THE IMPROVEMENT

IMPERATIVE ON A DIME!
Becky Bechtel
Air Products University Global People College
March 16, 2010

Who Is Air Products?

Global atmospheric, process and
specialty gases, performance
materials,
equipment and services provider
Serving industrial, energy, technology
and healthcare markets worldwide
Fortune 500 company
Operations in over 40 countries
~19,000 employees worldwide
Known for our innovative culture and
operational excellence
Corporate responsibility commitment
2

December 2009

The Three Levels of Employee Engagement

Vision
Empowerment
Customer Treatment

Inspirational

ng
a
lo ge
w
s me
hi
er nt
as

fE

Career Growth & Advancement

Affiliation, Teamwork & Collaboration/Decision-Making
Role & Goal Alignment

Emotional
Connection and Commitment

lik

so

rk
s

Le
(W ve
l
o

ip

ar
ch
y

Passion and Enthusiasm

Leaders have the greatest

direct impact on the work
environmenthow an
employee is experiencing
engagement at
each level.

sh
er
ad
Le

An employees
level of
engagement can
be understood by
examining which
factors affect the
individuals
engagement at
each
level.

Safety and Security

Basic Compensation & Benefits / Work-Life & Flexibility
Treatment & Inclusion/Work Process/Training

Rational
Security and Equity
Based on Intuits Employee Engagement
model

Employee
Engagemen
t

n five workers is giving full discretionary effort on the

Four out of ten (38%) workers describe themselves
as disenchanted

our out of five workers (80%) are enrolled capable but not fully commit
The percentage of employees who believe
they can impact business metrics
(quality, service, innovation, cost, profitability, revenue growth)

increases along with their level of engagement

Companies with high employee engagement had a 19% increase
in operating income and almost a 28% growth in earnings per share

Towers-Perrin Global Workforce Study 2008

Top Ten Drivers of Employee Engagement

(Globally)
1.

2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

9.
10.

Senior Management sincerely interested in employee

well-being
Improved my skills and capabilities over the last year
Organizations reputation for social responsibility
Input into decision-making in my department
Organization quickly resolves customer concerns
Set high personal standards
Have excellent career advancement opportunities
Enjoy challenging work assignments that broaden
skills
Good relationship with supervisor
Organization encourages innovative thinking

wers-Perrin Global Workforce Study 2008

Common Senior Leader

Characteristics

Characteristics of the
Engaging Leader
GAPS

Rational, analytical, dispassionate

Directs, delegates, may micromanage

Say it once and be done

Uncomfortable with the soft stuff

High ego needs

Emotionally intelligent
Skilled communicator

Strong coaching orientation

Ability to inspire others

Authenticity and humility

Reduced budgets for L&D

Programs and L&D Staff
Increased # of clients for
HR Business Partners
Globalization
Attrition/Downsizing
Increased Spans of Control
Do More with Less
Constant Organizational
Restructuring

artners in Development and Engagement

Build Management
Skills
Set context for
learning
Focus on whats
most critical

L&D

HR

Manag
er

Coach Managers
Partner in
development
discussions
Provide guidance
and support to
managers
Focus on the high
impact activities
Build your skills
Allocate time for
employees

Learning
Experience
Architect

Five Manager Roles & High

Value Activities
Performanc
Planning
e and
Developme
nt
Strategist
Explain
Performance
Standards
Create
Individual
Plans
Ensure
Necessary
Skills/Knowled
ge

Solutions
Enabler
Help
employees
apply new
skills/knowled
ge
Teach new
skill or
procedure
Give advice
from own
experience

Help
employee

Evaluati
Honest
on
Appraiser

Execution
Learning
Experience
Architect
Ensure projects
are learning
experiences
Provide
experiences
that develop
employees

Assess
Development
Progress

Opportunity
Broker
Help employee
find resources
Pass along job
openings
Pass along
development
opportunities

Give feedback
on personality
strengths
Give feedback
on
performance
weaknesses
Give feedback
on
performance
strengths

Average Maximum Impact of Role Activities on Employee Performanc

12.8%

8.7%

19.4%

10.9%

ng Managers as Agents of Employee Development 2003 Corporate Executive Board

11.8%

Creating Conditions for ManagerEmployee Success

Environme
nt

Infrastruct
ure

Manger-Employee
Relationship
Commitment to
Development
Managerial
Experience
Learning Culture

Processes
Tools and Resources
Incentives
Development Sources

Taking Action Management

Fundamentals

STARTING WITH THE BASICS AND BUILDING

THE NETWORK*
Pre-work
And Pre-Start
Teleconference

0
Month

Part 2
eLearning
Series

1
Month

Part 1
5 Day
Orientation
Workshop

2
Months

Part 4
Capstone
Project &
Graduation

Part 3
Progress
Check
3
Months

Part 3
Progress
Check

6
Months

9
Months

Part 3
Progress
Check

18 Months

Part 5
PostProgram
Assessment

Air Products Management Fundamentals training program develops basic people

management skills in cohorts of 16-20 participants and also helps build their networks and
increase learning potential. Complete Program takes place over 15 18 month period.

*Source: Air Products and Chemicals Learning and Development Roundtable Researc
2007 Corporate Executive Board, All Rights Reserve

MFP FY2009 Results

Take-aways
Majority of employees today want to make a strong
contribution in an organization that makes a difference in the
world.
Discretionary effort is key to productivity
Managers can most affect discretionary effort (by as much as
30 - 40%!)
Managers are most effective when they can see the connection
between development and organizational success
Managers can successfully develop their employees without
investing significantly more time in additional responsibilities.
We can do our part by helping them build fundamental people
management skills, teaching them to fishnot fishing for
them.