Author : Philip Lye
Performance Management is a process that both employer and employee often fear!Why is this so!There is much misinformation about the performance management process and performance appraisals in management circles today. We often think that best practice demands that we must performance appraise 'no matter what'. This is not true. Best practice can involve many other mechanisms that ensure employee compliance and monitoring.The performance process can be propagated by intellectuals who themselves have not had to make the tough decisions and be accountable for the process. Any person can give advice but the application of the advice is what matters!The whole process is often viewed with a carrot and stick process and sometimes a game, a waste of time.Much of the process is conducted within what is termed as 'I have to do it' and 'performance management is part of my job get it over and done'As previous CEO in corporate life I found the best approach was not so much the written appraisal but the process of day by day communication and relationship with my employees. It took effort and time but the rewarding productivity was worth it.We are by nature complex 'beings' and a one fits all approach will not always work. In my day to day consultation with employers and assisting them getting a reward and compliance mechanism implemented we look at the whole business with simple key performance indicators.The process of managing and appraising performance is essentially ensuring that clear lines of communication exist, continue and that employees are aligned with business goals.This can not be done once or twice a year.The process requires a highly interactive approach with regular feedback and dialogue.Simple key performance indicators can be;• Attitude
• Reliability
• Flexible
• Proactive
• Punctual
• Many others such as budget, sales, productivityEverything we do in life and in business is based around relationships; good, bad, its relationship.By giving and receiving regular feedback in the workplace framed around issues such as attitude your success rate in managing performance will dramatically increase.Ask yourself the question; If all my employees had the right attitude how would my business look?Secondly ask yourself if you are willing to put in the hard yards and give your people what they need 'regular feedback and positive reinforcement.I have proved this over 20 years in the workforce and am yet to be proved wrong!The choice is yours, pay the price and win. Remember the simple things in life are often work the best. Complexity just adds layers of potential contention and strife.Visit www.biz-momentum.com - subscribe to our monthly newsletter and receive a free Employee Performance Appraisal Template.Philip Lye is the Director of Biz Momentum providing strategic human resource management to help your business grow. Philip is also a qualified accountant. Biz Momentum assist small to medium businesses. Visit http://www.biz-momentum.com for other helpful articles and to subscribe to Biz Momentum's free monthly newsletter and receive a free Employee Performance Appraisal.
Keyword : performance management, appraisals, attitude
วันอาทิตย์ที่ 24 กุมภาพันธ์ พ.ศ. 2551
The "Better People" Fallacy
Author : Arvind Kumar
It's easy enough to convince your own staff that better people will prevail, even against the odds. It's what they want to hear. And surely in a marketing war quality is a factor as well as quantity.It is, but superiority of force is such an overwhelming advantage that it overcomes most quality differences.We have no doubt that the poorest team in the National Football League could consistently beat the best team in the NFL if it could field 12 men against the opposition's 11.In business, where the teams are much larger, your ability to amass a quality difference is much more difficult.The clear-thinking marketing manager won't confuse the pep talk at a sales rally with the reality of the marketing area. A good general never makes military strategy based on having better personnel. Nor should a marketing general. ("Our army," said Wellington "is composed of the scum of the earth, the mere scum of the earth.")Obviously you'd be in deep trouble inside your company if you used Wellington's words to describe your own army. Tell your people how terrific they are, but don't plan on winning the battle with superior personnel.Count on winning the battle with a superior strategy.Yet many companies cling deeply to the better people strategy. They're convinced they can recruit and hire substantially better training programs can help them keep their "people" edge.Any student of statistics would laugh at this belief. Sure, it's possible to put together a small cadre of superior people. But the larger the company, the more likely the average employee will be average.And when it comes to the mega companies, the possibility of assembling an intellectually superior team becomes statistically almost zero.At last count, IBM had 369,545 employees, a number which is growing rapidly. On a one-to-one basic, there may be more white shirts at IBM but not more gray matter.IBM is winning the computer war the Eisenhower way. Where the competition has 2, IBM has 4. Where the competition has 4, IBM has 8.Arvind Kumar is an Electrical Engineer from a premier Institute, Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, India. He has 3 years experince in marketing business consulting services and marketing services. He is founder and CEO of http://www.nuttymarketer.com. You may reach him at arvind@nuttymarketer.com.
