New Year, New View
(By Dan Simmons)
The new year is here, but have you considered different ideas
and new ways of thinking to help you become more successful
in 2007? The race is on, the goals have
been set, the challenges are before you, and yet you find yourself
with the same staff of employees as last year. So how does it look? Or like Dr. Phil says “So
how’s that working for you?” I
think we’d all like to do better at life and at work,
but how can that be accomplished?
Some might find that everything looks great, but others may
not be so sure. So
here’s a challenge:
“How do you view your current staff/employees so that the outcome
of your objectives for this year exceed your expectations?” That’s right, just looking
at the same situation and the same people in a different manner can
help you to reach your goals and even surpass them.
Your employees as ‘allies’
This concept may seem a bit foreign, but try viewing your
employees as
“allies.” Allies
don’t even have to like each other, but they can have a common
purpose or goal. They might have different ideas,
opinions, and philosophies that don’t always line up, but allies
will work together for the purpose of helping the team. Thinking of your employees as allies
WILL build your team.
As employment guru Dale Dauten states in his latest book, How
Gifted Bosses Hire and De-Hire Their Way to Success, “There
is a commitment not just to an employment relationship,
but to one another, to a lifelong alliance to talent.” This
alliance and this bond between employees can be created
in all industries, from Healthcare to Manufacturing to
Information Technology.
Here’s a suggestion that will help you to build a team
of allies
Spend time with each individual, but not inside the confines
of the office. Take them out to lunch. Something happens when people share
a meal together, in this case, something that will help to
build unity and trust. Depending
upon the size of your staff, this could take a while, but what
you’ll learn along the way will be incredible.
Ask them how they’re doing (and listen carefully to
their answer). Ask them about their family, their
spouse, their children, etc. Eventually,
progress to business-related questions, such as, “If
you could change one thing about your situation here that would
make you more productive or happy, what would it be?” Some of the answers you receive
might deal with the need for more flexible hours, more autonomy
in their current position, more training, additional tools,
a change in role, or even a transfer to a different department.
In addition, ask them about abilities you might not know
about, talents they may have but aren’t using in their
current position. Perhaps you’ll discover hidden
talents in the areas of writing, organization, analysis, technical
abilities, etc. Discover
the strategic and creative traits of your existing employees,
and you may well discover their motivation! Utilize
their talents to fill in the gaps, and watch the energy build
with your team. You’ll
never know unless you ask. Present
these questions in a casual fashion, however. Don’t make it seem as though
you’re unhappy with their present performance.
Express interest in their personal situation, as well as
their professional situation, and how you can help
to improve both. By doing this, you’re showing
that you want to invest in them as employees, which
is very important. Not everybody is looking for more
financial compensation. Most
people want to feel as though they are a valuable part
of the team and that they can contribute to a winning
effort.
And remember, in addition to creating a situation where employees
are happier and more productive, you’re greatly
improving your company’s retention rate at the
same time.
Putting together the pieces
Be sure to write down all of the information that you gather
from these informal lunch sessions. This
information, most of which you probably weren’t
aware of beforehand, is crucial to your future
success. It
contains the pieces of the puzzle, and putting
those pieces together in the correct fashion can
unlock your team’s true potential.
Here’s another tip, one geared toward giving you more
flexibility to put together the best puzzle possible. If you have an employee who would
be better suited in another area of the department
or company or who would be better suited to part-time
hours, hire a contractor or temp worker to fill the
gaps and relieve the pressure. Considering the big picture and
how much more productive your team will be, this
is a wise (and in the long term) low-cost investment
that can pay big dividends.
According to the December 28 issue of Kennedy’s Recruiting Trends newsletter, “When
it comes to reduced load arrangements, there are several
key benefits that your company may reap [from hiring contractors],
including greater productivity, less turnover, cost savings,
and co-worker relationship development.” Utilize
contractors and temporary personnel for not only these
issues, but also to help combat employee burnout. (If you have specific questions
regarding the hiring of contractors, I’d be happy
to answer them for you.)
Anybody can transform a group of employees into a team of
allies—executives, directors, managers, supervisors,
etc. If you can build a united front
with your team members, you’re well on your way to
eclipsing the goals you’ve set for yourself in 2007.
Let’s make it the best year yet!
(Once you believe you have the correct pieces, you’ve
assembled those pieces correctly, and you have
a definite plan of action, then what? How do you implement your plan
and how do you work toward making your employees
true allies? In next month’s issue, we’ll
discuss some of the ways you can accomplish this,
as well as the long-term benefits associated with
maximizing the talents, abilities, and potential
of the employees you currently have on your team.)
©
Copyright 2007 |
