People look to leaders in good times and bad, and they expect that the companies they work for will provide them with the leadership that they have come to expect. If they cannot count on those leaders to show them the way, then it is challenging for the average worker to truly know where their place is in an organization or how they are supposed to adapt to rapid changes in that culture. Thus, the value of an executive champion is difficult to overstate.
There has been plenty of focus on why executive champions are important for company culture, but it is just now starting to become evident that they are also important from a monetary point of view as well. They serve in the vital role of ambassador of positivity and company pride at all times, but they can also help contribute to the bottom line.
What is an Executive Champion?
An executive champion is someone who advocates on behalf of the business for excellence in every aspect of work that employees do for the company. They push for employees to give it their all when they are working for the company so that they can produce results that will ultimately add to the bottom line. Don't think of them as just a cheerleader for the company, they are also meant to be role models. They lead by example and show the people who work for the company why it is important to conduct oneself in a particular way.
Executive champions are often called upon to produce guidelines for the company that can be used to train new employees and show them the type of company culture that exists at a particular company. The importance of this? Those guidelines are necessary to ensure that everyone has a shared vision and knows what they need to do in order to achieve the desired results for the company.
How Should Executive Champions Act?
The role of the executive champion is not easy. They must always think about how they are acting and coming off to others. It is their responsibility to make sure they present to people in a way that is worthy of the job that they do. Executive champions are expected to:
- Behave in the way that they would like all employees to behave.
- Remain up-to-date on the latest developments within the company.
- Help others see the same vision for the company's future that they do.
These things are the bare minimum of what an executive champion is expected to do, and yet, this can add so much value to the bottom line for any company that needs a boost.
What is the Fiscal Impact of Championing Company Culture?
There needs to be a fiscal impact to what executive champions do or it simply won't be worth the trouble of hiring them. Fortunately, there is plenty of evidence that executive champions are taking actions that improve the bottom line of the company in ways big and small.
Fewer Workers' Compensation Claims
One area where executive champions can be extremely helpful to the companies that they work for is by helping them reduce the number of workers' compensation claims that are filed within the organization. By modeling good behavior and helping employees understand how to remain safe while on the job, executive champions can potentially reduce the risk of someone getting hurt while they are at work.
Improved Engagement/Productivity
Employees who feel that they are not being engaged by their work may not have the motivation that they need to get their work tasks completed efficiently. It is easy to see how a lack of direction from their employer may make some employees less than enthusiastic about their job. Executive champions can help provide the vision and the excitement necessary to keep employees on task and understanding of what their role is within the company. That may be just what they need to keep driving forward and producing the kinds of results that their employers have come to expect from them.
It turns out that the attitude on display from managers and other leaders within the company contributes to approximately 70% of the attitude that employees have towards their work according to polling from Gallup. Thus, the leaders set the tone, and the workers follow.
Better Retention
Hiring new employees is expensive. A company has to send an employee through their training procedures, has to get them set up with benefits and payroll, and has to contend with an employee who is still learning the ropes for some time to come. It is no wonder there are so many employers who are obsessed with the idea of retaining as many employees as they possibly can. Better retention rates lead to less money spent on obtaining those employees in the first place. Executive champions are useful for improving retention rates because they can help with the recruiting process and also work with employees who may be wavering in their commitment to the company. Sometimes it just takes a little pep talk from an executive champion to help get them set back on the right path.
Do Champions Have to be Executives?
It is not completely necessary for champions to come from the executive ranks. There are cases when mid or even low-level employees have shone themselves to have the abilities necessary to be champions for their employer. However, it is most effective when the champion comes from the executive ranks. People working for the company already see these individuals as leaders, and they are more likely to follow the vision that their executive leaders put before them than they would when getting that same vision from someone they consider to be on the same level as them.
Therefore, it is best to identify those in the executive ranks who can best fill the role of executive champion for the company. They should be swiftly promoted into that role whenever possible.
