You Must Get this! Some Infos in Regards to 180 Assessments
05.16.10 | Comments Off

Don’t forget that in addition to increased sales, profits can also be boosted by reducing overhead and more productive use of assets. One of the simpler ways to do this is through employee performance management software.

It’s well known that a profitable business customizes its systems to the strengths of each member of staff in order to get the best out of them. Pinpointing and making this data ready for use is often where it gets difficult, though. Just keeping track of staff performance and identifying progress in their performance is a huge hassle. First of all, you implement employee evaluation systems to assess and keep track of the work done by each worker. The analysis of all of this data is next. After all, before you can put it to use setting goals and tracking further development it’s key to know what the raw data translates to. Employing performance management software you’ll find that this preliminary work is taken care of and you only need to look at the various analyses and factors to determine what the right set of goals for this staff member would be. It also renders charting the staff member’s progress much easier. This removes the need to spend time on analysis and is likely to be more precise. If you choose to you can instead carry out your own assessment, merely utilizing the software to produce and maintain a record to work from.

It goes without saying that it isn’t employee effieciency alone that can be improved by advice from performance appraisal software. Such software can also be used to study your clients and suppliers. It’s easy to check which suppliers carry higher quality products, at the lowest prices as well as identify those with high rates of damage or poor delivery times.

Turning our attention to affiliates, clients, and retailers, you can demonstrate who bringhs you the most resales if there are payment issues, which one has the highest loss percentage, and the solutions to other questions. This information is useful in minimizing expenses and boosting profits. As well as this, a greater understanding of your market will make for easier planning of your advertising. You can study your suppliers to minimize costs and watch your target market to make more money using performance appraisal software. It renders employee performance management a breeze and more effective as well as helping you encourage staff by assigning them precisely defined goals dramatically. All in all, what you can achieve using this software is almost unbelievable!

Improving Your People Management Skills
01.16.10 | Comments Off

Visit and inspect our splendid website for compliance reporting software guidelines.

People management skills are important for business success. People management may be developed and studied. It may be a plus to have a intuitive affinity for people, even so you can do numerous things to make the process simple. Relationship Building: Begin by memorizing an individual’s name. Speak to staff; look employees in the eye during a conversation. Be respectful, also be attentive to the other person’s point of view, even if you don’t agree or have another viewpoint. Paying attention to what others say is one of the most crucial human resource management skills in your arsenal. Welcome any comments from your co-workers. Show integrity: Do not make promises you can not keep. If you can’t deliver on what you have promised, the fragile bond of trust is damaged, and if they can’t trust you people will not offer their best. Everytime you make a commitment or give a promise, ensure you can deliver or it would really be more sensible not to give your word at all. To be honest, if you can’t be counted upon, you can be sure they will behave in the same fashion.

Feedback is important: Feedback should be a interactive process. Having an open mind regarding other people’s opinions is very important in effective human resource management. If you are willing to demonstrate that you are approachable and open, you establish that other people’s views are important to you, your opinions will be valued in return. Supporting discussion also promotes growth of creative problem solving, original methods of accomplishing goals, and develops the team dynamic. By giving the employees an input, each member invests in the outcome. Encourage all sorts of communication: Communication is fundamental to managing individuals with skill. Maintaining an open door policy, use good listening techniques, be open-minded, and encourage each of your staff to express their views. Employees should be inspired to speak with one another not just with you. The exchange of thoughts is imperative in the creative process, if the staff communicate openly, it becomes simple to find any issues before they could become a problem, allowing corrective measures to be put in place to prevent any further problems. This can require some work, even so the rewards are worthwhile. By inspiring a good team dynamic and by listening to your team’s ideas, you can accomplish a successful business.

Performance Reviews - the Bare Facts
10.06.09 | Comments Off

The current economy means that profit can most effectively be increased by minimizing costs, rather than by increase of income. With this in mind, let us turn to the many benefits of employee performance management software. Business optimization needs an understanding of the specialties and weaknesses of its staff; in what areas is their best work done? How can you adjust your system to emphasize their strengths and suppress their weaknesses? There can be no more important question. While this information is useful, it’s not always painless to obtain. If we take one facet of this - employee appraisal- determining their progress and keeping track of it is a significant amount of work. The first step is to bring employee evaluation systems into play. Once this is done you can assess the work of each worker. Should you be using conventional approaches, the next step is the manual analysis of all the raw data points you will have obtained simply to follow future progress and define goals.

