Story of a company whose founders who wanted to integrate their faith and their work.
In the typical American company, less than one third of the employees are fully engaged in their work, half do enough to get by, and one fifth are actively disengaged. Imagine the possibities in a company where even half of the employees are fully engaged.
One such company is Reell Precision Manufacturing outside St. Paul, Minnesota. A manufacturer of hinges and clutches, Reell (a German word meaning "honest" or "trustworthy") was founded in 1970 by three men who wanted to integrate their faith and their work. By the turn of the century, it had grown to 225 employees and is now thriving, with annual revenues of over $25 million.
Reell's employee orientation and training focuses on values. Co-workers (Reell's name for employees) hear, in the orientation sessions, about Reell's commitment to promote their growth and development and to contribute to the common good. They hear about Reell's commitment to "Do what is right, even when it does not seem to be profitable, expedient, or conventional." They then see these commitments in action when they receive Reell's TET (Teach, Equip, Trust) training.
"Teach, Equip, Trust comes from the perspective that people are inherently good and inherently want to do a good job and that if they're not doing a good job, it's probably because they haven't been taught properly, not because of some fundamental lack of motivation," explains retired co-CEO Bob Carlson. "A lot of it is really focused on freeing people. We try to remove the obstacles for people to be excellent. Let them know that they really have the freedom to go out and do the best job they can."
The training focuses on giving people the tools they need to do their jobs and then letting them know they can ask for help whenever they need it, knowing that those they ask for help will be glad to give it. Thus, in addition to offering job skill training, TET imparts the culture of Reell.
Co-workers learn that asking for help is seen as a positive trait, not a weakness. They learn that they are being liberated to be their best selves and that they will be trusted to do that. The result of this freedom and trust, remarkably, is discipline. Carlson admits, "One of the things that continues to amaze me is how this company is self-disciplined. When somebody does go astray, it rarely comes to management. Peers self-discipline. Everybody enforces the standards."
Bob Wahlstedt, one of Reell's co-founders, echoes this perspective: "The biggest misconception of American manufacturers is the belief that production workers are not dependable and must be motivated and/or constrained to do quality work. We have been amazed by the self-motivation and dedication to quality and productivity that they demonstrate when they are freed to develop and use their full potential."
By focusing on values and walking their talk, Reell Precision Manufacturing has discovered how to build employee engagement and, as a consequence, improve quality and productivity.
Dr. Margaret Benefiel, Ph.D., author of "Soul at Work: Spiritual Leadership in Organizations" (from which this column is drawn), works with healthcare leaders, nonprofits, and Fortune 500 companies to help them develop spiritual leadership. Contact her by email at
