One of the biggest challenges many of my clients face is having the right people.
Prior to coaching I'd often hear:
"if only I could find the right people my business would much more profitable"
"I'd have less stress"
"I spend more time managing my people than getting the work done" and more.
Gary's Story
Gary who runs a plumbing business has 5 staff. He was always complaining that they were lazy, didn't use their initiative and would take advantage of him.
We had Gary fill in our Productivity and Leadership Profile which is part of our Masterful Manager's Program. This 360 degree process allows each team member to anonymously answer questions about how they see Gary in many areas including his leadership abilities, communication, organisation etc.
The process also allows Gary to answer the same questions on how he sees himself.
It turned out that Gary thought he was a good boss because he was easy to get along with. However the feedback from his team showed that he wasn't a good leader. The guys needed clear direction...someone to follow. They required a system, guidelines to work within and regular follow-up.
They never had a team meeting to discuss what was working well and how to improve things. The only time a meeting was called was when there was a customer complaint.
The Solutions
Before I share these tips with you, be aware that it is extremely important to hire the right type of people for your business in the first place. Many employers have the 'hire and hope' mentality. After the person has been hired the employer hopes they work out.
1. Regular Performance and Incentive Reviews
Measure your team's achievements on a regular basis. Formally appraise the performance of each individual twice a year. Salary increases, bonuses and incentives should be based on these performance reviews.
2. Weekly Team Meetings
Learn how to run an effective meeting and have these weekly with your team.
Have a set time each week. Ensure the agenda allows for their input. See How to Have Successful Meetings.
3. Personal and Professional Development
Invest regularly in their development, both technical and non-technical skills. The new-found knowledge can be extremely valuable to your business. By learning and developing your people, they will also be more motivated.
4. Develop Your Own Leadership Skills
Turn yourself into a Masterful Manager. There are many skills required to be an effective manager ...delegation, organisation and communication etc.
5. Participating in specific programs such as our Masterful Manager's Intensive Coaching Program will turn you into a powerful leader that gets results and maintains a happy, productive and high performing team.
They never had a team meeting to discuss what was working well and how to improve things. The only time a meeting was called was when there was a customer complaint. All of these challenges soon disappeared when Gary continually implemented the following solutions.
The Final Word
Looking after the people in your business is vital to ensure its ongoing success...whatever 'success' means to you. A happy, skilled and motivated team if managed effectively will have a huge impact on your productivity and profits.
To continue doing the same thing and expecting a different result is the definition of insanity. So if you want to achieve different results, take action today!
Have a great week!
Lorraine Pirihi
How To Turn Your Team Into High Performers - To learn more about this author, visit Lorraine Pirihi's Website.
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Dianne Crampton
Dianne Crampton is an Executive Leadership Coach and Team Building Consultant and creator of the TIGERS team development model. For the past twenty years she has helped leaders and teams achieve goals with high levels of collaboration and teamwork.
Crampton is a published author. Her contribution to Working Together: Diversity As Opportunity was endorsed by Stephen Covey. She has written for trade magazines. Merrill Lynch nominated her business for Inc. Magazine’s regional small business and entrepreneurial awards. Her work with Native Americans was recognized at a United Nations sponsored conference in 1994.
The TIGERS model passed two rigorous validation studies in 1992 and 1994. The TIGERS Survey is able to measure and track team development over time.
Dianne is also the creator and distributor of the TIGERS Team Wheel game. This game helps groups identify behaviors that build collaborative groups and behaviors that cause conflict, morale problems, production failures, and misunderstandings.
For more information, or to subscribe to TigerTracks, a free monthly leadership and team newsletter go to http://www.corevalues.com - Visit Dianne Crampton's Website |
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