Communicating, Collaborating, Building Trust and Shared Success

Since the formation of our company nearly 20 years ago, EMC has strived to continuously improve how we work with our labor partners. In doing so, we've kept this key objective in the forefront:

“We will increase communication and collaboration, build trust and realize shared success.”

As a value statement, it's just fine…but it wasn't really a new idea.

And, it isn't going to cause anyone to sit up and say, “Wow, they really get it now!”

Most importantly, it isn't meaningful unless the words are put into action.

A Harvard Business Review article called Make Your Values Mean Something backs this up, stating, “Empty values statements create cynical and dispirited employees, alienate customers and undermine managerial credibility.”

Words Need Action

Core values or value statements are meant to generate energy—to motivate and inspire. But unless there are actions that align with the words that are spoken, they will soon fall on deaf ears, shriveling up and dropping to the floor of your office.

So, what are we doing to bring our words to life, to ensure that we avoid the empty feeling of a value statement that isn’t really lived?

Glad you asked.

The EMC team has been working to strengthen our relationship with our labor partners over the last couple of years, and based on feedback received, we are making strides.

What Has EMC Implemented

1. We put a Labor Partner Development team in place to focus on the health and development of the Labor Partner Network.
2. Project feedback forms implemented last year ensure critical feedback about performance is shared, discussed and acted upon.
3. We refashioned our Labor Partner Summit to focus on open dialog about key issues that impact all involved.
4. Labor partner office visits are underway to increase our understanding of the way in which our partners operate and help us to achieve our shared goals.

Make no mistake, our words and actions are only a part of making this all work. My expectation is that organizations who want to partner with EMC and invest in shared success will actively engage in these activities when opportunities present themselves.

We Can’t Do This Alone

So, I am asking you to participate in this process of growing and succeeding together. This means communicating, collaborating, building trust and sharing in success. It’s responding to surveys, accepting invitations to join in the conversation, sharing your ideas and being open to feedback.

I look forward to the conversation.

John Loheit is EMC's Director of Labor Partner Development. In this role he oversees the Labor Partner Network and Field Quality Assurance. He has been in the lighting industry for 16 years and holds a bachelor’s degree from Augsburg University in Minneapolis, MN.