Keyword : Marketing
It's easy enough to convince your own staff that better people will prevail, even against the odds. It's what they want to hear. And surely in a marketing war quality is a factor as well as quantity.It is, but superiority of force is such an overwhelming advantage that it overcomes most quality differences.We have no doubt that the poorest team in the National Football League could consistently beat the best team in the NFL if it could field 12 men against the opposition's 11.In business, where the teams are much larger, your ability to amass a quality difference is much more difficult.The clear-thinking marketing manager won't confuse the pep talk at a sales rally with the reality of the marketing area. A good general never makes military strategy based on having better personnel. Nor should a marketing general. ("Our army," said Wellington "is composed of the scum of the earth, the mere scum of the earth.")Obviously you'd be in deep trouble inside your company if you used Wellington's words to describe your own army. Tell your people how terrific they are, but don't plan on winning the battle with superior personnel.Count on winning the battle with a superior strategy.Yet many companies cling deeply to the better people strategy. They're convinced they can recruit and hire substantially better training programs can help them keep their "people" edge.Any student of statistics would laugh at this belief. Sure, it's possible to put together a small cadre of superior people. But the larger the company, the more likely the average employee will be average.And when it comes to the mega companies, the possibility of assembling an intellectually superior team becomes statistically almost zero.At last count, IBM had 369,545 employees, a number which is growing rapidly. On a one-to-one basic, there may be more white shirts at IBM but not more gray matter.IBM is winning the computer war the Eisenhower way. Where the competition has 2, IBM has 4. Where the competition has 4, IBM has 8.Arvind Kumar is an Electrical Engineer from a premier Institute, Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, India. He has 3 years experince in marketing business consulting services and marketing services. He is founder and CEO of http://www.nuttymarketer.com. You may reach him at arvind@nuttymarketer.com.
Keyword : Marketing
Ten Steps to Take the Work out of Work - Replicate Yourself!
Author : Martin Haworth
They say that management can be a lonely place. A manager has to lead from the front, make challenging demands of their people and if part of an organisation, pass on the dictats of the more senior and remote bosses up at the top.Yet, a manager has the accountability to deliver – in fact that's what they get paid for, so ultimately, they must be the one who puts in the most effort to make their workplace deliver, or else.When a manager tries to delegate, their people don't always do as they wish for and sometimes that can lead to even more work. So often, managers fall back on that tried and trusted worker who they know will do it just right, at least in their eyes, because that trusted worker is themselves. And that's hard.So, to make sure that the work they pass down to their people is delivered, there are some ways to make it happen:-Agree StandardsStandards of output and performance are vital in any organisation, business or team, yet these need to be communicated very openly to all of the people with whom managers work.Yet a step beyond it being a communication exercise is to have their people involved in deciding what standards operate in their team.Have Clear ExpectationsWhen passing work on, managers need to be clear in how they express and will measure the final result. Without this, those delegated to will not have a clear measure to work towards. These expectations need to be clear on both sides and this checked closely.Test UnderstandingSometimes though, what seems to be clear is only clear on one side, that of the person passing on the job in hand. So it is very important that what they understand to be expected is also what the job 'doer' understands as well.Sometimes, just simply, and in a friendly way, asking for the recipient to repeat back what the expected out come measures will be is enough.Show the WayWhen managers manage, except in the minority of cases, they intimidate their people. It may be they are great managers, but the role is the bit that intimidates, so their people may be reluctant to ask for help in a task they are given.Managers need to be aware of this and ensure that they help their people succeed by showing them the way. It may be literally showing how a taks needs to be done and the expected outcome. It may be sharing some tactics or skills.Not only is this likely to result in success, but it develops the culture of the team in such a way that sharing and supporting become the way things are done.Seek FeedbackWhen individuals take on new and often challenging tasks, they need some nurturing. By building in regular progress meetings, especially at the start of a project or delegated task, the feeling of exposure can be lessened.Sure people need their hands held a little, but this is not forever. As they succeed more they will learn that they 'can' and this will become less of a requirement.Measure ProgressWhen new tasks are taken on, it is important for a manager to show that real and