Lean
Tip #1861 - Remember That Feedback is a Gift.
Employees
want feedback. They deserve information that can help them achieve their goals
and the organization’s. Giving regular feedback will help create the team
engagement you need to increase your organization’s performance. Let them know
what they do well so they can keep doing those things with confidence. Suggest
course corrections to help them use their time and effort most efficiently.
Lean
Tip #1862 - Talk and Listen More.
Communication
(especially in today’s email-driven workplace) is often one-way. Conversation,
on the other hand, is about dialogue between two or more people. Conversation
drives clarity. It is by far the most effective vehicle for providing
performance feedback and increasing your team’s engagement levels. It is the
only way to efficiently generate new ideas for increasing business results and
personal job satisfaction. It helps prevent misunderstandings. It builds trust.
Lean
Tip #1863 - Match Projects, Passion, and Proficiency.
Every
person comes to work with a different combination of personal values, talents,
and goals, which they are looking to satisfy on the job. They don’t necessarily
want a lofty title, a higher salary, or your job. If you can help them connect
what’s important to them with what’s important to the organization, you can
increase their engagement levels and make a positive impact on their job
satisfaction, commitment, and contribution.
Lean
Tip #1864 - Provide Autonomy
Change
affects people and teams differently, but in general, people want to have
control over their work environment. Empower managers and employees to
incorporate change in the way that makes the most sense for them/their team.
Give them permission to find their own solutions to implement the change.
Lean
Tip #1865 - Insist on Accountability
Establishing
real goals that inspire ownership and commitment can be a strong motivational
tactic. It can also help improve employee engagement by as much as 20%. In
fact, performance management is the number two driver of employee engagement
(after career opportunities), and studies show that people who set motivational
goals are up to 75% more fulfilled in their jobs than those who set routine
goals (as in, just working through your daily To-Do list). Working together
with employees to set short, long-term, and stretch goals—realistic, yet
aspirational targets that encourage employees to test their skills and leave
their comfort zone without setting them up for failure—can provide outstanding
motivation to keep them engaged over the long term.
Lean
Tip #1866 - Encourage Transparency
Transparency
starts at the top. Management can help improve information sharing in the
workplace by encouraging transparency in their own ranks to help it trickle
down to employees. Where employees may be reticent to share information in the
workplace, once a manager breaks the ice by sharing their own company
information, their subordinates are more likely to follow suit. Management
should make meaningful steps to take the lead in sharing and disseminating
company information.
Lean
Tip #1867 - Explain the Why
Often
leaders come up with a great idea, plan it, implement it, and may even
communicate it, but they may not think to explain why a particular initiative
makes sense for any given time.
This
requires communicating from the 50,000 foot level and making sure employees
understand why something is done and how it supports business goals and
organizational strategy.
Lean
Tip #1868 - Enable Company-wide Conversations
So
many companies are built on top-down communication from management. Employees
in this environment feel there is no purpose in taking a stand, since they have
no direct channel and don't feel they'll have an impact. As a leader, you may
have clear direction and more experience, but that doesn't invalidate feedback
and ideas from people on the front lines. Give employees structured ways to
make their thoughts, feelings and observations known easily and regularly. Help
them understand that their input is valued even if you decide to go a different
way. Make sure you acknowledge them for sharing and reward valuable input that
helps the company.
Lean
Tip #1869 - Put the Numbers Into Perspective – The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
Most
leaders carry lots of information in their brains. Unfortunately, many
employees don't get the benefit of all that information, yet they are expected
to take action and make good decisions as if they understood every nuance.
Great leaders figure out how to extract the important information from their
minds and share it in a structured and consistent manner. An employee who
clearly understands the core values, purpose and direction of the company can
easily make consistent decisions and take appropriate action at any junction.
It's on you as the leader to impart your vision. That's how you lead.
Lean
Tip #1870 - Be Proactive and Seek Support
Once
the results have been shared, request input for action steps to work on areas
requiring improvement or outline steps or processes that will be implemented to
address shortcomings. Encourage employees to share responsibility for coming up
with ideas so they contribute the outcome. Determine what success or
improvement looks like in specific and measurable terms.
Lean
Tip #1871 - Encourage Safe Failure
Many
employees, by their very nature, are risk-adverse. That's why they are employees and not
entrepreneurs. If they work in an environment where the boss is always
correcting them before they have a chance to execute, they will constantly look
for approval before taking action or, worse, simply avoid any new or dynamic
action. Give employees the opportunity to try new things in a way that doesn't
put the company in danger. Create milestone checkpoints or set up laboratory
environments where people can test new ideas and learn from the failures as
well as the successes. Then your employees will gain understanding and feel
comfortable innovating.
Lean
Tip #1872 - Support Employee Independence
A
leader who is constantly looking over the shoulder of employees is little more
than a babysitter. Give your employees reasons and opportunity to stretch out
on their own and even lead others. They may stumble, but they'll learn a lot
and build the respect of their colleagues while preparing to be great
empowering leaders themselves someday.
Lean
Tip #1873 - Appreciate Employee Efforts
Yes,
it's true that people get paid for the job. But the best employees don't work
at your company just for the money. Empowered people need a greater level of
satisfaction than simply financial stability. They need to feel that leadership
appreciates their contribution and values their participation. Don't be shy
about finding ways to say "thank you" or celebrating the good things
your employees do. If they have to ask how they are doing, you are doing your
job poorly as a leader.
Lean
Tip #1874 - Help Employees Develop Relationships.
The
outcome of any collaborative effort is dependent upon well-developed personal
relationships among participants. Not allowing time for this can be a costly
mistake. For example, all too often, in the rush to get started on a project,
team leaders put people together and tell them to "get to work."
You'll get better results if your give your group time (upfront) to get to know
one another, to discover each other's strengths and weaknesses, to build
personal ties, and to develop a common understanding about the project.
Lean
Tip #1875 - Focus on Building Trust.
Trust
is the belief or confidence that one party has in the reliability, integrity
and honesty of another party. It is the expectation that the faith one places
in someone else will be honored. It is also the glue that holds together any
group. Leaders demonstrate their trust in employees by the open, candid, and
ongoing communication that is the foundation of informed collaboration.
