Tuesday, we looked at the first 6 elements from the book, 12: The Elements of Great Managing.
Following is a paraphrase of the remaining 6 elements:
7. My opinion seems to count. If you aren’t soliciting your employees for regular feedback, you are missing out on great opportunities to improve your business. Start today with a simple, confidential survey: What should we start doing, stop doing, do more of and do less of? Then immediately fix some of the easy problems and begin to address the more complex ones. By asking for feedback on a regular basis and then demonstrating you are listening, by making changes, the quality and participation in your surveys will improve. It’s win-win.
8. I am connected to the mission of the company. Do you involve your employees in your strategic planning processes? You should. Again, solicit feedback and then utilize some of that feedback as you plan the company’s course. Then, communicate back to the troops some of the company’s goals, and more important the employees’ specific accountability’s to help the company achieve its overall goals.
9. My coworkers are committed to doing quality work. No one likes to carry their fellow employee, especially during times like these. Make sure you are hiring superstars who will not only perform, but mix with your team and culture. Then, coach and train them to success or re-direct their career. DO NOT HOLD ON TO UNDER PERFORMING EMPLOYEES, THEY WILL ONLY BRING DOWN THE REST OF YOUR TEAM!
10. I have a best friend at work. Most productivity experts would probably say this is counter intuitive to higher productivity…creating more breaks, water cooler talk etc. But, one need not look far to recognize that humans are hungry for connection. (i.e. Facebook, Twitter, etc.) Look for ways to create these types of interactions through after-hours gatherings, online forums, etc.
11. We talk about progress. Regularly appraise your talent and help them develop improvement plans that will allow them to earn that next raise or promotion. Although there will always be minimum expectations…if you’ve done many performance reviews, you surely know that employees tend to become hyper-sensitive around any negative comment. So, always seek to maximize and focus on their strengths and minimize their weaknesses.
12. I have opportunities to learn and grow. You must cultivate a learning organization. Encourage your employees to keep learning and looking for ways to do things better, faster and cheaper. Need some ideas, try starting a book club to discuss interesting business books and bring in outside coaches and speakers to conduct workshops.
So where exactly does higher productivity and profits fit in to all of this? Well, according to Gallup, teams in the top 25% are 3 times more likely to succeed as those in the bottom 25%, averaging 18% higher productivity and 12% higher profitability. What would that do to your business if you increased productivity by nearly 20%? That’s like adding a free work-day to each and every week. And what would your bottom line look like if you took home an additional 12 cents from ever 1 dollar? If you are a $1,000,000 business, that could mean an additional $120,000 in profits. Wow! Have you ordered the book yet?
As with all books I review here, I highly recommend your investment of time and money in this one!
Answer…through more engaged employees!
How do you maintain and increase employee engagement, that is, how do you keep your employees passionate about your company’s goals and maintain morale, productivity and performance? Based on more than 10 million employee and manager interviews conducted by the Gallup Organization, 12: The Elements of Great Managing offers some concrete thoughts and ideas.
Here’s a paraphrase of the first 6 elements from 12 Elements:
1. I know what is expected of me. This includes not only a detailed job description, but the specific accountability’s or results expected for an employee to maintain employment. Once again, clarity is the starting point!
2. I have the materials and equipment I need to do my job. Cost cutting goes straight to the bottom line, but be discriminatory in your cutting and make sure your employees have both the supplies and the tools to do their jobs safely and right!
3. I have the opportunity to do what I do best. Hopefully you have hiring practices in place that allow you to get the right people on your company’s bus. The next step is to make sure you get those same top performers in the right seat. Yes, coach them to minimize their weaknesses, but find positions that allow them to maximize their strengths and demonstrate their areas of excellence.
4. I receive recognition and praise. Catch your employees doing the right thing and often. Remember the adage to praise in public and criticize in private.
5. Someone at work cares about me as a person. As a manager, you have to be careful not to get into collusion with your employees, that is get too friendly to objectively manage them. But take an interest in their personal lives and struggles, especially if you note a drop in performance, attendance, etc. Are they experiencing additional struggles at home due to our current economy? Outside of a raise, anything you can do to help?
6. Someone at work encourages my development. Hopefully you are coaching your employees to success, but during challenging times like today, this is even more important. Can’t give a raise, find ways to help your employee grow, both personally and professionally.
I’ll be back later in the week with Part 2 and Elements 7-12.
