Kronos CEO Aron Ain shares secrets that keep his people working inspired

On January 7, 2009, the day after IT company Kronos laid off over 250 of his employees (whom he affectionately calls Kronites), CEO Aron Arin stood before his remaining workeds and spoke from his heart.

"It's no one's fault that we're in the position we're in," he said. "To lead the company responsibly and to protect the jobs of the vast majority of Kronites, we simply have to resize our workforce to our business."

With then declining quarterly revenues in the midst of an uncertain economy, and after exploring all possible alternatives to downsizing, the head company opted to publicly lay his heart bare. When the crisis had passed, Kronos and its employees emerged stronger and better positioned for growth, secure in the knowledge that theit management, as exemplified by its CEO, stands for honesty and and transparency.

These are among the principles imparted by Ain in his book WorkInspired: How to Build an Organization Where Everyone Loves to Work. His management lessons were built from years of work experience in Kronos: from 1979 when he joined the company started by his brother when he was fresh out of college, to 2005 when he took over as CEO, to 2009 when his company had to downsize, and to the present in which the 5,500-strong billion-dollar company has garnered notable recognitions such as Glassdoor’s 100 Best Places to Work, Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For, Forbes’s America’s Best Employers, and the Boston Globe’s Top Places to Work.

While "Our employees are our greatest asset" is getting to be cliche, Ain challenges leaders to embody this saying by putting their employees first.

Ain's philosophy is mostly concerned about the behavior of leaders and how they help build and shape corporate culture. Among the best practices he advocates are trusting and empowering employees, holding managers accountable, allowing employees flexible schedules and vacation time (Kronos is among the few companies that implemented open vacation time for employees), giving employees space to develop ideas and take reasonable risks, and empowering the next generation workforce through meaningful internships and charitable efforts.

Ain closely links business strategy, the work of a CEO, to creating and nourishing a great work environment. A clear sense of direction from corporate leadership, a deep understanding of what the company is trying to accomplish as well as appreciation for their contribution to the overall effort, all help foster a committed and engaged workforce that can only be good for customers and shareholders.

I found many of Ain's best practices down-to-earth and common-sense, so much so that I wonder why these are not more closely followed. Honesty and authenticity from leaders are still seen as a rarity, with many corporate heads trying to maintain a veneer of perfection or polish that undermine trust from their team members. The effect of this open and trusting relationship between management and workforce are significant: Kronites are not abusing their open vacation time policy, nor are the star performers being lured away by other companies despite being in a talent hungry industry, among others.

Ain's book is the latest in a long line of management advice / business leadership memoirs. What it brings to the table is a mirror by which leaders should look at themselves.

WorkInspired: How to Build an Organization Where Everyone Loves to Work, published by McGraw Hill Education,will be released on October 9, 2018. It is currently available for pre-order on Amazon.com.

Disclosures:

I received a free copy of this book to review but I was not financially compensated in any way. The opinions expressed in this post are my own and are based on my observations and reactions while reading.