Ten Things Your Employees Wish You Knew About Them

WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO YOUR EMPLOYEES, DO YOU KNOW?

This take on what employees wish you, the leader/manager knew about them, was written by blogger Roberta Matuson with Fast Company .   It’s a good wake up call for you leaders who continue to operate in a fog by thinking that if the employees are showing up, everything’s just fine; or you who take for granted the people working to fulfill your vision.  Below I’ve listed five of the ten titles of the paragraphs Matuson elaborates on, to entice you to read the complete article.  It’s good to take a step back to ponder your employee’s “take” on things.  If you don’t, I guarantee you’ll be blindsided.

1. They are happy to have a job.

2. You’re not the boss of me.

3. Your girls don’t like being called girls.

4. We are no longer going to take one for the team.

5. We are tired of picking up the slack from the non-performers.

My favorite is #1.  It’s true that there’s a huge gap between being happy just to have a job, and being happy in your job.  Matuson says people who are happy in their job not only act differently by going the extra mile with customers, but they’re more engaged. Unfortunately those just happy to possess a job are biding their time, waiting for a better economy in order to move on to greener pastures.  Matuson says, it’s then that they’ll tell you what they really think, and I agree.  But my question is, do you know your staff and employees?  I mean really know them, so that you can discern which of these they are?  If not, I guarantee you’re headed for trouble.

Would you like to find out how you can know?  Contact me, and I’ll be happy to provide you with a complimentary Executive Coaching session.

YOU HEARD BUT ARE YOU LISTENING?

THE ONE SKILL EVERY LEADER NEEDS MORE                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

You as a leader/ manager are so busy these days that complete clear communication sometimes never happens.  Do you know if you’re really hearing what people are really saying?  Is there a way to be sure that you are?  Yes, there is, and it’s amazingly simple I can’t even believe it.  I was recently given a book on conflict resolution that make it such a huge deal.  What I’ve discovered is that 80% of the conflicts tend to be: one person didn’t say what the meant or didn’t use the right words to convey it, so the other person heard the words, but not the intent.  Or, the other person misunderstood completely what the other person was truly communicating and immediately jumped to assumptions and judgment based on what they heard, not what the person meant.  When I can get people together to work through and learn this process, it’s amazing how much clears up.  Don’t believe me, get on this complimentary call yourself and you be the judge!

During this tele-class you’ll examine, how to increase your leadership influence. You will gain practical tips on how to disagree with people without them ever knowing it, keeping them on your team. You’ll learn how to provide appropriate feedback, while discovering the one thing you should never do when you have to correct an employee.

DATE: August 25th
TIME: 12:00pm until 1:00pm MST
WHERE: Teleclass – on the phone (you will receive the # before the seminar)
GIVEN BY: Sue Porter – “The Accidental Leader”
COST: complimentary introductory rate – you must sign-up to receive the conference call number and materials

HOW TO “BE” A STAGE TWO LEADER

Do You Set Your Employees Up For Success?

“What if you had a job that tapped into your passion, a job in which your leaders became your servants – where they existed to personally or systematically helped you do your job? What if structures or systems were supportive, helpful, and were geared toward enabling, identifying, and releasing your potential? What if you were continually recognized and rewarded, and most importantly, felt the intrinsic satisfaction of contributing significantly to a cause you felt worthy of such heartfelt commitment?”

Steven Covey

I don’t believe I could describe a “Stage Two Leader” better. If you’re a new leader, seasoned leader, manager, of entrepreneur wanting to grow your leadership influence, take this paragraph to heart!  The challenge is, do you know of any leaders/business owners that see their position like this? If you do, please let me know, I’d love to write about them!

Your Leadership Will Stagnate if You Linger at This Stage

THE RELATIONAL STAGE For the New Leader, the Seasoned Leader, or Manager of a Company! (Without relationship, there is NO influence!)

At this stage the leader realizes that “PEOPLE” are the focal point and mission of their leadership. Because this is perceived as the “touchy feely” stage, many would like to avoid or skip it completely, but it will create a litany of problems if they do. It has to be about PEOPLE and PRODUCTIVITY for the leadership equation to work.“People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” Is the motto of this stage!

In the Relationship Stage:

• The leader has a growing understanding of their personal purpose and influence.

• The leader is growing into a “secure person” who isn’t out to prove anything, or “be” someone. They are comfortable in their own skin, not trying to impress anyone, or feed off of anyone’s approval or affirmation of them.

• The leader, at this stage, has learned that the must develop their most appreciable asset, PEOPLE!

