ARE YOU MANAGING FOR RESULTS
ARE YOU MANAGING FOR RESULTS
Everyone seems to be looking for tips and tricks on how to motivate everyone else. The problem is that you cannot motivate anyone. All you can do is create an environment that creates motivation. One of the keys to doing so is being a good manager and working hard to earn an “A’ in all the areas of the above responsibilities. My responsibility as Executive Coach is to earn an “A” helping you to do so.
It is essential that every employee from the janitor to the CEO be able to answer the following five questions. They are the foundation for optimal performance in your company. Before I list the questions, I would like to add the caveat that I am presuming you have hired the right people.
5 Key Questions
- Why am I here?
- What is expected of me?
- How am I doing?
- What is in it for me?
- Where do I go for help?
Why am I here?
This appears to be a simple and harmless question. The typical answers you will hear are along the lines of “to make money,” or a functional person such as salesperson may respond “to sell as much business as possible.” This is only partially correct and is addressed in question number 2. Step one is to make sure that everyone in your company knows and lives the company’s vision.
Every employee has the responsibility to contribute toward achieving the company’s vision. Vision-driven organizations far outperform the rest! The vision is your purpose. It is that need you are serving in the marketplace. By selecting a unique, exciting, and compelling purpose, you energize your workforce. The vision excites everyone about the possibilities that currently do not exist. They are trying to be different, and this creates energy and inspires action.
What is expected of me?
At first the answer seems obvious; then, we find ourselves needing to consider the following:
- What is the communication style of the employee?
- What are the key company and department priorities this year?
- What outcomes are most wanted from this position?
- What employee behaviors are desired?
- Are the other team members’ objectives supportive and aligned?
- What do our customers, suppliers, vendors, and other stakeholders expect?
- How will success be measured?
Let’s first address the question of how to communicate our expectations to the employee. For us to be effective, it is essential that we properly identify the employee’s communication style, which can be categorized as visual, auditory, kinesthetic, or auditory digital. The visual communicator seeks pictures and often has trouble remembering verbal instructions. Auditory communicators learn best through listening and can repeat things back to you easily. Kinesthetic communicators memorize through doing or walking through something. Auditory digital people memorize by steps, procedures, and sequences. The most important point is that simply providing a job description, no matter how well written and comprehensive, may not be the appropriate means for communicating expectations with a particular employee.
It is important to create a formal job description. Common pitfalls we see with regard to job descriptions revolve around the fact that many are outdated and really should be reviewed at least once a year. In addition, they cannot be viewed on a singular basis as many people work in and on teams. Failure to synchronize job descriptions can set employees up for failure even when they perform according to their job responsibilities.
Most importantly, the employee needs to be able to understand and visualize the outcomes that are expected of them. Focusing on measurable outcomes that are aligned with organizational goals has many benefits. First, measurable goals when aligned with the organization’s goals will evolve and change annually in support of the overall business plan. In addition, when employees understand what needs to be accomplished they are in a better position to know how to act independently. Independent thinking promotes problem-solving within the organization, and employees are better able to prioritize their work and perform more effectively. Lastly, these employees will tend to achieve a higher degree of job satisfaction.
How am I doing?
At the onset of a performance period, each employee should take part in developing a scorecard for their annual performance that is broken down into quarterly milestones. The purpose is to allow for a system that measures and tracks performance in a way that provides a supervisor and employee the opportunity to identify and address issues in time to ensure that annual goals can be achieved. It also provides for focused and objective discussion of issues and helps employees avoid feeling personally attacked.
In order to increase the likelihood for success, goals and objectives must be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistically high, and Target dates. Further, it is recommended that goals be specified in a manner which affords the ability to translate results into performance appraisals. For example, if the appraisal rates people on a scale that includes Excellent, Good, or Poor performance the measurement system should establish the bar for each class. This provides several benefits: 1) offers clarity to both supervisor and subordinate as to what constitutes above-average or exceptional performance; 2) holds the supervisor accountable for arbitrarily rating an employee’s performance based on personal biases; and 3) takes the mystery out of the performance evaluation.
What is in it for me?
Employees have different motivators, with pay being the most obvious. While the structuring of compensation programs is outside the scope of this article there are two points I would like to address. First, research has shown that there is little correlation between a good compensation plan and performance, but the absence of fair compensation can have detrimental effects on performance. Secondly, employers should be very careful when making changes to compensation plans and should work hard to make employees aware of the total compensation and benefits they receive from the company.
Where do I go for help?
