Most of us have experienced how powerful it can be when an employee manages up a company and its products. We’ve all had a server say something like: “We’re known for our incredible steaks. Our chef Marco is a master at cooking steaks and finding the perfect sides to pair with them. And you must try the fresh watermelon and feta salad!”

Or we’ve been in a clothing boutique and had a salesperson say: “Let me show you these new textured twill jackets we just got in. Elaina—that’s our buyer—has a real gift for finding the best fabrics at the most reasonable prices. I am so excited to show these to my favorite customers!”

Chances are, you not only went with the recommended meal or purchased the jacket, you also felt good about your decision. And you probably felt great about the business, told your friends about it, and looked forward to coming back again. Now, imagine how amazing it would be if you and your employees represented the company this way all the time, 24/7.

You might be thinking, Of course the server and the salesperson said good things about their company and product. They wanted to sell something. Well, yes. That’s the point. As leaders and employees we need to make it our business to always be “selling” the company, whether we’re talking to a coworker, a customer, or even a friend outside work. Not in an overly promotional or manipulative way, but in an authentically positive one.

All of us, whatever our role or leadership status, need to think of ourselves as company ambassadors. It’s in our best interest to share positivity, not cynicism. People are drawn to our company because they want to be part of something positive. If we honestly can’t contribute to this kind of experience, we may need to ask ourselves why we are choosing to work here in the first place.

In my work with communities I find people can be negative at times about where they live. This always surprises me. I don’t think people realize how damaging it is to verbally tear down their community. In many cases it’s just a bad habit they’ve fallen into. But how can they expect to attract investors and great talent to make their community better if they don’t have good things to say? And if that’s how they feel, why are they choosing to live there?

This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be aware of challenges and work to make improvements. Of course we should. But in general, we should be more focused on the positive aspects than the negatives and we should be eager to talk about them to others. What we say about our company actually plays a huge role in creating its brand.

In other words, we (leaders and employees) should always seek to manage up our company, the people who work there, and the customers who buy from us. Managing up simply means positioning others in the best possible light. Employees can manage up the boss, the boss can manage up employees, and everyone can manage up the organization. Managing up is a hugely important skill and you can’t be a good ambassador without it.

So what are the benefits of being a good ambassador? Most obviously, when we manage up the company and its products and services it helps us make more sales. It helps customers feel less anxious about their purchase (especially if they’re spending a lot of money) and they’re more pleasant to deal with. All of this leads to repeat customers who refer others and who generate positive word of mouth.

When leaders manage up the company to employees, it reassures them that they are in a good place. It builds the brand in their mind. Not only does it help them feel good about working there, it gives them the language to manage up the organization to others.

Positive ambassadorship creates the kind of culture that attracts and retains great talent. High performers want to work where it’s obvious that employees are thriving and happy. When potential job candidates hear employees saying great things about a company, they naturally want to be part of it. Especially at a time when talented people have lots of employment options, we all need to think of ourselves as recruiters.

Finally, being positive about your company just feels better—to you and to those you interact with, whether they’re fellow employees, customers, or even strangers. People respond to positivity. It raises our energy, makes us happier and more pleasant to be around, draws others to us, improves our relationships, and opens the floodgates to greater creativity.

Here are some ways leaders can be a positive ambassador for your company and teach employees to do the same:

