Leaders, Do You Know the F.O.R.D. for Your Top Employees?

I’m a sucker for frameworks, methodologies, and best practices that can simplify complex processes, make something easier for me to tackle, or remind me to focus on what’s important.?

In a recent conversation for my podcast, my guest reminded me of a methodology that I haven’t thought of in a long time. It’s of an oldie but a goodie: the F.O.R.D. Method. Do you know it??

Understanding the F.O.R.D. Method

This acronym stands for:?

• Family.?
• Occupation.
• Recreation.
• Dreams.

Thinking of the parts of this acronym during conversations can help you talk less about yourself and help you focus more on the other person. Here’s why: each letter in the acronym is not about you; each letter is about the other person. As such, the methodology can be thought of as you asking questions of another person to find out about:?

• Their family.?
• Their occupation.
• Their recreation.
• Their dreams.

John DiJulius's Experience

My podcast guest was John DiJulius, a rock star in the worlds of customer service and employee experience. On my show, we discussed his latest book, his podcast, and much more (see links below). But when we discussed the F.O.R.D. Method, John recounted a humbling experience that related to his executive assistant and her kids.?

The gist of John’s anecdote was that he knew that his assistant had two kids. And he thought that maybe one was a girl and the other was a boy. But he definitely didn’t know their names. At that point in my show, he said, “Shame on me,” and then added that even though she had pictures of her kids on her desk, he had never slowed down to pay attention to them or ask her about her kids.?

As soon as John realized this deficiency in himself, he asked his executive assistant about her kids, and also asked her other questions from the F.O.R.D. Method.?

Creating Deeper Connections and Mapping Your Team's F.O.R.D

All of this goes to show that if you take the time to show genuine interest in your employees and their lives, then you’re helping create a workplace environment where deeper connections can be made and people can feel appreciated and valued.?

And now I’m going to repeat the title of this article: For the key people who work with you in your company, do you know their F.O.R.D.??

By the way, while the “O” stands for Occupation, you can’t just say, “Sure I know the O of my employees because they work for me.” Instead, I urge you to think of “O” as being related to the person’s five-year career goals.?

So, to sum up, for each of the key people you work with, could you write down on a piece of paper the following??

• What are the names of their family members (spouse, kids, etc.)??
• For their career/occupation, what are some of their five-year goals??
• What do they do for recreation/fun??
• What are some of their personal/non-work dreams??

Creating The Best Employee Experience

I want to thank John DiJulius for reminding me of this methodology, plus for our discerning chat about employee experience and customer satisfaction that we had for my Scaling Up Business Podcast. If you want some insights into why leaders need to set the tone and create a workplace where employees feel valued and supported, be sure to check out my conversation with John.?

Also, be sure to get John’s book, The Employee Experience Revolution: Increase Morale, Retain Your Workforce, Drive Business Growth , connect with him on LinkedIn , and subscribe to his podcast, the Customer Service Revolution .??

Listen to episodes of the Scaling Up Business Podcast with Bill Gallagher on your favorite podcast player:?

• Apple Podcasts .
• Spotify .?
• Amazon Music .