vital progress is being achieved, however small or slow this is. The achievement, step-by-step is energising and those developing new skills and expertise will benefit hugely from the recognition that they are getting somewhere, wherever it is!Be AvailableGetting together with your people when they are in a learning phase is important formally, yet there is also a real benefit in a manager's easy access in an ad hoc way as well.In fact the cultural value in their recognising when someone in the team, whilst in the learning phase especially, needs urgent support is very valuable. Clearly this needs some control, but, especially when in the early stages, it will be worth the effort.Accept Failures (and Learn!)Sometimes things go wrong. Mistakes happen. A manager who is prepared to appreciate this is likely to get the best support from their people. Especially when asking them to take some of the load on for delivery of the high standards they expect.Be generous when people make mistakes in their learning and enable them to appreciate it as just that – part of the learning experience – and gain additional value from it.Praise a Job Well DoneWhen managers delegate the work they would usually do themselves, it is a calculated risk. The people they choose to develop in this way, are moving forward with their skills and experience and becoming far more valuable in the workplace – as well as themselves getting much more from their work.Yet there is nothing an individual loves more than praise and 'thank you' for a job well done. It gives them a warm feeling of success and recognition and they are then ready for more!Encourage Onward DelegationFinally, with the experience that they have been able to successfully take on a bigger role in the task they have delivered well, they can pass on this skill of being 'upgraded' to others they work with - so not only does the boss get a life, then their people start to as well.This is not just about delegation. It is about developing a capable bunch of people who are enhancing their skills and releasing their own potential. It works in many ways, so that everyone, as well as the boss, is a winner.Copyright 2005 Martin Haworth is a Business and Management Coach. He works worldwide, mainly by phone, with small business owners, executives and corporate leaders. He has hundreds of hints, tips and ideas at his website, http://www.coaching-businesses-to-success.com.
They say that management can be a lonely place. A manager has to lead from the front, make challenging demands of their people and if part of an organisation, pass on the dictats of the more senior and remote bosses up at the top.Yet, a manager has the accountability to deliver – in fact that's what they get paid for, so ultimately, they must be the one who puts in the most effort to make their workplace deliver, or else.When a manager tries to delegate, their people don't always do as they wish for and sometimes that can lead to even more work. So often, managers fall back on that tried and trusted worker who they know will do it just right, at least in their eyes, because that trusted worker is themselves. And that's hard.So, to make sure that the work they pass down to their people is delivered, there are some ways to make it happen:-Agree StandardsStandards of output and performance are vital in any organisation, business or team, yet these need to be communicated very openly to all of the people with whom managers work.Yet a step beyond it being a communication exercise is to have their people involved in deciding what standards operate in their team.Have Clear ExpectationsWhen passing work on, managers need to be clear in how they express and will measure the final result. Without this, those delegated to will not have a clear measure to work towards. These expectations need to be clear on both sides and this checked closely.Test UnderstandingSometimes though, what seems to be clear is only clear on one side, that of the person passing on the job in hand. So it is very important that what they understand to be expected is also what the job 'doer' understands as well.Sometimes, just simply, and in a friendly way, asking for the recipient to repeat back what the expected out come measures will be is enough.Show the WayWhen managers manage, except in the minority of cases, they intimidate their people. It may be they are great managers, but the role is the bit that intimidates, so their people may be reluctant to ask for help in a task they are given.Managers need to be aware of this and ensure that they help their people succeed by showing them the way. It may be literally showing how a taks needs to be done and the expected outcome. It may be sharing some tactics or skills.Not only is this likely to result in success, but it develops the culture of the team in such a way that sharing and supporting become the way things are done.Seek FeedbackWhen individuals take on new and often challenging tasks, they need some nurturing. By building in regular progress meetings, especially at the start of a project or delegated task, the feeling of exposure can be lessened.Sure people need their hands held a little, but this is not forever. As they succeed more they will learn that they 'can' and this will become less of a requirement.Measure ProgressWhen new tasks are taken on, it is important for a manager to show that real and vital progress is being