Establishing multiple venues and resources for communication and support is essential for achieving peak performance. Employee assistance programs, mentoring programs, buddy systems, and open-door policies are all great means for supporting employee success.
In the end, to motivate your employees to peak performance they all must be able to answer the five questions I have outlined in this article. If they cannot, you can expect that they will underachieve.
ARE YOU MANAGING FOR RESULTS - To learn more about this author, visit Howard Shore's Website.
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If you manage others in your organization, you are responsible for identifying business objectives, establishing a clear set of expected outcomes, creating policies and procedures to guide daily activities, aligning appropriate resources, and providing the development and support necessary to maximize the likelihood that expected outcomes are achieved. How would you grade yourself in all of these areas?
Everyone seems to be looking for tips and tricks on how to motivate everyone else. The problem is that you cannot motivate anyone. All you can do is create an environment that creates motivation. One of the keys to doing so is being a good manager and working hard to earn an “A’ in all the areas of the above responsibilities. My responsibility as Executive Coach is to earn an “A” helping you to do so.
It is essential that every employee from the janitor to the CEO be able to answer the following five questions. They are the foundation for optimal performance in your company. Before I list the questions, I would like to add the caveat that I am presuming you have hired the right people.
5 Key Questions
- Why am I here?
- What is expected of me?
- How am I doing?
- What is in it for me?
- Where do I go for help?
Why am I here?
This appears to be a simple and harmless question. The typical answers you will hear are along the lines of “to make money,” or a functional person such as salesperson may respond “to sell as much business as possible.” This is only partially correct and is addressed in question number 2. Step one is to make sure that everyone in your company knows and lives the company’s vision.
Every employee has the responsibility to contribute toward achieving the company’s vision. Vision-driven organizations far outperform the rest! The vision is your purpose. It is that need you are serving in the marketplace. By selecting a unique, exciting, and compelling purpose, you energize your workforce. The vision excites everyone about the possibilities that currently do not exist. They are trying to be different, and this creates energy and inspires action.
What is expected of me?
At first the answer seems obvious; then, we find ourselves needing to consider the following:
- What is the communication style of the employee?
- What are the key company and department priorities this year?
- What outcomes are most wanted from this position?
- What employee behaviors are desired?
- Are the other team members’ objectives supportive and aligned?
- What do our customers, suppliers, vendors, and other stakeholders expect?
- How will success be measured?
Let’s first address the question of how to communicate our expectations to the employee. For us to be effective, it is essential that we properly identify the employee’s communication style, which can be categorized as visual, auditory, kinesthetic, or auditory digital. The visual communicator seeks pictures and often has trouble remembering verbal instructions. Auditory communicators learn best through listening and can repeat things back to you easily. Kinesthetic communicators memorize through doing or walking through something. Auditory digital people memorize by steps, procedures, and sequences. The most important point is that simply providing a job description, no matter how well written and comprehensive, may not be the appropriate means for communicating expectations with a particular employee.
It is important to create a formal job description. Common pitfalls we see with regard to job descriptions revolve around the fact that many are outdated and really should be reviewed at least once a year. In addition, they cannot be viewed on a singular basis as many people work in and on teams. Failure to synchronize job descriptions can set employees up for failure even when they perform according to their job responsibilities.
Most importantly, the employee needs to be able to understand and visualize the outcomes that are expected of them. Focusing on measurable outcomes that are aligned with organizational goals has many benefits. First, measurable goals when aligned with the organization’s goals will evolve and change annually in support of the overall business plan. In addition, when employees understand what needs to be accomplished they are in a better position to know how to act independently. Independent thinking promotes problem-solving within the organization, and employees are better able to prioritize their work and perform more effectively. Lastly, these employees will tend to achieve a higher degree of job satisfaction.
How am I doing?
At the onset of a performance period, each employee should take part in developing a scorecard for their annual performance that is broken down into quarterly milestones. The purpose is to allow for a system that measures and tracks performance in a way that provides a supervisor and employee the opportunity to identify and address issues in time to ensure that annual goals can be achieved. It also provides for focused and objective discussion of issues and helps employees avoid feeling personally attacked.
In order to increase the likelihood for success, goals and objectives must be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistically high, and Target dates. Further, it is recommended that goals be specified in a manner which affords the ability to translate results into performance appraisals. For example, if the appraisal rates people on a scale that includes Excellent, Good, or Poor performance the measurement system should establish the bar for each class. This provides several benefits: 1) offers clarity to both supervisor and subordinate as to what constitutes above-average or exceptional performance; 2) holds the supervisor accountable for arbitrarily rating an employee’s performance based on personal biases; and 3) takes the mystery out of the performance evaluation.
