“What one relishes, nourishes.” - Poor Richard's Almanack
The year 2025 marks the 250th anniversary of Ben Franklin being appointed Postmaster General by the Second Continental Congress. In 1753, Mr. Franklin had previously been appointed joint Postmaster General by King George III.
Before that, Franklin was a printer and author. Perhaps his most famous work was the yearly Poor Richard’s Almanack, under the pseudonym Richard Saunders. From 1732 to 1758, the pamphlet provided seasonal weather forecasts, puzzles and astronomical information.
What people remember are Franklin’s witty sayings passing along homespun wisdom. Most of us are familiar with: “A penny saved is a penny earned.” Or “Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.”
In celebration of the semiquincentennial anniversary, each month we’ll share one of Franklin’s sayings, along with a translation for the manager of print and mail in the 21st century.
It’s fitting to start with “What one relishes, nourishes.” For today’s managers, this is a reminder that your employees are your greatest asset.
Your employees are usually the first contact with your clients. For in-plants, that includes your internal customers as well as the company’s clients. Your employees receive the inbound mail, processing the correspondence, claims and checks. They respond to internal requests for information and service.
If you run a service bureau, your employees oversee the intake of customer orders – even when there are automated programs in place. If there is a file transfer or processing error, they’re the ones to reach out to clients to resolve the issues. Your customer service department handles inquiries and complaints.
With direct contact with customers – and the daily activities taking place on the shop floor – your employees are valuable resources for information. Software may collect information on customers, files and jobs, but that information is limited. People can better describe the tone of a phone call, the intermittent color issues in print, or poor material performance.
Use daily huddles to listen to your employees. Uncover what is working and what needs to be improved. Hold after-action reviews to determine what changes are needed for better performance in the future. Create an environment where employees are comfortable notifying you of problems – along with suggested solutions.
Good managers know that it’s essential that employees continue to grow throughout their careers. That means training is never-ending. Have employees join in on events put on by Postal Customer Councils and other industry associations. Encourage employees to take advantage of training offered by your company, especially courses on communication and leadership. Also promote professional development outside the company, including online courses.
The more employees learn, they may grow out of their current roles. When appropriate, recommend that they consider opportunities in another department. This may be an chance to continue to grow and advance their careers. Plus, it’s better to lose employees to other departments than to other companies.
Many managers will say the greatest strength of their department or company is their employees.
Following the advice of Ben Franklin, the best leaders take action to nourish that strength and help them grow.