achieved, however small or slow this is. The achievement, step-by-step is energising and those developing new skills and expertise will benefit hugely from the recognition that they are getting somewhere, wherever it is!Be AvailableGetting together with your people when they are in a learning phase is important formally, yet there is also a real benefit in a manager's easy access in an ad hoc way as well.In fact the cultural value in their recognising when someone in the team, whilst in the learning phase especially, needs urgent support is very valuable. Clearly this needs some control, but, especially when in the early stages, it will be worth the effort.Accept Failures (and Learn!)Sometimes things go wrong. Mistakes happen. A manager who is prepared to appreciate this is likely to get the best support from their people. Especially when asking them to take some of the load on for delivery of the high standards they expect.Be generous when people make mistakes in their learning and enable them to appreciate it as just that – part of the learning experience – and gain additional value from it.Praise a Job Well DoneWhen managers delegate the work they would usually do themselves, it is a calculated risk. The people they choose to develop in this way, are moving forward with their skills and experience and becoming far more valuable in the workplace – as well as themselves getting much more from their work.Yet there is nothing an individual loves more than praise and 'thank you' for a job well done. It gives them a warm feeling of success and recognition and they are then ready for more!Encourage Onward DelegationFinally, with the experience that they have been able to successfully take on a bigger role in the task they have delivered well, they can pass on this skill of being 'upgraded' to others they work with - so not only does the boss get a life, then their people start to as well.This is not just about delegation. It is about developing a capable bunch of people who are enhancing their skills and releasing their own potential. It works in many ways, so that everyone, as well as the boss, is a winner.Copyright 2005 Martin Haworth is a Business and Management Coach. He works worldwide, mainly by phone, with small business owners, executives and corporate leaders. He has hundreds of hints, tips and ideas at his website, http://www.coaching-businesses-to-success.com.
(Note to editors. Feel free to use this article, wherever you think it might be of value - it would be good if you could include a live link)...helping you, to help your people, to help your business grow...
Keyword : delegate,team,development,develop,manage,management,skill,skills,capability,capabilities,leadership
Be a Change Agent ( Part 1)
Author : Henrique Ploger-Abreu
Aligning business organizations to be successful in the present and keep on doing this in the future means to develop a new style of Leadership.
To celebrate success in our days a leader most is able to craft a strategic vision, define objectives, design, implement and monitor the execution of a strategy and be a change leader in those same organizations.The success of these change initiatives depends largely on leadership and each leader's ability to not only face change but to welcome it and facilitate it. In addition, leaders must ensure that those who work for them will not only accept the change but embrace it.Most change initiatives focus on the operational and processing aspect.What managers too often ignore is the human side – the humanistic aspect of change. Anyone who has ever attempted to implement a change of any kind has experienced some kind of resistance by people in the organizations.
Therefore it is vital to make the change project, their project as well as yours.The only way to give people a sense of ownership is to involve them make them believe that this is primarily their project and that the expected outcome will benefit them in may ways.To achieve this You have to take in consideration some basic rules:2 way communication: it is important to listen to each others ideas and thoughtsTo show respect: Everybody participating in a team must have respect for each other. Treat others the same way You want others to treat You.
Involvement in the change process: make sure that everybody is able to participate with thoughts and ideas in most of the decisions that have to be taken.Share best practices expertise and allow that everybody learn with each other: provide feedback, by ensuring that people are committed to the aims of the change process, be sure to pass around any favourable feedback. Communicate, send out emails - anything, just make sure that everybody hears the good news.And last but not least, have fun: Team members should be able to have fun together. It can be amazing how productive a good laughter can be. It improves motivation, increases moral, team spirit, and performance.Henrique Plöger Abreu has a Master Degree in Business Administration. He has more than 20 Years of working Experience in Sales and Marketing as a B2B Consultant and Public Speaker. He is the President of the L.T.C. a non profit Organization
Keyword : article submission, articles, writers, writing, publishing, ezine, email marketing, email newsletter, email
Aligning business organizations to be successful in the present and keep on doing this in the future means to develop a new style of Leadership.
