Lock maker Kryptonite is tough on crime, but tender when it comes to its employees. That's a philosophy championed by CEO Gary Furst, a former elementary school teacher who learned " from a very early age that relationships matter. "
" You really need to find innovative, provocative and fun ways to motivate people, " he says. " Work can either be a drag or a lot of fun. "
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A 30-year-old company, Kryptonite makes locks for bicycles, other recreational gear and even laptops, and employs 70 people in its suburban Boston headquarters. This is where Furst, company President Peter Zane and founder Michael Zane practice what they preach when it comes to employee motivation.
" We're in a fierce labor market despite the slowing down of the economy, " Furst says. " It's very tough to be in Boston and keep people. If your only way of trying to do it is through the pocketbook, there's always going to be someone else out there who can support bigger salaries and benefits. "
So Kryptonite takes another approach. The top three executives meet a couple of times a month outside the office to brainstorm on ways to keep their folks motivated and striving to reach company goals. One of their favorite efforts involves costumes. Furst, accompanied by a bagpiper, passed out bonus checks one day dressed up - kilt, facepaint and all - as Scotsman William Wallace from the movie " Braveheart. " The trio have also dressed up as women and dyed their hair green, held game shows and hired musicians, magicians and comedians to entertain the troops during fun activities and events.
" We dress up a lot, " Furst says. " I was a frustrated performer when I was in high school and college, and my partners certainly are not shy about dressing up and playing different parts. First and foremost, we want this to be a different kind of place. "
Here are some of Kryptonite's other efforts in that vein:
* Summer family events. " Instead of just having a picnic or doing the normal stuff, we come up with two teams and have a fierce competition, " Furst says. " We have a lot of funny events for all ages. We make up a lot of games. "
* Children's holiday party and Easter egg hunt.
* Car wash. Last year, after a record month, the company wanted to do something different. Furst says the senior management team held a barbecue and brought in an ice cream truck for the employees. And while everyone was enjoying the food, the senior management team washed everyone's cars - about 50 in all, he says. " People really appreciated that, " he says. " You have to do stuff that is not expected. You have to constantly keep people guessing, and you have to constantly change the rules and make it interesting. "
* Breakfasts and barbecues. The senior management team also has cooked St. Patrick's Day breakfast for their folks, and they hold every-other-Friday barbecues in the summer.
* Steak and lobster. To celebrate 5 years of no lost time due to accidents, the company held a steak-and-lobster feast last August.
Next week, we'll provide more examples of Kryptonite's innovative employee motivation and appreciation efforts, and tell you what you can do to improve such efforts at your company.
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Melissa Shaw is managing editor of Network World. She can be reached at mshaw@nww.com.
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