Employing performance management software you’ll find that this preliminary work is taken care of and you need only scrutinize the various metrics to determine what an appropriate goals for this member of staff would be. It also renders charting the member of staff’s development much easier. Generating as it does more useful information in less time, this is of course a cost saving measure before putting these findings to use. There is the option to analyze all of the performance reviews yourself using the process just to organize and record everything. Needless to say, it’s not just the efficiency of employees that can benefit from use of performance appraisal software. It can also be valuable to study suppliers and clients to be better able to reduce costs by precision ordering. You’ll have a data analysis that can show which suppliers provide higher grade products, for the best prices as well as distinguish those with bad damage records or slow delivery times.

Clients have their own measurements to be scrutinized, and just as with suppliers and internal questions this information can be used to help your bottom line. This information is useful in minimizing expenses and boosting profits. As well as all this, it’ll be less trouble to plan marketing campaigns because you’ll have a deeper insight into your market and the location of your best target audience.

You can study your sources in order to reduce costs and watch your market so that you can boost profit utilizing performance appraisal software. Synched with a program of employee reviews this software is sure to enhance employee performance management greatly. How much you can achieve seems almost unlimited with performance management software backing you up…

Technological Evolution Makes Employment Verification Simpler
09.08.09 | Comments Off

The newest method of doing Employment Verification is to simply hire a company that will set up an account for your company and charge you based on how many Employment Verifications you do in a month. Once you have selected a company and set up an account, simply select the applicants that you want to check. Just make sure that you have authorization from the applicant before you check anything.

Recently, a company called VeraTrack introduced a revolutionary and proprietary system that uses technology, and an automated system, to drastically reduce the workload that Employment Verification presents. All a company has to do is log in, enter the identifying information of both the company and the applicant, enter the information to be verified, and simply wait. The system sends a notification to the previous company, requesting that they log on (using a secure verification code) and complete the necessary information. Once this is done, the hiring company is notified, and the job is done.

Many companies are moving to this type of Employment Verification because it is much quicker and you are able to verify many more jobs and applicants than if you were to either call or fax all the employers on a resume. This method is also very popular because it will keep the previous employment information confidential and safe. So save your company time and effort. Signing up for this revolutionary way of doing Employment Verification can make sure you are getting the best candidates and also do it quickly.

How to Improve Your Human Resources Management Skills
06.16.09 | Comments Off

A thriving business depends on the efficient management of individuals. People management can be improved and learned. It can be a plus to have a intuitive affinity for dealing with people, all the same you can do some things to help the process.

Relationship Building: Addressing staff by name is a start. Talk to employees; look individuals in the eye during a conversation. Do be respectful, and be sure to listen to everything the other individual says, regardless of whether you agree with them. Paying attention to everything others have to offer is one of the most important people management skills you can learn. Be sure to show interest in what people can offer the business organization.

Live up to promises: Keeping your word is key. When you don’t keep your word, the fragile bond of trust is violated, and nobody will give you their best efforts without trusting you. When you say something or give your word on something, you are wasting your time and effort unless you follow through. To be frank, when you can’t be counted on, you can be certain they will act in a similar manner.

Encourage any feedback: It’s a two way street. Keeping an open mind regarding other people’s views is an important skill in effective people management. Being approachable and open demonstrates that you want to hear other people’s ideas, and they will value yours. Promoting open conversation in addition encourages growth of fresh ways of thinking, new methods of fulfilling the goals of the company, and strengthens the company in general. By giving the team an input, each member of staff invests in the outcome.

Communicating is the key: Communication is central to managing individuals effectively. Maintaining an open door policy, listen intently to other people’s opinions, be open-minded, and permit all your team to express themselves. Encourage team members not only to speak with you, but with each other. The growth of any business depends heavily on the interchange of opinions, and in communicating with each other, it becomes easy to discover issues before they could present a problem, allowing corrective measures to be implemented to prevent any further problems.

Some time is essential, all the same the dividends achieved far outweigh the effort. By establishing the bonds of a good team and taking heed of what your employees have to offer, you can easily achieve a successful business.

Labels
05.31.08 | Comments Off

In this age, there is a lot of focus on the importance of “getting organized.” There are even professional organizers for hire! Labels are a huge presence in the field of organization, because they enable everything to be tagged and put in its place. From birthday party invitations to mass market mailings to identifying file folders, consumers frequently employ labels in their everyday lives. Labels are a convenient and simple way to increase organization in business and home settings.

By using the templates provided on word processing programs, making personal labels has become fairly easy and much less time consuming than writing them by hand. There are several name brand labels and many generic store brands that work with the same templates. Labels are available in several different shapes and sizes and in color, white, or clear. Some are permanent and others are removable. They are tailor-made for optimum print quality on either Inkjet or Laser printers. Labels are available for almost any need that the consumer may have.

For larger projects and for transferring data from a mailing list in spreadsheet format to a label template, many people use Mail Merge, a feature in Microsoft Word that uploads a list of names and addresses and reformats it into easy-to-print labels. Even if only one typed label is needed, label companies now sell detachable labels that can be printed one at a time without wasting other labels.

