First, ask yourself...
As a leader, do you set the right example?
Contrary to what some people might tell you, employees today do want to be committed to the organization. They take pride in going above and beyond. They desire to feel like they are really making a difference and contributing to the success of the company. But 99 times out of 100, they will not feel this way simply out of the blue; it begins with the actions of the leader or manager. Ensuring our employees are fully committed to the organization starts with you. As the leader, show your employees that you are fully committed to doing the same things that you are expecting out of them.
For instance, do you "live" the mission and vision of the company that you so often preach? Are you willing to roll up your sleeves and help out to get the "not so glamorous" work done when you know it will benefit the team? Are you proactively looking for ways to improve your performance? Do you have a positive attitude towards the company? Are you willing to do whatever you have to do in order to satisfy a customer?
Employees can't be told, tricked, forced, manipulated or "managed" into committing to the organization. They must make that choice on their own, but it is up to the leaders to help them make the right choice! As leaders, our actions ALWAYS speak MUCH louder than words. When those around us see that we "practice what we preach," they will be much quicker and more eager to fall in line and be led!
**This week's tip was taken from "Committing to a Common Vision" which is the November session of The Compass Program. Click Here to view the schedule of all 12 sessions for The Compass Program.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Coaching Employees for Success
First, ask yourself...
Do your employees keep coming back to you when faced with the same challenges, over and over?
When you, as a leader, choose to coach your employee rather than simply manage them, you are putting in time and effort to help that employee become better in the long term. The way you can have the biggest impact on the employee when coaching them is by helping them to figure things out, complete tasks, make decisions and accomplish their goals - all through their own efforts, using their own brain!
The best way to put them in a situation to do so is to first, think of all the ways you are always fixing, advising, telling, directing or rescuing them - and stop! When they come to you with a problem (one that you would like them to ultimately be able to solve on their own) or a question (one that you would like them to eventually know the answer to on their own), put the ball back in their court. Help them to figure things out by asking things like: What do you think the solution to this problem is? What resources do you have to accomplish this task? What do you think the best choice would be in this scenario? How else might you get around those obstacles? What is your plan to get it done? What experiences can you draw from in the past that will help you in this situation?
Simply asking questions like these will help you to engage employees in the decision making process, help them to be creative and think outside the box, and help them to take responsibility for getting the job done. But this process takes time, effort and patience on your end, so what are the benefits for you? Simple! You will have more capable employees who have more confidence in themselves, and best of all - the time you spend now being proactive will result in time saved putting out fires and reacting to problems in the future, making you and the team more productive!
**This tip was taken from "Growing by Coaching & Learning" which is the May session of The Compass Program. Click Here to view the schedule of all 12 sessions for The Compass Program.
Do your employees keep coming back to you when faced with the same challenges, over and over?
When you, as a leader, choose to coach your employee rather than simply manage them, you are putting in time and effort to help that employee become better in the long term. The way you can have the biggest impact on the employee when coaching them is by helping them to figure things out, complete tasks, make decisions and accomplish their goals - all through their own efforts, using their own brain!
The best way to put them in a situation to do so is to first, think of all the ways you are always fixing, advising, telling, directing or rescuing them - and stop! When they come to you with a problem (one that you would like them to ultimately be able to solve on their own) or a question (one that you would like them to eventually know the answer to on their own), put the ball back in their court. Help them to figure things out by asking things like: What do you think the solution to this problem is? What resources do you have to accomplish this task? What do you think the best choice would be in this scenario? How else might you get around those obstacles? What is your plan to get it done? What experiences can you draw from in the past that will help you in this situation?
Simply asking questions like these will help you to engage employees in the decision making process, help them to be creative and think outside the box, and help them to take responsibility for getting the job done. But this process takes time, effort and patience on your end, so what are the benefits for you? Simple! You will have more capable employees who have more confidence in themselves, and best of all - the time you spend now being proactive will result in time saved putting out fires and reacting to problems in the future, making you and the team more productive!
**This tip was taken from "Growing by Coaching & Learning" which is the May session of The Compass Program. Click Here to view the schedule of all 12 sessions for The Compass Program.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Providing Excellent Internal Service
First, ask yourself...
Would you like ALL members of your team to collaborate more, to provide BETTER service?
Providing the absolute best service to our customers is complicated. It goes much deeper than simply the interaction a customer might have with their sales rep or the customer service department. For example, how quickly their order is shipped (warehouse), the accuracy of their invoice (AR department), and even the type of greeting they get when entering your facility (receptionist) are all significant parts in the overall level of service.
What was just described is the concept of interdependence,meaning different people (and areas of the company) all contribute towards one end goal, and the quality of their work will ultimately be affected by the quality of the work of others (i.e. if the warehouse is slow with shipments, then the sales rep would have to spend more time on the phone with unhappy customers, rather than prospecting business).
It is vital that all employees not only understand the extreme importance of interdependence, but fully embrace it as well. When everyone considers everyone else as important and a contributing partner, they will be more likely to go above and beyond for each other, they will communicate better (and have less conflict), show a higher level of respect, and ultimately work better as a team. And ultimately, where does all this lead? Better end service to the final, external customer!
Would you like ALL members of your team to collaborate more, to provide BETTER service?
Providing the absolute best service to our customers is complicated. It goes much deeper than simply the interaction a customer might have with their sales rep or the customer service department. For example, how quickly their order is shipped (warehouse), the accuracy of their invoice (AR department), and even the type of greeting they get when entering your facility (receptionist) are all significant parts in the overall level of service.