• The influence of the leader is because they have established interdependent relationships.

• People feel the leader cares about them at this stage, their needs and dreams as an individual, as much as they care about the work they do.

• The agenda is to bring out the best in their employees, while assisting them to fulfill their mission and personal aspirations through their position.

• The leader knows the names and faces of their people, while continuing to discovering more about them each day.

• One can tell they’re at this stage because people contribute and participate willingly when it isn’t expected of them.

• There is an open door policy where communication is welcomed rather than squelched or avoided.

• The leader is open to new ideas, is flexible, and willing to change if it is a win-win for everyone.

• The leader knows how to tactfully deal with challenging people. They don’t avoid issues that need to be addressed, correcting problems and people before they escalate.

• The leader listens more than directs. And when he does speak, people listen intently.

• The leader is able to admit mistakes, taking ownership of his responsibility without blame shifting, cave dwelling (avoidance), or attacking.

• At this stage they can become overly confident in their influence, which may lead to egocentricity if they don’t advance to the next level soon enough.

THE CHALLENGE: If a leader stays on this level too long they wear out by trying to impress and please people. They will become frustrated because they are spread too thin. Therefore, they must learn to relinquish control and delegate, or they will burn out.

IS NOW YOUR TIME TO MOVE INTO LEADERSHIP?

HOW AND WHY YOU NEED TO MOVE UP THE LEADERSHIP LADDER

Companies have discovered it’s cheaper to retain and retrain, than to fire and rehire, when sorting for leadership. During this day and age when boomers are retiring, and half the amount of the current labor force is available (due to Generation X being half the size of the Boomer Generation). We not only have a dearth of people entering the workforce, but what leadership potential there is, lacks the necessary skills to acquire the positions being vacated. This means workforce development begins the minute you’re hired. So remember, the company may be sorting for potential future leaders to develop into the highest leadership level, level 5 leads for executive positions. If you want to take advantage of this unprecedented opportunity in the marketplace, you must move through the leadership levels, beginning by mastering Level 1 leadership competencies to then move up to Level 2 leadership. What will you need?

WHAT TO DO TO GROW TO THE SECOND LEVEL, You Must:

• Understand that failure is a prerequisite to success!
• Learn to be a servant leader.
• Develop your confidence. Overcome insecurity.
• Become an expert in your field.
• Grow in humility. (A continuous theme through each stage of development)
• Genuinely, authentically care about people. (Check out my coaching page for help.)
• Create win-win situations for your people.
• Find ways to meet the “mission” of your employees through company initiatives.
• Care about others more than you do about your own personal success or power.
• Develop yourself by receiving mentoring/coaching to uncover and work on your blind spots, i.e., the things that will keep you stagnated at this level.
• Take numerous inventories of yourself, i.e., DiSC, 360 degree, and leadership profiles, for further personal growth.
• Understand your mission and purpose for being in leadership. It’s not to meet some unmet need for acceptance, approval, or acclaim.
• Be more interested in making people feel good about themselves than making people feel good about you.
• Learn to do small talk as you walk by employees and co-workers.
• Don’t play favorites.
• Let people own their ideas, without adding to or tweaking them, as it will demoralize their effort, and transfer ownership to you.

Success is to be measured not so much by the position

that one has reached in life,

as by the obstacles which he has overcome

while trying to succeed.

Booker T. Washington

Do You Have the the Pieces to Move Up to Level 2 Leadership?

The Right Mindset, With Discipline and Follow-Through Can Elevate Your Leadership Level:

I have a client who has a fabulous business with great potential. The problem is that the employees feel like “slaves on a plantation.” Everything is done on an urgent time-line with continual revisions. No one ever knows when she’ll blow through the door with a whole new agenda. One root cause of her mindset, was how she viewed the role of her employees. This was a vital piece of the puzzle for our change initiative! Her premise was that they were there to do whatever she wanted or needed, whenever it was important to “her” never taking into consideration their ideas, efforts, or even paying attention to what had already been accomplished. Before working with her, she had high turnover and extremely low morale. This is pervasive in companies with level one leaders at the helm.

Once she began viewing her employees as valued partners and contributors, and not as “slaves” to beckon to her every whim, they began working as a team. People now feel valued, and their time and efforts are respected. This was accomplished simply by changing her “perception”. She now takes a minute to see how they’re doing. She looks at the report left by the previous shift and listens to their updates. (If you as a leader help accomplish the personal “mission” of your employees through your business initiatives, you will obtain a greater level of employee retention!)

