Give everyone a chance to talk
In order to be truly open, the culture also needs to have a forum
for lower-level employees who do not always get the chance for a
direct conversation with the boss. Weddle has found the firm’s
electronic suggestion box particularly useful. It has the advantage
of being accessible to people at all levels of the organization and is
completely anonymous, providing the opportunity for some very
frank communication.
“They can send a suggestion, and that can be a good idea or it can
be a cheap shot,” Weddle says. “Or it can be just a creative thought.
If they choose to sign their name, that’s fine. If they want to remain
anonymous, they can.”
The box was the brainchild of Bachmann, who thought employees needed a means to express themselves.
“He said, ‘You know what, you’ve got to have a way for people to
speak up. If they don’t feel comfortable speaking up one on one,
and that can be kind of intimidating, I appreciate that. So let’s create a way for them to do so.’
“It’s a release valve. If somebody gets angry, they send in a message and kind of pop off. Don’t sign it. Don’t go home and kick the
dog, and, most certainly, don’t get angry at a client. Send me a ‘sugg
box’ and blow off a little steam, and then feel better and go back
to work.”
Fortunately for Weddle, Edward Jones continues to have a
lot of positives to focus on.
“Growth creates opportunity and growth creates an excitement
and an energy in an organization with that opportunity to move
ahead,” Weddle says.
In December 2006, Edward Jones had a limited partnership offering that included 11,500 of the firm’s 30,000 employees.
“I believe it’s a strategic advantage to have one-third of our full-time associates as owners of this firm,” Weddle says. “All those are
ways of us saying, ‘Hey, we respect you as an individual, and we
appreciate the contribution that you’re making toward the success
of our firm.’”
Weddle says the limited partnership program helps ensure
the future of the firm, as well.
“If you’re a limited partner of Edward Jones, you don’t want
to bring somebody in who doesn’t work very hard or isn’t going
to treat the place with the respect that it’s due,” Weddle says.
“You’re going to bring in the best because you own a little piece
of this place. You want it to be better.”
