Contented Cows Still Give Better Milk

Managers could learn a lot from a message echoed by generations of dairy farmers: "Contented cows give better milk." This book is not, repeat, not a management tome. In this fully revised and expanded edition to a book which absolutely, positively makes the case that treating people right is one of the best things any business can do for its bottom line, Contented Cows Still Give Better Milk offers sound, practical advice for those who know that their reputation as an employer is as important as bandwidth.

• Offers updated case studies and new examples from on-site research in a number of real organizations, as well as inspiring examples of companies that know how to do it right . . . and few that didn't
• Fad-free prescriptive advice informed by the authors' combined four-plus decades of training and consulting with thousands of managers and employees, conducting employee engagement surveys, and translating the attendant learning to management audiences in a form they can appreciate and use
• Coauthor Bill Catlette's Bottom Line Leadership Seminar has helped thousands of managers become more effective leaders

Direct from the horse's . . . actually cow's mouth, this fully revised and expanded second edition will teach readers that having a focused, engaged, and capably led workforce is one of the best things any organization can do for its bottom line.

Acknowledgments ix

Introduction xi

Part I The Premise 1

Chapter 1 Just the Facts 3

Chapter 2 Cows with Attitude 21

Part II Contented Cows Are Committed 41

Chapter 3 The “Vision Thing”: Passengers or Crew 43

Chapter 4 The Path to Commitment 53

Part III Contented Cows Are Cared About 63

Chapter 5 First You Feed the Troops 65

Chapter 6 Tell ’Em the Truth 85

Chapter 7 When Times Get Tough 95

Chapter 8 Contented Cows Are Connected 115

Chapter 9 A Case for Some Useful Benefits 129

Part IV Contented Cows Are Enabled 147

Chapter 10 Empower This! 149

Chapter 11 Enabled Employees Are Incredibly Well Trained 157

Chapter 12 Enabled Employees Are Tooled 169

Chapter 13 Enabled Employees Are Trusted 181

Chapter 14 When the Contented Cows Come Home (Speculations on the Near Future) 189

Notes 195

Index 199

BILL CATLETTE is a thought leader in the arena of leadership and employee engagement who has spent his entire career helping build highly successful organizations. Coauthor of Rebooting Leadership and the Contented Cows leadership book series, he coaches and advises managers worldwide on leadership and employment matters.

RICHARD HADDEN is a Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) with a focus on leadership and employee engagement. He is coauthor of Rebooting Leadership and the Contented Cows leadership book series. Since 1990, Richard has addressed more than 800 audiences on five continents, making the business case for having a focused, engaged, and capably led workforce.

It’s no coincidence that the same companies show up every year at the top of esteemed publications’ rankings for “Most Admired,” “Most Innovative,” “Fastest Growing,” and “Highest Shareholder Return.” One thing that many of the persistent winners share in common is a host of leadership habits that make these organizations great places to work, proving that managers can learn a lot from the dairy farmer’s rule of thumb: “Contented cows give better milk.”

In this revised and expanded edition of a book that absolutely, positively makes the case that treating people right is one of the best things any business can do for its bottom line, Contented Cows STILL Give Better Milk offers sound, practical advice for improving business outcomes through a focused, engaged, capably led workforce. It offers updated case studies and inspiring examples from real organizations that make employee engagement a vital part of their business strategy. Takeaways include:

• How (and why) to communicate, through word and deed, exactly what your company is all about
• How to hire and retain people with the capacity to be happy, productive, and successful at your organization
• Ways to keep those employees committed to the mission and prevent distractions that sap their energy and enthusiasm
• Why perks, benefits, and amenities don’t tell the whole story of what makes a great workplace
• Why high expectations beget high performance, and much more

Direct from the horse’s, er, cow’s mouth, Contented Cows will give you the tools and wisdom you need to foster a fully engaged workforce that helps your company outgrow, outearn, and outperform the competition.