What is in it for me?
Employees have different motivators, with pay being the most obvious. While the structuring of compensation programs is outside the scope of this article there are two points I would like to address. First, research has shown that there is little correlation between a good compensation plan and performance, but the absence of fair compensation can have detrimental effects on performance. Secondly, employers should be very careful when making changes to compensation plans and should work hard to make employees aware of the total compensation and benefits they receive from the company.
Where do I go for help?
Establishing multiple venues and resources for communication and support is essential for achieving peak performance. Employee assistance programs, mentoring programs, buddy systems, and open-door policies are all great means for supporting employee success.
In the end, to motivate your employees to peak performance they all must be able to answer the five questions I have outlined in this article. If they cannot, you can expect that they will underachieve.
ARE YOU MANAGING FOR RESULTS - To learn more about this author, visit Howard Shore's Website.
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Casey GollanCasey Gollan, Business Coaching & Mentoring Programs. Add $1 Million to $10 Million in the next 1 to 3 years. Since 1996 Casey has to added hundreds of millions of dollars to businesses. Watch a free video see client results Business Coaching website. - Visit Casey Gollan's Website |
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Cheryl MatthynssensCheryl is a life skills coach, licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor and a 20 year entrepreneur. Cheryl's dedication to achieving a life of balance led to her expanding her teaching from the simple managing of life's daily challenges to adding financial well being as well. A direct marketer with DrinkACT, she is gaining ground in the online community with her concepts of making sure business owners, entreprenuers and employees have well rounded life styles. She opened up a small affiliate site - The Balance Guide- to help others find resources for mental and emotional well being. Visit Cheryl's blog to see more of the diversity beyond business she has began offering online at www.thebalanceguide.blogspot.com - Visit Cheryl Matthynssens's Website |
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Leanne Hoagland-SmithAre your sales where you want them to be? Will you be one of the few who achieves sales or business success or one of the many who have failed to change? Are you tired of being told you are like everyone else? Then you may find my first book on sales of interest. Be the Red Jacket in the Sea of Gray Suits, The Keys to Unlocking Sales available at Amazon or at http://www.processspecialist.com/red-jacket.htm. This book is a reflection of my no-nonsense approach to improving sales to overall business results. If you are truly committed to making sustainable changes, then I can help you secure a positive return on your investment because I focus on executable solutions not telling you the problems you already know you have. From training to corporate (group) coaching to executive one on one coaching, my approach is to assess, create awareness, build a goal driven action plan and then execute. The bottom line question is "Not do you or your employees know it, but do you or they want to do it?" Please call for a free strategy session at 219.759.5601. - Visit Leanne Hoagland-Smith's Website |
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Kim CastleWith nearly two decades in the advertising and design business, with clients like Domino's Pizza, General Motors, Direct TV, Pedigree, Wolfgang Puck, Higher Octave Music, Hollywood Celebrity Products, Disney, and Paramount, as well as thousands of entrepreneurs around the world define, structure, communicate, and position their business for greater profits, BrandU(R) co-creators Kim Castle and W. Vito Montone discovered that entrepreneurs could experience the same power that big brands command for a fraction of the cost with the world's only process-based results-drive Integral approach to business creation. BrandU(R) is helping entrepreneurs grow with the power of extreme clarity from idea...to brand...to market(TM) and helping one million entrepreneurs become successful and whole so that they can make a difference in the world. Are you one of them? If you want to experience clarity all the way to the bank(TM), get started now at http://www.brandu.com. - Visit Kim Castle's Website |
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John BrennanJohn Brennan Ed.D. Dr. Brennan is President of Interpersonal Development, LLC, a training and development firm. Interpersonal Development has provided sales training and coaching to more than 3,000 sales reps from over 100 companies. A native of Australia, Dr. Brennan received his doctorate from the University of Rochester. His dissertation researched the effectiveness of Behavioral Modeling Technology in training people in interpersonal skills. While he has spent most of his career designing or delivering training, he was also a Vice-President of Sales of a training and development franchise with operations in 25 markets. Dr. Brennan has designed and delivered sales training in North America, Asia, Europe, Australia and the Middle East. He has been a guest speaker at numerous national and regional professional conferences. When Microsoft wanted Best Practices articles on sales for their web site, they called Dr. Brennan. The results are at http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/FX011387391033.aspx His firm’s clients have included Volvo, The Prudential, Merrill Lynch, Eastman Kodak, Gannett, Equifax Europe, the Economist Group and countless small businesses. - Visit John Brennan's Website |
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