Posts Tagged ‘Employee performance’
Where’s The “Service”?
Employees give the level of service that leaders demand and reward.
With these economic tough times you’d think businesses would be incentivizing, hammering on, or at least training employees to go out of their way to give out-of-the-way service.
But, where’s the service? I rarely see extraordinary service.
Have you noticed just how little follow-up after the sale service occurs? How little employees and owners care?
My furniture store doesn’t follow-up after the sale. We spent $$ recently on furniture. The salesman didn’t follow up to see how we liked it. We followed up when a flaw in one chair was uncovered. We called the salesman. He called the distribution and service center, they called us. He said he’d follow-up with the distribution folks. I don’t know if he did or not, because he never called.
My mechanic follows up, though. Every time. The new car dealer we’ve purchased from for years follows up every single visit, whatever the reason. Repair the wiper blades, they call!
Normally, I might be tempted to complain to the dealership that “enough is enough already” … but kudos to them for doing something that takes a little extra time, but shows a lot of CARE!
7 Delegation Questions
Avoiding the trap of trying to get more done without help from others will increase your personal productivity.
However, if most of us were frank we’d admit to following the self-prescribed mantra that doing it ourselves is the best way to get something done right!
Keep in mind delegation works the very best when you need some free time for other tasks and delegation could help.
A wise manager will carefully consider aspects related to the employee being considered for important work assignments. Try asking yourself these questions before you delegate:
- Can this person work independently without concentrated oversight?
- Do they have the experience or skill-set to do the work at a successful level?
- Is he/she able to make an immediate contribution?
- Will they have the enthusiasm and drive needed to get the work done?
- Are they dependable, will they come through on deadlines?
- Will I need to free the employee of other work/tasks in order to achieve the delegated work?
- Will this person require a lot of my personal oversight and time? In particular, can I make the necessary time investment right now with this individual to coach or train them in how to do the work?
Admittedly, delegating to an employee is frustrating especially if he/she doesn’t follow instructions, or if in the past they dropped the ball on assigned work altogether. But keep on trying—because the benefits of delegation are significant.
Master Leadership Tips
Author George Barna’s book, Master Leaders, presents a refreshing, thought-provoking view on what can be a stilted book topic–leadership.
No doubt, this is one of the most unique leadership books I’ve ever come across. Barna presents advice on some of the toughest topics for leaders, taken from his conversations with 30 world-class leaders while sitting in the ‘green room’ at a conference where he served as master of ceremonies.
I felt like I was there personally, sitting quietly in the corner of the ‘green room’ eaves dropping on “the greats” as they spoke passionately about the essentials of leading people. (Included are “greats” like Ken Blanchard, Tony Dungy, Newt Gingrich, Seth Godin, Lou Holtz, John Kotter, Patrick Lencioni, and many others).
Here are some of my favorite take-aways from Master Leaders:
Inspiring Teamwork Quotes
Inspiration defined: Stimulation of the mind or emotions to a high level of feeling or activity. Source: www.dictionary.com
Inspiration is beneficial as well as vital. It may even run a close second to oxygen! Quotes regularly stimulate my thinking, and too, my feelings.
The effects of inspirational quotes can stir thoughts or spur new actions. Here are a few quotes that may help a team think differently about its challenges, consider more fully its opportunities, set aside its conflict, and work together to achieve the organization’s goals.
1. None of us is as smart as all of us.
–Ken Blanchard
2. TEAM: Together Everyone Achieves More.
–Unknown
3. The strength of the team is each individual member… the strength of each member is the team.
–Coach Phil Jackson
Maximize Customer Opportunity!
I’m still hot about a recent experience at a jewelry store. My wife and I are celebrating thirty years and an anniversary ring was on the buy list.
The sales clerk was awful! After dismissing my wife’s interest in a right-handed ring with “Oh we don’t have much of that,” she then explained that there were options all over the store. Huh?
She suggested we look around, and then turned away from us. I’m ready to walk but my wife starts admiring the rings. Thirty years of marriage to this woman taught me, stay put for now!
As we shopped not one employee (12 to 1 ratio/customers) made eye contact or spoke. When we walked by our clerk, ten minutes later, without any further offer to help she said, “Getting cross-eyed yet!?” I could think of a thousand better things to say.
She blew an opportunity. The jeweler lost out. We left and bought a competitor’s ring.
Now here’s my point—high unemployment and economic turbulence brings reduced customer opportunity for virtually everything. Here are some ways to maximize customer opportunities:
Stop Negativity Before It Spreads
Chronic negativity generally involves just one or two individuals but affects everyone on the team. Negativity is caustic. Negativity metastasizes. Negativity creates a dark cloud.
People who regularly complain, gripe, nay say and criticize, are chronic negativists. And chronic negativists are still liabilities even if they exceed performance requirements.
You can’t change the attitude of a chronic negativist they must do that for themselves. But, there are a few ways to manage them effectively:
Difficult Employees Are Like Moles
Have you ever played the arcade game that gives you a mallet and the goal is to punch down the mole when he raises up from one of a dozen places, then quickly retreats? I have, but I’ve never been any good at it! The mole is fast and unpredictable, I’m slow and linear.
Dealing with a difficult employee can be like that game. Why? Because they’re the ones who stir up conflict with teammates, consistently arrive late or leave early, constantly text on their phone, make endless excuses for missing deadlines or poor work. Just when you think you’ve got them straightened out, another problem (mole) surfaces which you must address (punch down).