To celebrate success in our days a leader most is able to craft a strategic vision, define objectives, design, implement and monitor the execution of a strategy and be a change leader in those same organizations.The success of these change initiatives depends largely on leadership and each leader's ability to not only face change but to welcome it and facilitate it. In addition, leaders must ensure that those who work for them will not only accept the change but embrace it.Most change initiatives focus on the operational and processing aspect.What managers too often ignore is the human side – the humanistic aspect of change. Anyone who has ever attempted to implement a change of any kind has experienced some kind of resistance by people in the organizations.
Therefore it is vital to make the change project, their project as well as yours.The only way to give people a sense of ownership is to involve them make them believe that this is primarily their project and that the expected outcome will benefit them in may ways.To achieve this You have to take in consideration some basic rules:2 way communication: it is important to listen to each others ideas and thoughtsTo show respect: Everybody participating in a team must have respect for each other. Treat others the same way You want others to treat You.
Involvement in the change process: make sure that everybody is able to participate with thoughts and ideas in most of the decisions that have to be taken.Share best practices expertise and allow that everybody learn with each other: provide feedback, by ensuring that people are committed to the aims of the change process, be sure to pass around any favourable feedback. Communicate, send out emails - anything, just make sure that everybody hears the good news.And last but not least, have fun: Team members should be able to have fun together. It can be amazing how productive a good laughter can be. It improves motivation, increases moral, team spirit, and performance.Henrique Plöger Abreu has a Master Degree in Business Administration. He has more than 20 Years of working Experience in Sales and Marketing as a B2B Consultant and Public Speaker. He is the President of the L.T.C. a non profit Organization
Keyword : article submission, articles, writers, writing, publishing, ezine, email marketing, email newsletter, email
Sending Documents Through Email? Don't Get Burned by Metadata!
Author : Anthony Licate
During a recent seminar I gave located in the suburbs of Philadelphia, I discussed something called, "metadata". When I asked whether anyone ever heard of metadata, I was confronted with blank stares. This is exactly why I decided to write here about what it is and how it can impact your company.Metadata is information that exists in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files. Metadata is simply "data about data", and your electronic documents probably contain lots of it. Metadata describes document attributes such as the title, author, content, location, and date of creation.Knowing this information can be helpful when cataloging electronic information. But metadata can also share confidential and potentially embarrassing information with an unintended audience. Would you want a potential customer of yours finding out historical data regarding the original author of the document you sent them? How many times it was edited? Who was editing the document? It's possible….especially if you are a user of the Track Changes feature in Microsoft Word.So I'm sure all of you are thinking, "How do I keep this information from leaving the company?" One option for you is to pdf documents with a pdf creator program before sending it. A good free pdf creator is PDF995. You can download it for free at http://www.pdf995.com.There are enterprise level programs on the market that will clean this information from documents too if you'd prefer to just clean the document before you send it to someone. A good program to use is called Metadata Protect, by a company called Workshare. Metadata Protect allows corporations to set global policies on their computer network to lower the risk of dangerous metadata leaving the company.Anthony Licate is the President of Spidernet Technical Consulting, LLC (http://www.spidernetconsulting.com). Spidernet Technical Consulting helps companies operate more effectively by means of reducing their computer support issues and streamlining how they work. He has worked with multiple types of businesses to strategize, re-align and implement technology. Anthony can be reached at aj@spidernetconsulting.com
Keyword : metadata, spidernet, technical, consulting, anthony licate, pdf, confidential Word documents
During a recent seminar I gave located in the suburbs of Philadelphia, I discussed something called, "metadata". When I asked whether anyone ever heard of metadata, I was confronted with blank stares. This is exactly why I decided to write here about what it is and how it can impact your company.Metadata is information that exists in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files. Metadata is simply "data about data", and your electronic documents probably contain lots of it. Metadata describes document attributes such as the title, author, content, location, and date of creation.Knowing this information can be helpful when cataloging electronic information. But metadata can also share confidential and potentially embarrassing information with an unintended audience. Would you want a potential customer of yours finding out historical data regarding the original author of the document you sent them? How many times it was edited? Who was editing the document? It's possible….especially if you are a user of the Track Changes feature in Microsoft Word.So I'm sure all of you are thinking, "How do I keep this information from leaving