• Be a world-class noticer. Look for things that are going well to manage up. Some opportunities to manage up are obvious. You can manage up the organization and its employees when you get a new client or hit a key goal. But train yourself to look for little day-to-day moments as well: when a customer praises a staff member, when someone stays late to finish a project, when a project team hits a tight deadline. Don’t pass up an opportunity to accentuate the positive. Others may notice and start doing it, too, but don’t count on that; make managing up part of your training. The idea is to get everyone in the habit so that it becomes a natural part of your culture.
• Set the right example for employees. Ask yourself honestly: Do I send positive messages about the company? If not, vow to change that right now. Get in the habit of being your company’s most vocal cheerleader. Frequently say how happy you are to be working there. Manage up coworkers and employees when you introduce them to others (“This is Michelle. She is the best accountant I’ve ever worked with!”) and speak highly of them at all times. When you are consistently positive, employees will follow your lead.
• Don’t fake it. People can tell when you do. Instead, find authentic bright spots you can feel good about and focus on them. When I meet with a community or a business, I like to kick things off by asking them to focus on bright spots. What are the top three reasons they love their community? What are three reasons this is a great company to work for? They almost always come up with lots of examples and it really shifts the mood. This exercise always raises the energy level in the room and people immediately get in a creative and productive mind-set.
• Teach employees to avoid the “we/they” trap. If you’ll recall from Chapter 23, we/theyism occurs when we position ourselves in a positive light by making someone else the “heavy.” An employee might say, “Sorry, the people in that branch are always slow to respond. I’ll handle it for you!” Explain to employees that this may make a customer feel better about you but it will make them feel worse about the company. Far better to cheerfully take ownership of the situation and help the customer, and maybe offer an apology, without any negative commentary about anyone else. We need to function as a unified organization, not a divided one.
• Make sure everyone is well-trained in sending the right messages to customers. Employees may fall back on practices like we/they and other bad habits simply because they’ve never been taught the right way to interact with customers. Give them the right tools and they’ll say the right things. For example, teach them to manage up coworkers—and provide key words and phrases to use as appropriate—and to narrate processes so the customer always knows what’s going on. If you give them the words, they will be much more likely to use them.
• For example: “When we take your dog into the grooming salon we will give him a treat and allow him plenty of time to get acclimated. We only use safe, nontoxic shampoos and other products. Oh, and we always match each dog with a well-trained and professionally certified groomer experienced in working with that particular breed.” Not only does all of this alleviate customer anxiety, it leaves the customer feeling good about your company.
• Don’t just tell employees to be good company ambassadors. Explain the “why.” Usually when people understand the “why” they are far more likely to do what you’re asking them to do. Help them connect the dots that when they speak positively about the company or manage up a coworker, and customers will be more pleasant to serve . . . and they’ll make more sales . . . and the company will make more money . . . and they will have a more secure job. Don’t assume they already know this. They may not—and even if they do, we all need a reminder at times.
• Reward and recognize those who practice positive ambassadorship. This can be as simple as just saying publicly, “I’d like to thank Marcus for representing our company so well. One of his regular customers, Mrs. Davidson, told me that she does business with us because he is always smiling and makes her feel like he and the company care about her as an individual.” Recognized behavior gets repeated. Also, by drawing attention to high performers you encourage others to watch and emulate them.
• You might consider asking the CEO to recognize high performers and positive ambassadors as well. This is a way of managing up the CEO and the employee simultaneously. The CEO feels good about the employee, the employee feels good about the CEO, and they both feel good about you. It’s a win-win-win.
• Emphasize the importance of managing up the company while off the clock as well. Tell employees: “When you’re out in the community, be positive about your company and its products. People will hear what you say and they will remember.” The truth is, you never know who is at the next table and what their connection might be to the company, a leader or coworker, or a client. Employees need think of themselves as representatives of the company and behave accordingly, 24/7.
• Give them the tools to represent the company in public. For example, you might have tee shirts printed up with your company’s name on them so employees can represent your brand outside of work. In fact, if you hold a competition where employees submit creative or funny designs, people will be more likely to want to wear them.
• Make all employees unofficial salespeople. Encourage them to hand out business cards. You might also give them nice-looking promotional pieces to keep in their car “just in case,” and you can help them develop a brief positive elevator speech about what your company does. When you arm people with tools they need to be positive ambassadors, they’ll do it.
• Teach employees to be very, very careful what they post on social media. Make it clear: even worse than venting in a public place is venting about the company on Facebook or any other social media site. (Even veiled negative statements like “Some people need to learn to appreciate their employees!” can be destructive.) Not only might the boss see an online rant, so might a customer or potential customer who just happens to Google your name.

Most of us have good intentions. We don’t go around badmouthing our boss, coworkers, or clients. But everyone can have a slip-up now and then if we’re not careful. We need to always keep in mind that our company’s future and our own future are intertwined. Not only should we refrain from saying negative things, we should look for opportunities to say good things.

When you look for ways to focus on the positive and to manage up others, you will find them. And they will ripple outward, creating more opportunities. Get in the habit of thinking this way and help employees do the same. If everyone in the company were to take just one small step toward being a positive ambassador, together we could make a huge difference in how our communities and customers see our company.