Lean
Tip #721 - Reduce information overload to get our message across
Employees
can feel deluged by information and it can be a major source of workplace
stress for them. In addition, an overload of information means staff may be
unable to effectively identify and assimilate important information due to
excessive background 'noise'. As new forms of communication have grown,
internally communicated messages have to compete with more and more traffic; if
there is no appeal, internal communications will simply not be read.
Lean
Tip #722 - Find ways to 'listen' and gather feedback
Listening
is an essential part of good communication. Effective communication is not a
top-down, one-way exercise, but involves listening and demonstrating an
inclination to act in response. 'Listening' can be a real challenge for many
leaders. Employee suggestion schemes can encourage ideas but are not always
that effective. Other ways to listen include: attending local team meetings, formalized
feedback sessions, open forums and of course direct dialogue with employees.
Lean
Tip #723 - Maintain levels of
capability and knowledge
A
good knowledge and understanding of products, services and key business
processes is essential to developing effective, satisfied staff and delivering
good customer service. The next time you roll out a training program, remember,
in 30 days people typically forget 80% of what they have learnt if it is not
reinforced... Any easy way to reinforce training and measure and raise
capability is to use standard work.
Lean
Tip #724 - Engage employees by involving them
Involvement
is an important aspect of engagement and commitment to an organization. Find
ways to involve employees and allow them to influence some aspects of the
business operations. Ensure a process exists for submitting ideas and
suggestions, allow employees to solve problems in their own area, as well as contribute
to projects and initiatives being run by the wider organization.
Lean
Tip #725 - Communicate respectfully to be heard.
Poor
communication wastes time, delays decisions, and damages morale. Core values such as
respectful communication and integrity cost nothing. Smarter managers empower
their employees to work together with respectful communication and leadership
approaches that enable them to leverage scarce resources and to do more with
less.
Lean
Tip #726 - Boost Confidence in Your Team by Focusing on Strengths,
Self-confidence
is always a winning quality. Its value is never more evident when welcoming
change at the workplace. Focus
on individual and team strengths, not weaknesses. There is little that boosts
self-confidence more than a sincere “Atta, Boy!” Use individual and team
strengths to help staff accept change and implement necessary procedures with a
smile, instead of a frown.
Lean
Tip #727 – A Good Work-Life Balance Aids in Acceptance to Change.
Most
people that have a sense of balance in their lives, between the personal and
professional, adapt well to change. It seems that those employees that have
other interests, beyond the workplace, deal with change much better than those
who are “married” to their jobs. Encourage your staff to have other,
meaningful life experiences. Support your employees' getting a real life, hobby,
pastime or other interests. Convince them that you understand and encourage a
strong work-life balance. Your staff will appreciate your concern and position
on this subject. Whether or not they verbalize their need for balance (or even
consciously understand that it exists), your staff will appreciate your
interest in their total—not just workplace—well-being.
Lean
Tip #728 - Show Respect for People’s Natural Creativity.
Employees
who are naturally curious tend to embrace change as a new adventure in gaining
knowledge, fueling their inherent creativity. Nurturing an employee’s “inner
genius” generates and fuels creativity. All staff members have creativity and
innovation. Bringing it out can be challenging. Mandating it is impossible.
However, publicly displaying your knowledge of and respect for your staff’s
individual and collective creativity can make workplace change a highly
successful event.
Lean
Tip #729 - Take Time to Sharpen Your Collaborative Skills.
There
are those who prefer working individually, often alone. Others, however, like
collaborating with a team to achieve solutions. These people also often thrive
on change. You cannot mandate a collaborative staff. You can, however,
influence a team mentality and active sense of collaboration, by showing the
value of collaborating to achieve a goal. Design a collaborative environment
that rewards employees for helping reach objectives necessary to implement
changes.
Lean
Tip #730 – People Can Cope With Change Much Easier When You Lighten The Mood.
Inject
a sense of humor and levity. People can cope with change much easier when you
lighten the mood. You minimize the inevitable stresses and pressures of change,
while offering your staff a safe, comfortable “landing spot.” Those who are
adaptable, as most creatures become through evolution, deal well with changes.
They resist becoming overwhelmed or discouraged. These people simply “go with
the flow.” Few techniques exist to better lighten up a dower or stressful
situation than some appropriate humor and a spirit of fun.
Lean
Tip #731 – Leaders Empower Employees to Move Forward
Empowering
leaders think about how they can help their coworkers move up and grow. They
think about ways they can guide people in developing new skills. They delegate
important tasks, explain the expectations, and coach them to win. Empowering
leaders never blame themselves or others for failure. Rather, they empower
people to try new things without being worried about failure, take bigger steps
without competing with others, and climb up the ladder in their field without
worrying about someone pulling them off the ladder.
By
empowering others to do more than they think they can do, you fill the gaps and
guarantee success.
Lean
Tip #732 – Leaders Encourage Leadership
The
ultimate task of an exemplary leader is to develop more exemplary leaders.
Therefore, the right plan for employee development aims toward developing
future leaders who can influence many in positive ways. Encouraging people to
take leadership roles, lead by example, and raise their leadership lid should
be on the top of the list of employee development for any organization that
wants to reach to the peak of success in the 21st century.
Lean
Tip #733 - Effective Leaders Discover People’s Potential and Talents
All
people have more energy and ability within them than they could ever imagine.
Your job, as a leader, is to discover this truth for the benefit of your
organization as well as yourself. When you discover someone’s potential, you
can help her develop her potential and become more productive and skillful.
There is no service better than helping others to soar to excellence and become
better human beings.
Lean
Tip #734 - Organizations Suffer Without Development Plans.
Unfortunately,
many organizations do not plan properly for the development of their people and
teams. People development without proper planning in place normally results in
internal and external conflict, which leads to confusion, low productivity,
less motivation, and therefore loss in various ways. When the right plan for
development is designed based on the employees’ needs, desires, and potential
the expected positive outcome will be achieved.
Lean
Tip #735 - Challenge Your Employees To Move Out Of Their Comfort Zone.
You
can’t move forward if you don’t grow and you can’t grow if you never leave your
comfort zone. When possible, give your employees challenging assignments. Help
them prepare by providing them a safe environment to learn from the mistakes
that they are bound to make.
