Company Blog
A.W.E.
by Adam Zack — November 10, 2021
And what else?
I got a call last week from the extremely employee focused Bob LaBonne Jr. Bob is the leader of LaBonne’s Markets, a four store chain in Connecticut which specializes in fresh food and exceptional service. How does he consistently maintain that outstanding level of service? He treats his employees with a level of care and respect few can match. So after he read my blog last week, Bob called and wanted to share a tool he had learned and used for helping employees who may be losing their motivation or may be stumbling a little from the level of performance that they have delivered in the past. It’s called A.W.E and stands for And What Else? Say you have an employee that has been with you several years, but recently has been frequently tardy and doesn’t seem to care as much as he used to. The A.W.E technique requires that you call them aside for a meeting to find out what’s wrong. You tell them you noticed that they seem unhappy and that there are performance issues, and ask flat out what might be bothering them. They give you an answer, and you respond “And what else?” Usually another answer will come out. And what else? Another answer. Soon, you may find out that there are a myriad of personal and/or work issues that had not you probed with sincerity and caring, would never have come to light, giving you the chance both to understand and help solve. Great (or formerly great) employees are worth saving, and it’s a great leader who takes the time to get to know them more and make that save.
Read More – Behold, Now As Ever
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