The Invisible Employee: Realizing the Hidden Potential in Everyone - Hardcover

Gostick, Adrian; Elton, Chester

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0471777390 ISBN 13: 9780471777397

Publisher: Wiley, 2006

Synopsis

"There is magic in this book. It is the magic of a form of human engagement that allows you to see and your employees to be seen. Whether you are looking for a few good tips to keep a good thing going or need to recapture the very essence of a productive workplace, The Invisible Employee provides valuable lessons nestled among the pages of a clever and compelling story. A good read and a wise thesis."
—Stephen C. Lundin, bestselling coauthor of Fish!

"Gostick and Elton's simple-to-understand and teachable approach of setting and supporting core values and recognizing and celebrating those behaviors can be a very effective management technique for creating a committed and engaged workforce of 'visible employees.' This is a culture no organization can afford to be without."
—Michael R. Losey, past president and CEO, Society for Human Resource Management, and Secretary General, World Federation of Personnel Management Associations

"The basic principles detailed in The Invisible Employee are simple yet profound: (1) setting a guiding vision, (2) seeing employees supporting that vision, and (3) praising and celebrating that behavior. Restaurants do not sell merchandise that people can take home, we only sell memories. Engaging our entire staff by using these principles helps Friendly's provide great memories for our guests."
—John L. Cutter, CEO and President, Friendly Ice Cream Corporation

"The Invisible Employee is a very inventive and original book. Combining facts that will surprise you and a fable that will fascinate you, Adrian Gostick and Chester Elton have crafted a book that educates and entertains. The Invisible Employee is a wonderful read with a powerful message, and I highly recommend it to leaders at all levels."
—Jim Kouzes, coauthor of The Leadership Challenge

About this title

About the Author

Adrian Gostick is Director of Corporate Communications with the OC Tanner Recognition Company, the world's leading employee recognition company.  A dynamic speaker, Adrian speaks to business audiences around the world.  He has also written for USA Today, Investor Business Daily, and many other business publications.  He has been featured on ABC, CNBC, and NPR.  He is the co-author of best-selling The 24 Carrot Manager, A Carrot a Day, and Managing with Carrots.

Chester Elton is a sought after speaker and recognition consultant.  Chester is VP of Performance with OC Tanner Recognition Company (based in Salt Lake City, UT.)  He has been a featured speaker at SHRM, NAER and many other HR conferences.  He is the co-author of the WSJ best-seller, A Carrot a Day and is frequently quoted in the WSJ.  He has been featured on CNN, Bloomberg and NPR for his expertise in motivation.

From the Back Cover

"There is magic in this book. It is the magic of a form of human engagement that allows you to see and your employees to be seen. Whether you are looking for a few good tips to keep a good thing going or need to recapture the very essence of a productive workplace, The Invisible Employee provides valuable lessons nestled among the pages of a clever and compelling story. A good read and a wise thesis."
—Stephen C. Lundin, bestselling coauthor of Fish!

"Gostick and Elton's simple-to-understand and teachable approach of setting and supporting core values and recognizing and celebrating those behaviors can be a very effective management technique for creating a committed and engaged workforce of 'visible employees.' This is a culture no organization can afford to be without."
—Michael R. Losey, past president and CEO, Society for Human Resource Management, and Secretary General, World Federation of Personnel Management Associations

"The basic principles detailed in The Invisible Employee are simple yet profound: (1) setting a guiding vision, (2) seeing employees supporting that vision, and (3) praising and celebrating that behavior. Restaurants do not sell merchandise that people can take home, we only sell memories. Engaging our entire staff by using these principles helps Friendly's provide great memories for our guests."
—John L. Cutter, CEO and President, Friendly Ice Cream Corporation

"The Invisible Employee is a very inventive and original book. Combining facts that will surprise you and a fable that will fascinate you, Adrian Gostick and Chester Elton have crafted a book that educates and entertains. The Invisible Employee is a wonderful read with a powerful message, and I highly recommend it to leaders at all levels."
—Jim Kouzes, coauthor of The Leadership Challenge

From the Inside Flap

A business fable packed with hard-won wisdom, The Invisible Employee follows a group of people who live and work together on a mysterious island. In these pages, managers learn how to combat one of the most common negative attitudes in business—that smart employees keep their heads down and never do more than is asked.

Bestselling authors Adrian Gostick and Chester Elton illustrate that invisible employees undermine our efforts at building great companies. And they show how effective leaders change this mind-set by engaging their people in their cause and finding a way to bring out their best by setting clear goals, seeing the right behaviors, and celebrating every success along the way. The end result is an organization of productive employees who feel noticed, valued and appreciated. In other words, they feel visible.

In today's competitive environment, all of us are looking for the next big product, the next big capability or solution. But great managers are turning back to the basics. They are finding that recognizing people leads to a more engaged workforce and a more successful business. The Invisible Employee shows you how to bring out the hidden potential in your team and your business.

Reviews

This book has a simple message: praising employees is the "single business strategy" that meets "all your business objectives simultaneously." Praising employees generates commitment, which leads to high-level performance, which causes customer and investor loyalty, it argues. The authors' point is illustrated through a long, tedious fable about a tribe of "Highlanders" who are showered with gems by a tribe of "Wurc-Urs," until, that is, the Wurc-Urs start to disappear because they're so frustrated by the lack of praise. The book contains a list of 70 ways to recognize employees (buy them a garden statue, write them a funny song, etc.), as well as a few bits of more journalistic evidence (brief accounts of business studies, a story from the Wall Street Journal about an employee who quit when his employer gave him a gold Rolex without offering to pay the income tax on the gift, etc.). Savvy managers are unlikely to buy into the idea that lavish praise is all it takes to generate profits and make the stock price go up, but the book may provide them with a few new ideas for how to make their employees feel appreciated. (Mar.)
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Edition details

• Publisher: Wiley
• Publication date: 2006
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0471777390
• ISBN 13: 9780471777397
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 176