Inside Asian Gaming

INSIDE ASIAN GAMING AUGUST 2018 40 FEATURES COLUMNISTS Often, they only increase employees’ sense of entitlement, sowing the seeds of discontent. Engagement is more a result of perceived common purpose between the employer and the employee. So long as the employer pays market-based compensation and perks and incentives are fairly distributed, money does little to promote engagement. A trusting and empathetic leadership team, one that can provide employees with clarity about the organization’s larger goal, its “why,” is essential for engendering employee engagement. EMPLOYEE REFRAMING Reframing involves changing the conceptual and emotional viewpoint in relation to how a job or situation is experienced. A frame is a complex schema of unquestioned beliefs, values and assumptions that we use when inferring meaning. If any part of that frame is changed, then the meaning that is inferred also changes (hence “reframing”). Organizational psychologist Siobhan McHale writes, “Reframing the role of employees can lead to higher levels of engagement, especially if connected to the difference that your company makes in the lives of others.” The powerful impact of reframing on job performance is often ignored. Ordinarily, a person that washes dishes in one of your restaurants may not ascribe much meaning or significance to their job. However, viewing the job as “ensuring that all guests have a safe and enjoyable dining experience” has a positive impact on performance as well as the person’s self-concept. Similarly, the job of your CFO could be reframed as “managing the organization’s liquidity to ensure on-going positive employee and customer engagement, while contributing to a better economy.” When properly configured, reframing can change a routine monotonous “job” into a “calling.” CUSTOMER INSIGHTS To provide an experience that meets or exceeds guest expectations, customer data needs to be captured, managed, analyzed and applied in a timely manner. To fully understand and appreciate customer needs, wants, desires and motivations, simple surveys on customer satisfaction or net promoter score (NPS) are not enough. Surveys and focus groups often lead to erroneous conclusions due to the unreliable memories of respondents or due to response bias. Ideally, quantitative data generated through surveys, machine learning and text analytics should be integrated with “thick data” that provides deep and often counterintuitive insights into people’s emotions, motivations and ways of thinking. Zaltman’s Metaphor Elicitation Technique (ZMET) is one example of how thick data can uncover even the unconscious motives of customers and how the findings can be used to effectively reorganize the customer experience. Four factors impact the efficacy of customer research: (1) Types of information Most organizations fail to realize that it is the customer’s perception that finally determines CX value, not Forbes Travel Guide ratings or mystery shop results. The regular attempts by Macau operators to keep staff happy via regular salary increases and bonuses do little to increase employee engagement.