{"id":1202,"date":"2018-12-11T12:00:56","date_gmt":"2018-12-11T12:00:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.uniontrack.com\/blog\/?p=1202"},"modified":"2018-12-11T12:58:43","modified_gmt":"2018-12-11T12:58:43","slug":"business-practices","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uniontrack.com\/blog\/business-practices","title":{"rendered":"5 Business Practices that Unions Can Adopt to Thrive"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ken Green
\nCEO\/Founder
\nUnionTrack, Inc.<\/a><\/p>\n

At a time when the very existence of unions is being threatened by anti-union legislation and declining membership in the United States, labor leaders can look to businesses for insights on how to survive. <\/p>\n

Of course, it can feel strange to seek inspiration from the very organizations you contend with. But businesses and unions can share similar strategies, even when the union is fighting against the company for workers’ rights.<\/p>\n

Below are five things unions can learn from businesses about thriving in the face of adversity.<\/p>\n

Create a Culture of Engagement<\/h2>\n

Businesses regularly face tough economic times. The companies that weather these storms are the ones that engender loyalty among employees, who want to see the company succeed. By actively creating a culture of engagement, businesses can tap into that support before tough times arrive. <\/p>\n

This is exactly what Gerry Anderson<\/a>, CEO of DTE Energy in Detroit, did to avoid laying off employees during the Great Recession. Anderson recognized the need to get employees to believe in something bigger and rally behind the company. He saw positive results when DTE Energy created the culture that allowed those things to happen.<\/p>\n

Labor unions can also benefit from this mindset, especially during these tough times that are seeing a rise in right-to-work laws and a decrease in union membership. Paul Clark<\/a>, director of Penn State\u2019s School of Labor and Employment Relations, argues that for unions to be successful members have to be connected and engaged. For most organizations, this engagement often hinges on finding some sort of common symbol of support. For example, DTE Energy got behind the rallying cry of no layoffs during the recession, giving employees a reason to connect with the company. \u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople are often members of a union and don\u2019t feel a real connection to the union,\u201d says Stuart Appelbaum<\/a>, president of the Retail, Wholesale, and Department Store Union. This lack of connection is dangerous when times get tough for organized labor.<\/p>\n

Union leaders should be focused on creating a culture that engages and energizes their membership. By harnessing this energy, they can turn members into ambassadors that help sustain and grow union membership.<\/p>\n

\"talking<\/p>\n

Diversify Your Marketing Tactics<\/h2>\n

Marketing plays a key role in a business\u2019s success. After all, if nobody knows what the company\u2019s product or service is or does, then the company won\u2019t stay in business for long.<\/p>\n

Getting the word out in the most effective way is often the biggest challenge for companies. It requires an intimate knowledge of customers and creating the right mix of marketing tactics to reach those customers. It is extremely rare that one approach to marketing will be enough to reach all potential customers.<\/p>\n

The most successful companies reach a variety of audiences in a variety of ways. These tactics work together to tell the same brand story and move toward a common goal, explains Lisa Allocca<\/a>, co-founder and president of Red Javelin Communications.<\/p>\n

This is useful intel for unions. If struggling to grow membership, unions should evaluate how they are marketing the advantages of membership and develop new outreach tactics that tell the union\u2019s story. Beyond meetings, here are some ways that unions can better market themselves to both members and non-members:<\/p>\n