November 7th, 2011 by Kira
Individuals are all uniquely driven. As a manager or team lead it’s imperative to understand what drives the people on your team. Here are some of the top values your team members may be driven by, see if you can recognize your individual team players in some of the examples below.
Recognition – Recognition is the most common means of honoring someone’s value in the workplace; however, the majority of employees don’t feel recognized by their managers and team. Individuals who enjoy recognition will often post things that show someone has recognized them; i.e. a card on the wall, an award, etc. You may even find that individuals who need and enjoy recognition will also recognize others as well. Most people assume that everyone enjoys to be recognized for their accomplishments, but it isn’t always the case. Be sure not to assume that everyone on your team likes to be the center of attention and to get recognized in front of the group. For those who enjoy recognition, a simple acknowledgment of something they have done will go a long way and will significantly increase their performance and happiness on the job.
Equality/Fairness – The person who values fairness will always ensure that everyone on the team has equality. That could mean anything from equal time to share an idea, equal days off, working the same amount of time. It also could mean this person will count the favors you’ve done for others and will expect the favors to be equally shared. For example, you granted permission for a team member to leave early one day. To the person who values fairness, they’ve created a mental note that this will later be returned to them. If it isn’t, this person is likely to see this as a personal vindication. For the fairness person, be sure they know they are as equally important as everyone else on the team.
Monetary/Gifts – Money is a common motivator for many, but this goes beyond a pay increase or a scheduled bonus. A person who values gifts loves to be treated to lunch, receive a gift on their birthday, or receive anything with perceived value. It isn’t so much the gift it intself, it’s more the thoughfulness that goes into it. This person loves the idea that you took the time and energy to do something for them. In the workplace, this may be one of the harder values to recognize; however, if you have this person on your team, they’ll be thrilled with a gift card to a restaurant, a local store, or some other favorite place to show that they are valued and an asset to your team.
Tags: career, Happiness in the workplace, management, morale, team
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October 31st, 2011 by Kira
“Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results.” Andrew Carnegie
The individuals that work together on your team come from all different backgrounds, educations, and skillset. They also comprise a variety of strengths and talents, some of which may go unnoticed in their positions.
In the book StrengthsFinder 2.0, author Tom Rath suggests a strengths model of leadership. Essentially, focusing on the strengths of your team and sharpening those, and ignoring the weaknesses. This goes against contradictory thinking that a person should identify their weaknesses and improve them. Rath suggests that when you take people’s natural strengths and abilities, they are more likely to succeed.
What are you doing to identify the strengths of the people on your team?
Begin to take notice where your team members are reaching beyond the expectations. If they get an assignment, are they exceptional in being strategic about how to implement it? Are they good at getting the rest of the team on board? Can they lift the moral of the team? What natural abilities do you see them using on a consistent basis?
To really optimize your team’s performance, it is essential to focus on their strengths that are natural, instead of their weaknesses.
When you know the strengths of your individual team members, you can then pair each individual with other team members who have a different strength’s style that complements their style. Additionally, you’ll want a team that is diverse in their strengths. The more varied your team, the more likely you are to have a fully functioning team that operates extremely well together and can achieve astounding results.
This also comes into play when you hire new team members. For your next hire, hire for talent and then develop that strength. With all team members, make the shift of focusing on how to improve a person’s strength, and ignore their weaknesses.
When you focus on people’s individual strengths you allow members of your team to be more fully engaged in their work, and you will also get the best results possible.
To take the StengthsFinder 2.0 assessment, you’ll need to grab a copy of the book. You can find more information on that here. http://www.strengthsfinder.com If you take the test, we’d love to know your top five strengths.
Tags: Knowing your strengths, Natural abilities, Strengths, strengths in a job interview, Talents, team
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August 29th, 2011 by Kira
An employer-employee relationship thrives when it is the equivalent of a win-win dynamic. Meaning both parties are benefiting, happy, and feel they are getting a good “deal.”
In larger companies, it’s not uncommon to find employees that take their employer for granted. You might also find leaders who dismiss the significance of their team members. However, if you choose to utilize the small business mentality, where every person counts, makes a difference and a contribution to the bottom line, everyone wins.
When both employee and employer are seeking to add value to the company, you’ll find more satisfied employees, better customer service, more strategic and independent thinking, and in the end, more profit to everyone involved.
Think about how you can add value to your employer, whether you are an entry-level, mid-level employee, manager, or executive. All positions create value, and the more value we add to the company, the greater chance we have of increasing our worth. Bottom line, that means more promotions, more money earned, and increased job security.
