

Employees ranked the session second only to the chairman’s address at the conference and, most critical, there was a major lift in enrollment for the three leadership programs.

About StarbucksStarbucks Coffee Company provides an uplifting experience that enriches people’s lives one moment, one human being, one extraordinary cup of coffee at a time.

Starbucks Serves Up Resultscontinued (from page 2)

continued (from page 1)

Starbucks culture builds engagement

and commitment by encouraging freedom

of self-expression.

5470 Main Street Sylvania, OH 43560

Events and NewsJim Haudan’s new book, published by McGraw-Hill, The Art of Engagement: Bridging the Canyons Between People, Process, and Possibilities, is available for preorder on Amazon. Go to www.amazon.com and search for Jim Haudan. Look for it in bookstores in May.

• ASTD TechKnowledge® Conference & Exposition, February 26 – 28, San Antonio, http://tk08.astd.org/housing.html

• ISPI International Performance Improvement Conference, April 3-8, New York City, www.ispi.org

• CLO Symposium, Orchestrating Change: Leading Organizations with Learning, April 7 – 9, Orlando, www.clomedia.com

• ASTD International Conference & Exposition, June 1 – 4, San Diego, www.astd2008.org

• SHRM Annual Conference & Exposition, June 22 – 25, Chicago, www.shrm.org

The next issue of The Watercooler will be published in April.

You can’t build character and courage by taking away people’s initiative and independence.

– Abraham Lincoln