What was just described is the concept of interdependence,meaning different people (and areas of the company) all contribute towards one end goal, and the quality of their work will ultimately be affected by the quality of the work of others (i.e. if the warehouse is slow with shipments, then the sales rep would have to spend more time on the phone with unhappy customers, rather than prospecting business).
It is vital that all employees not only understand the extreme importance of interdependence, but fully embrace it as well. When everyone considers everyone else as important and a contributing partner, they will be more likely to go above and beyond for each other, they will communicate better (and have less conflict), show a higher level of respect, and ultimately work better as a team. And ultimately, where does all this lead? Better end service to the final, external customer!
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Setting Expectations to help with Productivity
First, ask yourself...
Do expectations (or lack thereof) influence your team's effectiveness or productivity?
Today's organization is run (and structured) much differently than that of years past. Organizations today are MUCH more interdependent - meaning other people and other departments play a role (sometimes a significant one) helping one another accomplish ultimate goals. We interact with more people in many more areas of the organization as well- we are no longer confined to our silos within our respective departments or locations/branches. Finally, it is much more common today to "bounce around" within one company due to broader job descriptions, the desire to have cross-functional skills and employees, and the increase of technology.
The above are just a few reasons why having clear expectations for our teams is so vital. These expectations are referred to as Team Operating Norms (TONs). A few examples of common TONs are: the way members of the team approach conflict, the process for meetings, how we give/receive feedback, and how we communicate with each other.
TONs help to ensure that any new members joining the team (whether the stay will be permanent or simply for a single project) are crystal clear on expectations, and understand how to interact with the other members of the team - especially when the new team members are already used to working and interacting in a DIFFERENT way based on their last job or team. And don't forget, TONs also help to significantly increase productivity, strengthen relationships, and enhance the effectiveness of communication amongst the current members of the team!
Do expectations (or lack thereof) influence your team's effectiveness or productivity?
Today's organization is run (and structured) much differently than that of years past. Organizations today are MUCH more interdependent - meaning other people and other departments play a role (sometimes a significant one) helping one another accomplish ultimate goals. We interact with more people in many more areas of the organization as well- we are no longer confined to our silos within our respective departments or locations/branches. Finally, it is much more common today to "bounce around" within one company due to broader job descriptions, the desire to have cross-functional skills and employees, and the increase of technology.
The above are just a few reasons why having clear expectations for our teams is so vital. These expectations are referred to as Team Operating Norms (TONs). A few examples of common TONs are: the way members of the team approach conflict, the process for meetings, how we give/receive feedback, and how we communicate with each other.
TONs help to ensure that any new members joining the team (whether the stay will be permanent or simply for a single project) are crystal clear on expectations, and understand how to interact with the other members of the team - especially when the new team members are already used to working and interacting in a DIFFERENT way based on their last job or team. And don't forget, TONs also help to significantly increase productivity, strengthen relationships, and enhance the effectiveness of communication amongst the current members of the team!
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Promote Open Communication With Your Employees!
First, ask yourself...
Would you like your employees to feel more encouraged to share their ideas and opinions?
We are all familiar with the concept of "walking the talk" which means to follow through on what we say because in reality, our actions speak louder than words. As leaders, it is vital to walk the talk when it comes to promoting the idea of "open" communication, because when our actions do not mirror our words, dramatic negative fallout can occur. When employees feel that they cannot approach their manager with a question, concern, or simply to challenge something they don't agree with, the following are likely to happen: more long-term conflicts will take place, innovation will be stifled, reactive attitudes will form instead of proactive ones, and there will be a lack of trust within relationships.
If an environment of honest, open communication is something we desire to have, we can't simply just talk about it; employees must see it taking place, and it starts with us, as leaders, actively promoting it. Actions such as proactively soliciting feedback (even if we know it might not be all wonderful compliments), encouraging others to play devil's advocate (especially to our opinions), and commending others for proposing ideas that might be different from ours will show that we actually mean what we say about open, honest dialogue.
Taking these proactive steps makes it clear to the others on the team that their opinions matter and that we value what they bring to the table - likely resulting in an increased level of employee engagement and sense of ownership.
**This tip was taken from "Promoting Open & Healthy Dialogue" which is the October session of The Compass Program. Click Here to view the schedule of all 12 sessions for The Compass Program.
Would you like your employees to feel more encouraged to share their ideas and opinions?
We are all familiar with the concept of "walking the talk" which means to follow through on what we say because in reality, our actions speak louder than words. As leaders, it is vital to walk the talk when it comes to promoting the idea of "open" communication, because when our actions do not mirror our words, dramatic negative fallout can occur. When employees feel that they cannot approach their manager with a question, concern, or simply to challenge something they don't agree with, the following are likely to happen: more long-term conflicts will take place, innovation will be stifled, reactive attitudes will form instead of proactive ones, and there will be a lack of trust within relationships.
If an environment of honest, open communication is something we desire to have, we can't simply just talk about it; employees must see it taking place, and it starts with us, as leaders, actively promoting it. Actions such as proactively soliciting feedback (even if we know it might not be all wonderful compliments), encouraging others to play devil's advocate (especially to our opinions), and commending others for proposing ideas that might be different from ours will show that we actually mean what we say about open, honest dialogue.
Taking these proactive steps makes it clear to the others on the team that their opinions matter and that we value what they bring to the table - likely resulting in an increased level of employee engagement and sense of ownership.
**This tip was taken from "Promoting Open & Healthy Dialogue" which is the October session of The Compass Program. Click Here to view the schedule of all 12 sessions for The Compass Program.
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