Remember, companies need to profit to survive. They need people on their team who aren’t adopting a “What can I take from my company?” mentality. Instead find new ways to give and add value for the overall benefit to everyone.
When people work together and utilize the win-win dynamic everyone thrives. Ask yourself what more can I do for my company? When you ask this question it takes the focus off of you and your own personal gains, and instead looks to how you can contribute to the company as a whole.
To add value, think critically and independently, share your ideas, look for ways to cut costs, increase sales, and improve overall customer/client satisfaction.
Tags: Adding value, employees, getting a promotion, getting a raise, Raise, team
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July 25th, 2011 by Kira
It’s inevitable. Every company has had to do it. It’s what you do afterwards that really matters to your team. It’s critical that you work to keep morale high after you’ve fired an employee – especially if the fire was unexpected by your team.
Here are 3 ways to restore morale after you’ve fired an employee.
- Be transparent. Be honest about the reason for firing, within guidelines of protecting the employee. Transparency is important in retaining trust and keeping morale when an employee is fired, let go, or laid off.
- Communicate. Whatever you do – don’t hide behind the fire. Meaning don’t act like it didn’t happen, and don’t downplay the seriousness of the event. Employees often fear for their own job security after someone is fired or let go.
- Educate. In order to do both #2 and #3 above you’ll need to educate your team on what’s expected of them. The more informed they are about your expectations – the more they can safely assess their own stability and performance.
After some time has passed be sure to utilize other morale building strategies such as team-builders, company events, and other rewards for employees who are doing a good job or going above and beyond their expected roles.
And always remember – reward positive behavior before reprimanding negative. It reinforces what you want to see happen within your team, over what you don’t want your employees doing.
Tags: Firing, Hiring, Leadership, morale, staffing, team
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July 18th, 2011 by Kira
Stemming from last week’s blog on what’s a bad employee costing you, this week we will share how to hire the right person.
Hiring the right person isn’t a perfect science, however, there are many factors to consider when looking to fill a position.
Here are a few tips to consider ensuring you get the right person in your next opening.
- Make the job description clear and detailed. The more upfront you are with a candidate about their responsibilities the more you will be able to identify areas of concern with an unqualified candidate.
- Match person to position AND match person to culture.
- Schedule a series of interviews with different individuals and perspectives.
- Check references. Investigate for accuracy in past experience.
- Ask tough questions. But don’t interrogate.
- Do a team interview. Have your team help with the hiring process.
- Assess personality needs of your team/company. Assess candidate’s personality traits.
- Know a person’s long-term goals.
- Inquire about their passions.
- Find out their expectations.
- Share your expectations.
- Ask what hiccups might occur in this position.
- Study their body language. People will say what they want you to hear, their body will speak volumes.
Hiring the right person, while it may take more time on the front end, will save your company money in employee turnover, increase morale and productivity, and will keep your team happy!
And remember, you can always enlist the support of a staffing firm or recruiter to help make the right choice.
Tags: employees, Hiring, hiring process, how to hire, team
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June 9th, 2011 by Kira
(This post was adapted from Steve Roesler’s post on How to Get Your Good Ideas Heard from his website All Things Workplace.)
We all want to be heard, and we most of us in the corporate world want to share our ideas with our team and management. Here are four questions to ask yourself before offering up your next big idea:
1. Will this idea make other people successful?
Really. If it’s not going to do that, you’ve got what might be a good idea for you or you and your immediate work group.
2. Is my presentation as brief as possible because I have thoroughly edited my thoughts?
Figure out what is important to those in the room and what isn’t. Everything isn’t important to them. And if they do start asking questions it means they care enough to engage you. That’s an indicator of interest, even if the questions sound critical They are evaluating. And they aren’t worried about the time because you’ve given them something worthwhile to ponder.
3. Do I have objective criteria for success?
Even if your idea is a creative one, take time to link it to something that can be measured. If not, it will appear fuzzy to many. The more concrete you can be, the clearer the picture you are able to paint.
4. How do I feel about the idea?
Yeah, I know it’s yours. But make sure that you feel confident about it as well as committing to the work that would ensue. Ideas are sold on confidence and emotion supported up by reasonable facts. Pay attention to your gut.
***
When you have a good idea – don’t sit on it for too long. The longer you get it to yourself, the more momentum is loses. Speak up and be heard. A good idea doesn’t become a great one unless it’s implemented it.