the company?" One option for you is to pdf documents with a pdf creator program before sending it. A good free pdf creator is PDF995. You can download it for free at http://www.pdf995.com.There are enterprise level programs on the market that will clean this information from documents too if you'd prefer to just clean the document before you send it to someone. A good program to use is called Metadata Protect, by a company called Workshare. Metadata Protect allows corporations to set global policies on their computer network to lower the risk of dangerous metadata leaving the company.Anthony Licate is the President of Spidernet Technical Consulting, LLC (http://www.spidernetconsulting.com). Spidernet Technical Consulting helps companies operate more effectively by means of reducing their computer support issues and streamlining how they work. He has worked with multiple types of businesses to strategize, re-align and implement technology. Anthony can be reached at aj@spidernetconsulting.com
Keyword : metadata, spidernet, technical, consulting, anthony licate, pdf, confidential Word documents
Corporate Governance for Business Owners
Author : Joe Kaleb
It is clear that good Corporate Governance is in the best interests of shareholders of public companies, but how can it benefit shareholders of private companies and other business owners?Will a good system of corporate governance increase the bottom line?One of the elements of a good system of corporate governance is ensuring that the role, and the boards' expectations, of management are understood.SeparationSeparation of the board and management is often lacking when it comes to small medium sized enterprises. Often senior company managers are also members of the board, hence the board may be deprived of one of its most critical roles, the ability to review and direct.It is this element of corporate governance, through use of independent directors, that can help a business improve both its corporate governance and profitability.InfluenceThe influence that a board has on an organisation is dependent both on the skills and knowledge of the directors and the role that the board chooses to take.Inevitably a board of well chosen directors will add to a company's focus and create additional business opportunities.Three rolesGenerally there are three generic roles which boards tend to take:The Watchdog - total supervisory role
The Trustee - evaluation of business and guidance
The Pilot - actively directs the businessAs there is no "one size fits all" solution to corporate governance business owners need to consider their current situation before embarking on structural change in the name of Corporate Governance.Independent directorsThe appointment of independent directors to a board will often involve a shift in thinking for many small businesses operators but it is important to explore some of the benefits which independent directors may bring to a business. These usually include:- Generation of new ideas
- Signal to external parties that the business is becoming investor ready
- Renewed focus on strategic business issues.It is through such advantages that the business may benefit both internally and externally from the improved Corporate Governance that will inevitably follow.Joe Kaleb is a Chartered Accountant in Australia and the CEO of http://www.australianbiz.com.au, a website providing tax and management tools for small business owners and their advisors.
Keyword : corporate, governance, board, directors, management, small, business, independent,
It is clear that good Corporate Governance is in the best interests of shareholders of public companies, but how can it benefit shareholders of private companies and other business owners?Will a good system of corporate governance increase the bottom line?One of the elements of a good system of corporate governance is ensuring that the role, and the boards' expectations, of management are understood.SeparationSeparation of the board and management is often lacking when it comes to small medium sized enterprises. Often senior company managers are also members of the board, hence the board may be deprived of one of its most critical roles, the ability to review and direct.It is this element of corporate governance, through use of independent directors, that can help a business improve both its corporate governance and profitability.InfluenceThe influence that a board has on an organisation is dependent both on the skills and knowledge of the directors and the role that the board chooses to take.Inevitably a board of well chosen directors will add to a company's focus and create additional business opportunities.Three rolesGenerally there are three generic roles which boards tend to take:The Watchdog - total supervisory role
The Trustee - evaluation of business and guidance
The Pilot - actively directs the businessAs there is no "one size fits all" solution to corporate governance business owners need to consider their current situation before embarking on structural change in the name of Corporate Governance.Independent directorsThe appointment of independent directors to a board will often involve a shift in thinking for many small businesses operators but it is important to explore some of the benefits which independent directors may bring to a business. These usually include:- Generation of new ideas
- Signal to external parties that the business is becoming investor ready
- Renewed focus on strategic business issues.It is through such advantages that the business may benefit both internally and externally from the improved Corporate Governance that will inevitably follow.Joe Kaleb is a Chartered Accountant in Australia and the CEO of http://www.australianbiz.com.au, a website providing tax and management tools for small business owners and their advisors.
