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Did
you jump out of bed this morning before your alarm went off thinking “I
can’t wait to go to work today!”? Or, did you hit the snooze alarm
multiple times before you dragged yourself out of bed and to the shower?
Once you arrived at work, how many employees had called in sick? Was their
illness physical? Or, are they ill with an attitude virus?
As the number of qualified workers shrinks, we need to focus on being places
where people look forward to coming to work, being bosses staff are thrilled
to work for and ways to keep our employees engaged, challenged, fulfilled
and ready to move up. A tall task, yes, yet not impossible.
Employee development does not just happen all by itself. It takes the
deliberate and consistent efforts of employees with guidance and support
from their managers. If either party does not participate, the
employee will not develop and your organization will suffer the consequences
of not having the qualified employees needed to meet future challenges.
Before we can create a work place where people love to work, we need to know
what is important to people in a work place, boss and job. The most
obvious way to discover the answers is to ask employees what their
expectations are. Yet, it is surprising to me how few managers do so.
I hear: “I don’t have enough time.” “They won’t tell me the truth
anyway.” “I can’t do anything to change things, so why ask?”
These managers have an external locus of control attitude. They have
given their power to others. And, responsibility and accountability,
in my opinion. If you have these kinds of thoughts, I encourage you to
adopt an internal attitude of control. As Dr. Viktor Frankl so
eloquently teaches us in his landmark book, Man’s Search for Meaning¹, our
attitude is totally up to us. Those with an internal position of
control believe they determine what happens to them. And, they act
that way too. They also are the bosses employees want to work with!
Knowing you CAN make a difference, how do you keep yourself and your
employees energized and ready to progress in their careers? Despite what
most think, and many say, money is rarely the primary motivator for people
in professional occupations. It may initially attract people, yet will
not keep them. It’s the intangibles that most often make a positive
impact on employees’ choices of where to work. In Sweden, the words
for business, “naerings liv” translate “nourishment for life.” Since we
spend more than half our waking hours at or commuting to work, it is
imperative to provide sustenance for employees in addition to a job to do
and a safe place to work.
One of the best ways I have found to keep employees nourished, productive
and happy is for managers to sit down with employees, when they first start
the job, and on a regular basis afterwards, to discuss their work
expectations. Work expectations are the key drivers of attitude, which
impact our thoughts, feelings and behavior, which in turn affect our
performance, commitment and job satisfaction. The days when we sat
down with employees only once each year to discuss their performance and
goals are gone forever. Generation X’rs in particular, want to know
how they are doing on a continuous basis. Most people are
conscientious and want to do a good job. Their work is very important
to them. Consistent, persistent feedback is critical for their
continued good performance. Make sure your employees understand this
discussion is a two way street. Schedule sessions in advance when
possible and encourage them too be prepared for your time together.
Take time to chat with your employees. It does not always have to be a
formal meeting. Maybe just share conversation over a cola or coffee.
Or take a walk and talk. During these sessions, find out what they
need from you and how you can help them do the best job possible. Ask
them what challenges they are facing and how they think the situation can
best be resolved. A great question to ask is: “What one thing can I do
to make your job better?” Be sure to listen and do what they ask when
possible. If it is not practical or possible, be sure to let them now
why it is not. This is also a great time to share with the employee(s)
one thing she can do that would make your job run more smoothly.
Today’s employees, especially Gen X’rs, desire autonomy on the job.
They want to have input into their goals and to decide how they will achieve
them. They want to be able to express their viewpoints and use their
knowledge and skills to impact their work environment. Allow people to
use their creativity to make their jobs more interesting and to solve
problems. I am always amazed when someone suggests a new way to do
something that is so simple that it has been overlooked for years. I
recently worked with a physician’s office to improve customer service and
employee morale. One of their stumbling blocks was the difficulty for
the staff and doctors to know what was happening with a patient.
Sometimes lab work was missed or a patient was kept waiting as the doctor
did not see the results he needed before diagnosing the person. During
my discussion with the employees, one of the techs suggested color-coding
the charts to indicate the status of things with each patient. In less
than one month using this new process they were able to decrease overtime by
25%. And, their customer response surveys showed a 70% increase in
satisfaction three months later! By allowing independence where possible,
you provide opportunity for each employee to better see the impact they have
on the department and organization. Additionally, you create an
environment for learning and growth.
Lastly, be a coach rather than a manager to your employees. Management
is fundamentally about control – getting the employee to do what you want
done. It is too often a power-oriented approach. Coaching is
strength oriented and focuses on bringing out the best is each person.
Coaching focuses on pulling a person forward by expanding their vision of
themselves as well as drawing out their strengths. Look for teachable
moments where you can explain, engage and enlighten rather than tell or
criticize. I call this my “discovery way of teaching” as I use
questions, particularly those starting with “What…?” to help the person
learn by unraveling the motivation behind his actions. Sort of like
teaching the person to fish (learn) rather than giving him the fish (your
answers!)
“You cannot teach a person anything. You can only help them to
discover it within themselves.”
--- Galileo Galilei
As a boss, you can make a positive difference for your employees. More
than ever before, take time to talk with your employees. Remind them
of their value to you, your department and the organization. And, the
organization’s value to their careers. Remember not all people have
your or even the same motivations. Learn to manage each person
differently, appreciating the unique individual she is. Care about
your people and take a personal interest in their lives. Remind your
employees it is their responsibility to identify and communicate to you
their work expectations and career aspirations. It is your role as the
manager to be aware of future needs, to remain alert to development
opportunities and to facilitate your employees’ growth and advancement.
How do you measure up?
_________________________________________
References
1. Frankl, Viktor; Man’s Search for Meaning, Third Edition, Simon &
Schuster, 1984
Nancy Riesz, MBA, is an inter-personal effectiveness expert who teaches
people to work together … better. Through her presentations, seminars,
coaching, and writing she works with organizations to create places where
people want to come to work, with bosses they love to work for, and do what
they do best. Nancy can be reached at
Nancy@SuccessCatalyst.com or
visit her Web site at
www.SuccessCatalyst.com.
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