The OU is many things to many people – a kosher symbol on your food, programs that inspire our young and not as young, an umbrella organization for shuls and so much more. To effectively serve all of the community’s needs, you need an organization – as in corporate organization, which, to the people working here, the OU is. The work we do is unique, but the way that work gets done requires a management structure that involves all the usual elements of corporate management – structure, systems, milestones, projects, planning, and most of all, people. And as the OU’s Chief Operating Officer, I need to ensure that all those things get done – properly, effectively, and efficiently.
One thing I try to do in my management style is to make it as “human” – as “mentch like” – as possible, which means developing a culture that validates individuals and their work, along with making sure they know that management understands their contribution to the organization. Employees, of course, appreciate that they are appreciated – and it’s also good for the organization, increasing motivation, loyalty, and productivity.
This human style can be a challenge in an organization the size of the OU, which has more than 3,000 full-, part-time, and contractual employees, especially when it comes to making sure that all employees feel heard, seen and appreciated. But I still believe we need to see each other as humans first, and try to know the whole person, not just their title and job description. One thing I’ve found that helps accomplish that is podcasting. With today being International Podcasting Day, I thought I’d give a plug to what has become one of my favorite vehicles for communicating with employees and providing the channels for everyone to feel listened to and valued.
Why podcasting for internal communications? Wouldn’t an email or Slack post accomplish the goal of getting messages out to employees? Yes, those methods would work, of course. But podcasting gives you something that those written communications don’t – the ability to connect with many people in a human way, engaging them with their jobs and with their roles in the organization and fostering a sense of connection among employees. Like other corporate organizations, communications at the OU can be complex; podcasting provides for an accessible and human-centered approach.
Just how can podcasting accomplish that? Here are some specific benefits that I have found from hosting Oh, You?:
Getting to Know Your “Neighbor:” The OU is blessed with a plethora of talented people doing amazing things. Seeing all that talent – and the things that it accomplishes – fills me with a great sense of pride. I want all our employees to feel that same sense of pride – and a podcast is an excellent vehicle to accomplish that. By interviewing people and highlighting programs, I can help others in the organization understand and appreciate what their “neighbors” in the office or cubicle over are doing. Not only does this help employees to be proud of what they are doing – it showcases just how important the work they, and others, are doing, increasing motivation and loyalty.
Ensuring Organizational Unity: Like any organization made up of people, there are likely to be misunderstandings – between employees, departments, or with management – that can lead to unnecessary tension. Nobody wants to work in a tense workplace, and any work that does get done in such an environment is going to be substandard. Podcasts can help here, too; when employees get to hear what others in the organization have to say about their jobs and departments, and about how they are contributing to the OU’s mission, they come away with a better understanding of the many “others” they need to work with. Strike another win for organizational unity and mutual understanding and respect – exactly the kinds of values a “mentch manager” seeks to show and encourage in employees.
Connecting employees with their jobs and with the organization: It’s one thing to read an employee newsletter where individuals and/or departments and their roles are highlighted – but it’s another thing altogether when those involved get to say their piece, in their own words. Podcasts enable management to help employees display their own “human” sides by providing a forum to interview them, enabling them to talk about their work and providing an opportunity to connect it to the OU’s overall mission. By seeing what they – and others – do in the context of what the OU is all about, they get a better sense of why they do what they do, increasing their connection to their jobs and to the organization. Giving people you work with a voice also makes them feel more appreciated and motivated, and likely to stay in the organization, contributing their best work.
Most of us (along with most podcasters) think of podcasts as informational or marketing tools. But there are plenty of good reasons to think of them as a management tool as well, especially if you want that management to be as human-centered as possible. If the manager/podcaster does things right, they – and the organization – will benefit from more motivated employees who connect more readily and easily with the organization’s goals, going above and beyond the call of duty to get the work done. Those are the kind of people we need at the OU – and any organization that wants those kinds of people should consider podcasting as a method of internal communication. One last tip when using podcasts as a management tool is not to talk too much; leave that to your employee guests: Let their inner mentch connect with all the other mentches in the organization, bringing out the best in everyone.