Keyword : corporate, governance, board, directors, management, small, business, independent,
Parenting Your Employees to Better Performance
Author : Inez Ng
Have you ever worked for someone who was such a micro-manager that it drove you crazy? And have you ever worked for someone who was so hands-off that you felt like a lone warrior on the battlefield? These are examples of you working for leaders who did not adapt their style based on the employee's needs. I would venture to guess that you were not entirely motivated to put out your very best effort every time when you were feeling such frustrations.What can you, as a manager, do to prevent the same mistake? My suggestion is to follow what good parents do.Good parents instinctively know how they need to manage their children. But we sometimes don't make the same connection when we are at work. Let's think about the different stages of a child's development.The Toddler
At this stage, there is so much they don't know. They are just learning the basics of how to walk, and run, and talk, and play with others. The parents are generally right there at almost every moment. They are very involved in the child's development.
They set boundaries for the child: "don't' go near the stove, its hot!"
They give very directive instructions: "Put the toy truck back into the basket."
They give frequent feedback and encouragement: "That's right, this is a blue ball. Now pick out the red one. That's great!"
When you have an employee that is at the toddler stage in terms of job skills and proficiencies, you need to adopt the hands-on parenting style of leadership. First determine what they know and don't know. Set boundaries for them so they don't get into big trouble. Be very directive in what you want done, and provide them feedback and encouragement so they know whether they are progressing and satisfying your expectations or not.The Teenager
At this stage, the child wants more independence, and prefers to figure things out for himself. But the parents know that they still need to provide supervision. And they also give the child more space to experiment and build confidence.When your employees are at the teenager stage, they often think they know more then they actually do. Surely you were never guilty of this when you were a teenager, right? So, you still need to be around enough to keep them out of trouble. Instead of checking in with them every day, you can now check in with them every week on their progress.Your requests can be less directive, and more objective defined ("I'd like you to clean up your room this weekend.") Instead of offering information and directions with every assignment, you can now wait for your employee to approach you with questions.When your employees see they you have eased off your level of supervision, they know that you are feeling more comfortable with their ability to perform, and their confidence grows. But always remember to continue to give feedback and acknowledgement for their efforts.The Young Adult
Now your employees are almost independent. Like a good parent, you have provided them all the skills and knowledge to make it on their own. At this point, you can ease off even more on giving directions and checking up on progress. Instead, you want to help them grow as contributors to your organization.Now when you hand over an assignment, you can give the most crucial details and leave them to figure out the approach. You let them know that when they come to you with problems and questions, you would like to see their recommendations or solutions.At this stage, your responsibility as a "parent" is quite light. But you must continue to give feedback and acknowledgement so your employees stay motivated to excel. They need to know that you have noticed their development and appreciate their efforts.The Adult
Now you are on "easy street". Your child has moved out of the house, and is successful and productive. At this point, your role as parent is to show love and appreciation of the person they have become (thanks to your hard work), and to offer them opportunities for growth.Your expectation of these employees is that they can pretty much operate without you. You provide them with the vision of where you are going and they immediately rally the troops and make a plan and start marching down the road.When these employees encounter a problem, you expect them to come to you with a list of alternatives, the recommendation they want to choose, and just ask for your concurrence. They come prepared with all the critical information you need to make a sound decision. You can ask these employees to be mentors to your toddlers or teenagers and take some of the responsibilities from you. You continue to provide them feedback and acknowledgement so they know they are still on the right track.Now take a look at your team, and make an assessment of what stage of development each of your employee is at present. Adopt the appropriate parenting/leadership style that is needed and your employee will respond. Most employees want to do a good job for you, so set your expectations clearly and watch them perform.© 2005 Inez O. Ng
NOTE: You're welcome to "reprint" this article online as long as it remains complete and unaltered (including the "about the author" info at the end), and you send me a copy of your reprint at mailto:Inez@RealizationsUnltd.comAre your business results suffering because of an ineffective management team? Find out what coaching with Inez Ng can do to improve the effectiveness of your leaders. Visit http://www.RealizationsUnltd.com for informative articles and resources.