Tags: corporate culture, creativity in the workplace, ideas and thinking, Leadership, team
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April 18th, 2011 by Kira
Communication is an important part of building a team, creating a thriving company culture, and increasing productivity and effectiveness. Studies have shown that a large percentage of people listen less effectively than they believe, however, listening is a skill that can set your team and company apart. It sets up the stage for creating a cohesive environment, in which individuals thrive, and actively take pride in their role.
To help your employees and team become better listeners follow these simple tips:
Encourage questions. Create an environment where individuals are encouraged to ask questions – whether to clarify direction, further understand an assignment, or out of simple curiosity. This means treating all questions as important and equal and never embarrassing a person for asking a question that may seem silly or out of context. If our minds can’t understand what is being said, it will generally block the flow of listening and distract the individual as they seek to figure it out internally.
Let people finish their thoughts. This applies to the listener and the speaker. People need a chance to work through their thoughts and express all the pieces for discussion. The majority of people are already thinking of a response before a person is finished speaking – instead, set the example that individuals should not be interrupted. Task your employees with writing down their thoughts while others are speaking so nothing is lost, their turn can be had once the other person’s thoughts are complete. This can decrease misunderstood communications between multiple parties.
Keep open communication. Foster an environment where individuals feel safe and comfortable asking questions, being inquisitive, and having an open line of communication. An open communication policy ensures that all of your team members will ask questions when needed, even if they find themselves in a situation that is uncomfortable.
Altogether, work to create a team of employees that listen and are actively participating in what’s happening around them. You can also keep meetings short and concise, give breaks during longer meetings, and provide healthier food choices to keep individuals more alert.
Tags: culture, employment, Environment, Listening, skills, team
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February 7th, 2011 by Kira
Perhaps it’s time to step outside of the box and lead in a new way – innovative. Most team leaders tend to step into the ways of their successors, doing what’s always been done, and most likely get the same results. While that may not be negative, in fact, that has its own advantages. Besides, if something is working – why fix it?
However, while your leadership style may not be evolving, your team is likely to be. As technology increases, work-life demands shift, and staff members come and go – your team and workforce will experience changes. While many employees resist change from management, they do in fact appreciate when management catches up to their evolution.
For instance, most employees who are in the trenches may be tech-savvy and your company software may be very outdated. Advancing your company’s innovative levels in small or large ways, helps your employees to stay in a cutting-edge environment, where they know their skills are always current, and that their company cares about moving into the future.
There are many other ways you can lead through innovation as well, such as considering what your team wants and desires. Do you have all working mothers in your office? Would child care, even just a few days a week contribute to their overall happiness or productivity? Do you have a stressful work environment where employees typically put in long hours? Perhaps you could create a space for exercise in the office, or bring a yoga instructor in a few times a week.
Leading through innovation is about forward thinking. It consists of going beyond what is normal, standard, or typical and seeking out opportunities and experiences that can make a difference for your team, your company, and your clients.
Tags: Innovation, Leadership, team
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February 12th, 2010 by Kira
Company culture is often a mysterious thing, it evolves as employees and managers move through the ranks, as people come and go, and new employees enter the scene. Company culture has the power to make or break company morale.
So how can you raise the bar on your company culture? Here are a few tips at keeping the culture high.
1. Avoid competing against one another. Using competition within the company can create conflict and resentment, instead use team competition and reward the company or group for meeting their goals. For example, instead of using sales people against one another make a team goal for all sales people to increase sales by 20%. Pair them up with the accounting department to decrease past due payments by 7%. Make the competition fun and light hearted and all around to support the overall good of the company.
2. Encourage philanthropy. You can do this as a company or for individuals. Support and recognize employees who donate their time and money to charitable organizations. Offer additional “community service” days off to encourage employees to take time to give to others. This is extremely beneficial to company morale., Employees who are happier with their company work harder, and are willing to go the extra mile when they know their company will go the extra mile for them.
3. Listen to your people. Employees like to feel heard and understood. Unfortunately, many corporations make decisions and let them filter down without considering the people the decisions will affect. Simply asking for what the people think, how things can be done better, and what changes they think will have the biggest impact can significantly improve your company culture. There’s nothing worse than employees who feel that nothing they do or say matters within the company.
4. Celebrate successes. As your company reaches its goals, reduces overhead, goes a year without an injury or whatever it is – celebrate! If there’s a reason to celebrate at the end people may work harder to achieve what you (the company) wants.
5. Values. Honor the company values and the employee’s values. Values like family, time off, and honoring religious or spiritual beliefs goes a long way. Work and life shouldn’t be separate and instead they should be integrated and balanced. Allow your employees to feel complete in all aspects of their work and life by allowing flexibility based on values.
Tags: company, company culture, employees, recognize, team
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