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Give them wings and they will fly

Guest post by: Kool Results

Article Overview: To get the best out of your staff you really have to know them. If you are able to connect with your employees you are going a long way to being a successful manager. Take a typical supervisor, John, in an organisation. Could you answer the following questions about him? Why does John want to work for you? What has been his greatest achievement this year? Does he have a professional goal for 2010? How long has John been working for you? If you are unable to answer any of these questions about one of your own employees then you are probably out of touch with your staff, and out of touch with your business.

Give them wings and they will fly

We know that to get the best out of people they need to feel understood and valued. Are their strengths recognised and appreciated? What are their weaknesses and have you helped to overcome any of these?

When an employee knows his manager believes in him, he is inspired. With the confidence and backing of a mentor or someone in a senior position he has all the motivation he needs to succeed.

So what do you have to do to gain a better understanding of your staff? This is where the coaching approach is useful. As a good manager, you will already have in place annual reviews and performance appraisals. But you need something on a more frequent and perhaps less formal basis, to check in on progress and to allow a two way dialogue.

Maybe schedule a time for the last Friday afternoon of the month when you chat to your employee about what's been going on. What problems have they encountered? Have they succeeded in their targets? Are they making progress on a particular project? Do they have any staff issues on which they need advice? It's a two way process - the employee needs to be open in his approach to you, but, as a manager, you have a duty of care for each member of staff you employ. Use it as an opportunity to mentor and guide your staff member, not to rescue him or to tell him off.

Across the work force I hear business owners and managers groaning at the thought of taking time out to find this space. But it doesn't have to be a long and drawn out chat. Maybe ten minutes every Monday morning will suffice. Or have a regular weekly meeting with key staff members so communication channels are open, and everyone is kept in the picture.

Generation Y is motivated by more than money and they have different demands at work: they want recognition for doing a good job and regular interaction, with less formal ‘appraisals'. But whether it's gen X, Y or Z, everyone needs and deserves feedback and recognition from their boss.

Don't overlook your good people, the competent ones who show initiative. You trust them to do a good job. You leave them to their own devices whilst you deal with the less able or more difficult employees. Good workers love responsibility and the chance to shine, but they also love the pat on the back, the glow from a word of praise. If they see they are appreciated they'll work even harder for you the following week.

Keep in mind your role as a coach, bringing out the best in your staff, and offering them the ability to chat things through. The good ones will respond positively, and take off running. The less able ones will benefit from you empowering them to tackle the next challenge, secure in the knowledge they can come back to you next week for further guidance.

A good leader creates the space to allow each employee the opportunity to grow and to be the best he can.

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Article Tags: Coaching, Gnereation Y, managers



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