If your work group is struggling to keep up with the volume of email they are receiving, check out her ebook "Master Email without Breaking a Sweat!" at http://www.easyemailstrategies.com
Keyword : manage performance, employee development
Have you ever worked for someone who was such a micro-manager that it drove you crazy? And have you ever worked for someone who was so hands-off that you felt like a lone warrior on the battlefield? These are examples of you working for leaders who did not adapt their style based on the employee's needs. I would venture to guess that you were not entirely motivated to put out your very best effort every time when you were feeling such frustrations.What can you, as a manager, do to prevent the same mistake? My suggestion is to follow what good parents do.Good parents instinctively know how they need to manage their children. But we sometimes don't make the same connection when we are at work. Let's think about the different stages of a child's development.The Toddler
At this stage, there is so much they don't know. They are just learning the basics of how to walk, and run, and talk, and play with others. The parents are generally right there at almost every moment. They are very involved in the child's development.
They set boundaries for the child: "don't' go near the stove, its hot!"
They give very directive instructions: "Put the toy truck back into the basket."
They give frequent feedback and encouragement: "That's right, this is a blue ball. Now pick out the red one. That's great!"
When you have an employee that is at the toddler stage in terms of job skills and proficiencies, you need to adopt the hands-on parenting style of leadership. First determine what they know and don't know. Set boundaries for them so they don't get into big trouble. Be very directive in what you want done, and provide them feedback and encouragement so they know whether they are progressing and satisfying your expectations or not.The Teenager
At this stage, the child wants more independence, and prefers to figure things out for himself. But the parents know that they still need to provide supervision. And they also give the child more space to experiment and build confidence.When your employees are at the teenager stage, they often think they know more then they actually do. Surely you were never guilty of this when you were a teenager, right? So, you still need to be around enough to keep them out of trouble. Instead of checking in with them every day, you can now check in with them every week on their progress.Your requests can be less directive, and more objective defined ("I'd like you to clean up your room this weekend.") Instead of offering information and directions with every assignment, you can now wait for your employee to approach you with questions.When your employees see they you have eased off your level of supervision, they know that you are feeling more comfortable with their ability to perform, and their confidence grows. But always remember to continue to give feedback and acknowledgement for their efforts.The Young Adult
Now your employees are almost independent. Like a good parent, you have provided them all the skills and knowledge to make it on their own. At this point, you can ease off even more on giving directions and checking up on progress. Instead, you want to help them grow as contributors to your organization.Now when you hand over an assignment, you can give the most crucial details and leave them to figure out the approach. You let them know that when they come to you with problems and questions, you would like to see their recommendations or solutions.At this stage, your responsibility as a "parent" is quite light. But you must continue to give feedback and acknowledgement so your employees stay motivated to excel. They need to know that you have noticed their development and appreciate their efforts.The Adult
Now you are on "easy street". Your child has moved out of the house, and is successful and productive. At this point, your role as parent is to show love and appreciation of the person they have become (thanks to your hard work), and to offer them opportunities for growth.Your expectation of these employees is that they can pretty much operate without you. You provide them with the vision of where you are going and they immediately rally the troops and make a plan and start marching down the road.When these employees encounter a problem, you expect them to come to you with a list of alternatives, the recommendation they want to choose, and just ask for your concurrence. They come prepared with all the critical information you need to make a sound decision. You can ask these employees to be mentors to your toddlers or teenagers and take some of the responsibilities from you. You continue to provide them feedback and acknowledgement so they know they are still on the right track.Now take a look at your team, and make an assessment of what stage of development each of your employee is at present. Adopt the appropriate parenting/leadership style that is needed and your employee will respond. Most employees want to do a good job for you, so set your expectations clearly and watch them perform.© 2005 Inez O. Ng
NOTE: You're welcome to "reprint" this article online as long as it remains complete and unaltered (including the "about the author" info at the end), and you send me a copy of your reprint at mailto:Inez@RealizationsUnltd.comAre your business results suffering because of an ineffective management team? Find out what coaching with Inez Ng can do to improve the effectiveness of your leaders. Visit http://www.RealizationsUnltd.com for informative articles and resources.
If your work group is struggling to keep up with the volume of email they are receiving, check out her ebook "Master Email without Breaking a Sweat!" at http://www.easyemailstrategies.com
Keyword : manage performance, employee development
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