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Potential And Performance

When looking at potential and performance it seems that commonly, there is, a difference between what people can and do achieve. Although there are potentially many reasons for this, while this gap exists, the impact on teamwork, motivation, profit margins and the culture of a company is significant and needs to be addressed. When considering potential, the following questions highlight whether it is underperformance due to unrealised potential, rather than lack of ability, that you are seeing.

MANAGERS AND LEADERS – IS THERE A DIFFERENCE?

More and more New Zealand Companies seem to be providing learning and development programmes that focus on ‘Leadership training for Managers’. Is there a difference between being a leader and a manager – and if so how is this manifested?

RETENTION OF STAFF

Why is retention of staff such an issue these days? Surely staff are lucky enough to be employed in a full time job without you having to worry about whether or not you’re going to keep them? Retention of staff is an issue that should be ranked priority number one. Regardless of the current economy - we do not have enough skilled staff with the appropriate skill base to fill all the available jobs – and it’s not going to improve. Simply put, the workforce growth rate is declining. In the long run there will be more jobs than workers. The future will be that there is increased competition for fewer qualified workers, which will necessitate an enormous emphasis on the need to retain the workers we already have.

PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT

Performance Management according to Wikipedia ‘ensures that goals are consistently being met in an effective and efficient manner’. So, as leaders of companies and organisations - how can we ensure this is done properly? Is there a way to resource team members, to ensure objectives are met for all concerned? What steps need to be taken to maximise the ‘buy in’ needed from both Team Leaders and Team Members?

SUCCESSFUL CHANGE MANAGEMENT

Many companies throughout New Zealand are increasingly puzzled as to why there is such resistance to change in the workplace. I believe the answer is the fear that the ‘thought of change’ evokes in people. Change in itself denotes the act or process of substitution, alteration or variation, thereby making something different. For most people this act of difference is threatening because it changes the status quo. Most of us like continuity, sameness and order because it is what we have come to expect. It asks nothing of us other than to be present. With change comes a threat, our perception of output and efficiency is suddenly being questioned and this creates fear.

Motivation

When considering instilling or lifting motivation in your workplace, I think it is important to recognise that there are many types widely used here in New Zealand. I do not believe that one size fits all, nor do I believe that there is a specific formula on the way to motivate people. However, the following outlines what I see most corporations and companies engaging in to varying degrees:

Building Confidence at Work

Should building confidence at work be your concern? Why should you invest in making people feel better about themselves? Surely it is up to the individual to deal with this in his or her own way? Unfortunately, you cannot afford to ignore this any longer, as what we are now discovering is that an individual’s lack of confidence and belief in themselves impacts on everyone around them, and ultimately the organisation as a whole. Lowered motivation, decreased productivity and fewer profit margins develop in direct proportion to lack of initiative taken by a Company in addressing this. Simply put lack of confidence is blocking motivation, attitude and ultimately performance in some workplaces here in NZ.

Mediocrity at Work

Mediocrity can be seen as the decision to produce an inferior to middling performance. Take a moment to reflect on your Company and notice what efforts are made regarding pride in performance and attitude to work in general. If you are noticing that your team seem happy to accept that: • Okay is good enough, or that • Some effort is better than none - or even that; • We’re okay as long as we break even You could be part of a growing number of companies and corporations who are experiencing the ‘Mediocre Phenomenon’.

‘Stop Selling – Start Helping’ (Quote by Zig Ziglar)

Although, you would all agree that every client should be given special treatment and unique customised service - in today’s economic climate it is becoming harder to achieve. Taking into account funding cuts, budgetary restraints and with job losses at a premium it is less likely that ‘added’ resources can go into top end ‘wooing’ of Clients. Other possible reasons for this include having higher targets to reach in less time, constant restructuring resulting in less staff, more pressure, less resources and so on. The bottom line is that although you can’t resource your client base the way you used to, there are some fundamental and easy ways for you to continue ‘looking after your clients’ that don’t cost you a cent.

Managing difficult people at work

Did you know that a typical Manager wastes up to 25% of her/his time dealing with misunderstandings, personality conflicts and controversy? Underpinning any major difficulty at work is usually a ‘people issue’ - whether it be stress, poor communication, low morale or poor productivity, all have their basis in the relationships of the people involved. This more than anything underpins the need to invest in team members and their ability to work well together. Behind a successful business are its people. Investing in them results in them giving of their best – a win/win for everyone. But what if day after day a particular team member is still really difficult to work with and you can see this affecting even the most placid of people in the office? There is hope! As a Manager there are some things you can do that will help:

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Referred by: http://www.irisbarrow.co.nz/

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