Service Express, Inc. (SEI), headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan, provides maintenance for…

Service Express, Inc. (SEI), headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan, provides maintenance for critical computer hardware, such as the servers that run companies’ data processing and the storage units that keep data secure but accessible. Its customers include hospitals, universities, banks, manufacturing companies, and other organizations in more than a dozen states, and employees travel to the customers’ work sites. This type of work requires people who are dependable, technically skilled, and committed to responsive, fast service. SEI attracts, equips, and keeps such employees with a

»Service Express, Inc. (SEI), headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan, provides maintenance for critical computer hardware, such as the servers that run companies’ data processing and the storage units that keep data secure but accessible. Its customers include hospitals, universities, banks, manufacturing companies, and other organizations in more than a dozen states, and employees travel to the customers’ work sites. This type of work requires people who are dependable, technically skilled, and committed to responsive, fast service. SEI attracts, equips, and keeps such employees with a vision that is unusual for a business: to “work with our employees to help them achieve their personal, professional, and financial goals.” What is unusual is that the company puts the employees’ goals first. The perspective goes back to the company’s founder, who realized that the value placed on helping employees achieve their goals attracted people with similar values, and they in turn focused on helping customers achieve their goals. To put the vision into practice, SEI managers hold twice-yearly Vision Talks with each of their employees, starting with the employee’s first day on the job. During these meetings, the employee shares or updates his or her goals, working with the manager to identify how the company can enable the employee to achieve the goals. The company trains managers in how to conduct the Vision Talks effectively, recognizing that employees will need to build trust before they start sharing personal goals. During the talks, managers help the employees shape general ideas into measurable and attainable goals. These become part of a personal development plan, updated quarterly, which also includes objectives for training, project completion, and so on. Occasionally, managers identify goals that can be tied to a business opportunity: for example, an employee who wants to move to another state can be part of a business expansion into that state, or an employee who wants to build something from the ground up can lead a new business line. A dramatic example involves a salesperson who had no interest in management, so he focused on developing sales skills. At one point, his manager asked the salesperson to help train and coach a newer employee, and the salesperson discovered that he found it satisfying to help another person succeed. He set a new goal to become a manager—and eventually became vice president of sales. Questions 1. How does the description of careers at Service Express fit the chapter’s description of a protean career? What is the role of employee development in this context? 2. Suppose SEI continues growing and asks you to advise management on how to maintain its focus on employee development. Suggest two or three development methods from the chapter, and explain why you recommend each.

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