More to Wegmans Fresh Cinnamon Raisin Bread than Meets the Eye!

Ever wake up with a desire for fresh cinnamon raisin bread to go with your coffee?  I did this morning. Ellen Weber, raved about Wegmans freshly baked cinnamon raisin bread at least twice in the last two days.  The thought of it kept playing in my mind.  I could almost taste it...

So I headed to the nearby Wegmans.  After scouring the shelves, no cinnamon raisin was evident.

I caught a baker's attention and asked if they had any cinnamon raisin bread in the oven.

"We don't right now.  We're all out," he smiled broadly.  "But I'll bake some and have it ready for you in 40 minutes.  Promise to come back?"

"You bet I will."

"I'll have it for you then," he promised enthusiastically.

Four plump, round loaves graced the shelf upon my return.  As I selected one, it warmed my hands, when I picked it up.  I caught the attention of the baker and thanked him as I signaled "thumbs-up."

Wegmans employees go out of their way to assist customers.  Their smiles and welcoming greetings make shopping pleasant.  No wonder Wegmans Food Markets rank third on the Fortune 500 list of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in 2010.

Five reasons employees like working at Wegmans:

1. Wegmans reaches out to the community  Wegmans serves the local community  providing employee scholarships that help improve their skills.  These are open to any employee who wants to compete.  Wegmans provides at-risk, urban youth with skills they need to succeed, part time work and work-site mentors through the Hillside Work Scholarship Connection.  Wegmans taps peoples' gifts and talents in ways that propel them forward.
2. Employees are challenged to surpass customer expectations daily. They're rewarded by many customers like myself who sing their praises to others.  The human brain leaps to solve problems and find solutions.  When firms like Wegmans empower employees, like John Schaub, the baker at the Perinton store, to go the extra mile, both employees and customers are winners.
3. Career opportunities are open to all  Employees can rise to new positions through options for personal growth and professional development.  People raise their abilities by "doing and learning, not by watching and reading," according to J. Robert Baum, Director of Entrepreneurship Research at the University of Maryland.
4. Benefits rank high for both part time and full time employees in spite of a tough economy. Wegman's offers flexible scheduling, a fast-paced fun environment, competitive pay, and comprehensive benefits including quality health care, dental coverage, 401(k) retirement savings plan, and a retirement plan amongst many others.  When Wegmans rewards workers, it leads to greater satisfaction and well-being in the workplace.
5. Diversity is welcomed as an opportunity  Wegmans sees diversity as a way to inspire new thinking, which supports their drive toward continuous improvement.  This is a key to brainpowered leadership.

As Ellen Weber and I shared this delightful bread, we each enjoyed more than one piece!  But, a lot more brainpower went into it than meets the ordinary eye!

Thoughts?

Tap Employee Brainpower to Energize Your Workplace!

When employees connect both mentally and emotionally to their jobs, they're more willing to apply effort that spells out organizational success. How so? Workers that tap creativity to contribute to team projects, help design processes and suggest improvements tend to experience energy and full engagement on the job.

Unfortunately many folks in the workforce prowl for different employment because they are not satisfied with their current jobs. A recent Wall Street Journal/Society for Human Resource management survey reports as many as 75 percent of employees are exploring other opportunities.

To counter this problem businesses might want to consider The Conference Board's suggestions for improvement based on 12 major studies on employee engagement. Which ones does your organization practice and which ones would you target for improvement? Here's an overview from their report:

Trust and integrity - how well management communicates and lives the company's vision.

Line of sight between employee performance and company performance - understanding one's contribution to the company's success.

Career growth - future opportunities.

Pride about the company - self-esteem in being associated with the company.

Co-workers/team members - impact of the work environment

Employee development - opportunities for individual skills development

Relationship with one's manager - the value the employee places on the relationship.

Interestingly, this research shows the relationship with an employee's manager is the most powerful driver of all. Knowing this, how might managers make the most of relationships with employees?

One key approach is to tap into employees' brainpower on the job. Using more brain energizes workers and increases their productivity and satisfaction. Take a survey designed by Dr. Ellen Weber to rate brainpower in your workplace. Then check results to learn brain facts that rate your workplace intelligence.

Employees who have more control over their daily activities and do challenging work they enjoy are likely to be in better health. A new study from the University of Texas at Austin shows that creative activity helps people stay healthy. John Mirowsky, lead author of the study says,

"Creative activity is non-routine, enjoyable and provides opportunity for learning and for solving problems. People who do that kind of work, whether paid or not, feel healthier and have fewer physical problems."

Human brainpower not only improves your life, but reboots organizations!

Thoughts?