Next, we created a system to run on. Now, creating structure is one thing, following through with it takes discipline, but is well worth the sanity of your whole team if everyone follows it! What did she do that changed things?

• Took a moment each day to pay attention to the “people” who worked for her by listening to them, valuing their initiative and work, and taking into consideration their ideas.

• Instituted and followed a strategic initiative by thoroughly communicated what work had been accomplished, what was still needed, and who was doing what.

Here are two more Level One competencies that will move you up the ladder of leadership/management influence!

Yes, there is more work needed in this company, but two dramatic, yet simple changes completely changed the moral of the workplace, and people no longer dread coming to work.

Your Coaching Plan:

• Stop, look in the eyes of your employees while asking questions to ascertain how they are, and then check in with them to see if they need anything.
• Together, with your employees, create a system, a strategic plan to operate off of that you, as their leader, commit whole-heartedly to follow, setting the example, while requiring them to implement as well! It will mean absolutely nothing, and will nullify all your efforts, if you don’t follow it thoroughly yourself.

Do You Have the Qualities of a Great Leader?

We know what bad leadership looks and feels like, now let’s define what great leadership is!  What am I missing?  In the comment section, please add your observations.

Great Leadership Is:

• Always learning
• Continuously believing
• A servant leader
• One that is faithful to your word
• Always looking for, and believing the best of your team, even when they've failed
• Eliciting the assistance of a gifted team of people who you trust.
• Delegating your weaknesses without being threatened by the gifted employees who have greater knowledge, experience, and expertise
• Celebrating your team’s wins, while monitoring their failures, without projecting that they are failures.
• When you can say, "The buck stops here!"
• Living with a high level of integrity
• Is responsible for setting a positive atmosphere while smashing negativity
• Finding subject matter experts to compensate for your gaps
• Being the same person in private as in public
• Creating a synergistic climate through your positive expectations of what CAN be done
• Able to delegate and follow-through consistently
• Asking the hard questions and uncovering what is, and what is not working Being able to honestly assess the difficult results, while taking responsibility for all outcomes, good and bad
• Being able to LISTEN to your staff to hear what’s missing, not just what you want to hear
• Valuing the process by not cutting corners to acquire what you want sooner than the process demands
• Trusting that when you delegate a project you won’t need to micromanage to acquire great results
• Admitting when you’re wrong without giving excuses or blame-shifting to take the focus off your own mistakes
• Accomplishing the same expectations you have of others
• Casting realistic visions while navigating and keeping the ship on course
• Putting a demand on yourself, as much as on others
• Realistic
• Seeing the gifting, talent, and possibility in others. Then extrapolating the outcomes for the furtherance of the vision as well as for the personal growth of the person
• Inspirational and motivational
• Able to make the least on your team feel as though they have important contributions to make.
• Taking responsibility and able to say, “I was wrong!” when appropriate
• Guides and navigates without using manipulation
• So secure you don’t need to feed on the accolades or appreciation others. You “are” confident and competent
• Always growing in your skills, knowledge, and confidence
• Giving credit where credit is due
• Being humble

What are the Necessary Elements You Need, as a Leader, to Attract, Motivate, and Keep the Most Talented Employees?

The Gallop organization discovered that the employees who rated the questions below more positively , had a company with much higher levels of productivity, greater profit, higher retention and more satisfied customer service.

To build a productive, collaborative, positive climate, the questions below will guide your actions toward retention. Find a way to keep your pulse on how your employees are “really” doing, will take some tact, and even some investigation. Those on their way out won’t as readily or honestly share how they’re doing. They won’t want to tip you off. Be creative, but not sneaky in your effort to learn the answers to these questions.

1. Do I know what is expected of me at work?
2. Do I have the materials and equipment I need to do my work right?
3. At work, do I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day?
4. In the last seven days, have I received recognition or praise for doing good work?
5. Does my supervisor, or someone at work, seem to care about me as a person?
6. Is there someone at work who encourages my development?
7. At work, do my opinions seem to count?
8. Does the mission/purpose of my company make me feel my job is important?
9. Are my co-workers committed to doing quality work?
10. Do I have a best friend at work?
11. In the last six months, has someone at work talked to me about my progress?
12. This last year, have I had opportunities at work to learn and grow.

At Starbucks, they are ingenious in the way they gather this kind of information. They conduct “skip level” interviews. This alone elicits a natural accountability, as they do it often enough that those who work at Starbucks, and both my children have been “shifts” at Starbucks, know their actions will be disclosed to the powers that be, hence some of why you have positive, friendly employees that are known as partners, and truly treated as such.

MONDAY MORSELS for Leaders-Two Questions to Assist You In Retaining Your Most Talented Employees!

It’s a common occurrence, and I see it all the time. “How could she do that to us?” (they say), as one of their key employees packs to leave for a better offer, or a new opportunity. Neither the manager, nor the owner/leader, had any idea this employee was open to other options, or possibly discontent. Now they’ll be left short handed while everything goes into crisis mode, as the position becomes vacant.

So let me ask you, could this have been avoided? Is there a way to avert this from taking place at your company? Absolutely! Two questions-that’s all it takes to keep from being blindsided. Or, in the least, it is the beginning of a process that will undoubtedly save the company countless dollars, not to mention time and resources of other employees, who need to do their own work but will have to take on the responsibilities of this position until a new hire is up and trained. What are these questions?

• What is it that will keep you here?
• What would make you leave?

If you’ll take the time to find out the answer to these two questions, you’re well on your way to designing a culture and position that will keep talented, focused employees. That is, assuming you’ve put someone in the position that actually fits the position in the first place with their personality, knowledge, education, talent and desire. Make sure you have someone asking these questions that will drill down to the real answers. If the owner asks it, you can guess that what you’ll get is what you want to hear. This is why when I’m hired to come in to assist the owners, either as an Executive Coach or in a consulting role, that I’m able to easily find these answers out. Employees know that I have no allegiance and that I have their best interest at heart. I believe they can truly tell I care about them, and how they’re doing as well as the company. So, you say you can’t hire me? Then have someone else, someone that has nothing to gain from the knowledge, find out the answers to these two questions. And then don’t stop there! Actually take the information you receive from them, and develop a plan, a plan to retain your best, most talented employees! You’ll be glad you did.

5 Costly Perils Business Owners Can Avoid pt. 1 (Just say “No)

The symptom:

1. I’m the owner, I can do it all myself, or pay my current employees to do it. This is, by far, the most prevalent and deceptive peril I see in operation in businesses. It appears to make sense when you’re the leader/manager, that is, if you don’t uncover all the facts. If you, or your employee, have specific training to perform high level job tasks that warrant a larger pay scale than minimum wage, and you give this employee a time-intensive, mundane task to perform, it’s illogical!  You see, if any high school student could do it, and it doesn’t take specialized training, you’re wasting perfectly good resources – your specially trained workforce.  But by far the worst thing you could do would be to do it yourself! If you do, you’re throwing good money, not to mention time, down the drain. “But, I’m saving money because I’m not adding more people to the payroll”, you say. Nothing could be more misleading! If you or your qualified employee could be spending time generating more work, bring in clientele, or working on cost saving processes that would save the company money, while a temp is doing the boring, mundane task, well, you figure it out. It only makes good business sense, as well as solid time management to delegate the task. Here’s the formula: Be sure you’re doing tasks that mirror your pay scale. Take some time to calculate your hourly worth, as well as know your employees’ hourly rate. If, according to the income, you or they are worth $200, or even $35 an hour, then don’t spend hours doing a job you could pay someone else $8 per hour. Make sense?

The solution:

In light of the surplus of people out of work, it is just intelligent to hire either a virtual assistant, a temp, or a minimum wage earner to do these tasks. Why not try to stay within the confines of your “brilliant self”? This connotes doing only those things that make you shine, and bring compound exponential value to your business. See for yourself how much more effective and fulfilled you and your staff will be. It’s why you’ve gained your specific training in the first place!

A perfect example of this “Just Say No!” skill is that of Mick Jagger and his three comrades from “The Rolling Stones”. Mick does two things, and two things exceptionally well: 1. He performs; and, 2. He records. He’s done it for more than 40 years, and is still going strong! (If it’s not obvious, they haven’t burned out. . . which is a common occurrence among business owners who try to DO ALL and BE ALL.) Wouldn’t it be silly to see Mick and the band among the 200 or so people that it takes to set up their two to three-story set? Or have them calling around to obtain bookings for their performances? Better yet, would you think it a good idea for Mick to learn to fly a plane, just so they wouldn’t have to pay one of the two or more pilots on their payroll?  If it makes sense for them, it makes sense for you. Obviously on a much smaller scale, but the same principle all the same. So my motto for my clients for the new year is: “JUST SAY NO!”, and watch your money flow while your business grows!

Is it too ingrained in you to change?  Is setting leadership priorities and sticking with them difficult for you? Then it might be time to hire an Executive Coach. Check out the offer through January, and set yourself up for your best year ever!  Do it today. You won’t regret it, you have my word, and a money back guarantee!

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