The uses for labels are unlimited and include archiving and record keeping, shipping, advertising, and organization.

Archiving and Record Keeping

Even in one’s home, the amount of papers accumulated in a year from bills, statements, and reports are staggering. Businesses collect a much higher number of invoices, publications, and correspondence. Sometimes there is the temptation to throw it all away, but the day may come when a receipt or invoice from two years ago is needed and the consumer is so glad that it was saved. One way to get rid of all the clutter is by archiving the information monthly or yearly, according to the amount. Office supply companies sell archiving systems, which include sturdy boxes for storage, labels and programs for record keeping, and an internal filing system for use inside the box. This helps tremendously in keeping track of the important communications that have occurred.

Shipping

Labels are necessary when shipping and mailing various items. Label templates on word processing programs offer a wide array of different labels, such as large labels for boxes, tiny labels for return addresses, and several sizes in between for labeling CDs, videotapes, floppy disks, and more. Full sheet labels are also available so that the user can be creative with their own cut outs, graphics and clipart.

Advertising
Many businesses place their company logo and tagline on their mailing labels to make an impression on the buyer and create brand familiarity. For example, mail order companies know that it increases the buyer’s satisfaction level when they see the familiar packaging and label arrive at their doorstep. Labels are also used in advertising for mass-market mailings of brochures, coupons, offers, and special sales sheets.

Organization

Just about every aspect of life can be improved with increased organization. Labels help the user to achieve order by designating specific spaces for items. There are so many areas in which organization and labels are useful, including safety issues, like keeping track of alarm codes and times to replace fire detection units. Also, labels assist in keeping automobiles current on tune-ups, and family members and pets up-to-date on medical checkups. Household chore schedules, gift wrapping area and supplies, coupon clipping, and rummage sales are just some of the other areas that are greatly helped by the use of labels.

If you would like to know mor about label related issues, please visit: www.labelx.info

How Does Personal Development Help in Business?
05.30.08 | Comments Off

Teams run most businesses and teams work best if each member is aligned with the whole group and works in a happy friendly way. Team building has been very popular over the last ten years or so, but wouldn’t it be so much easier if we naturally lived a life in synchrony with your teammates and your customers.

Businesses in the past has employed people for the purpose of fulfilling a role and paying a wage, were the employee may not really enjoy the job they are doing. As we move into the New Energy and develop our awareness. As New Spirituality develops and Self-love grows and your appreciation for fellow employees naturally changes, we grow in synchrony and Self-realisation.

This shift is happening now; employees and business owners are going through major changes both at work and in their home life. It is getting harder and harder to stay in a job you are not enjoying doing.

Your individual life’s purpose and your job are aligning, it is possible to help this process through your imagination, your vision and your dreams to plan the next step on your life’s journey. The best way to achieve this is to shift your focus from what you don’t want to what you would love to have, be and do.

This shift in vision and what you are being will shift your energy to a more positive life where you are constantly choosing to follow your joy and stepping into happiness, as you take each step in life.

Your job may change during this process, as you become more aligned with your life purpose and your company’s expectation. Companies are living things and they can only grow through change as they evolve and expand.

Employees also like changing and growing both within the company and within their own life. So what can we do to speed up this process of evolution and growth?

Turning the attention back on your self is one of the most useful things that you can do. This can happen as easily as becoming aware of ones own breathing and reaching out with your feelings and adjusting your energies each time you become aware of some tension within the body and relaxing and re-centring.

Following one of the many methods of meditation can do it, the main thing is we look within and just observe what we feel and see. We cannot use our gifts until we become aware of them. By taking a few minutes each day to align our own energies will have a tremendous effect on our co-workers and bring harmony and peace into the work place.

George Lockett - EzineArticles Expert Author

Message channelled by George Lockett (C) Copyright 2005, All Rights Reserved. Read HealerGeorge’s Blog: Journey into the Self
Visit the website for more information and previously published ebooks to read, Guided Meditation CD or MP3 file. Request Absent Healing at:
HealerGeorge
Or ask at question at: Ask HealerGeorge

Cell Phone Do’s And Don’t During A Meeting
05.30.08 | Comments Off

What would we do without our cell phones? Wow, there’s a scary question. It’s hard to imagine a world without them. But cell phones, connected as they may keep us, seem to have an amazing power to disturb and trump face to face interaction. For example, why is it that during a meal or a meeting, people insist on taking every call? Even worse, just let the phone ring? They forget all about the person across the table as if they were invisible!

This violates the golden rule of interpersonal communication, which is to make the other person feel like the most important person in the world.

The following is a list of cell phone do’s and don’ts that will help you avoid embarrassing yourself while still honoring the person across the table. (This information is NOT found in the 147 page Sprint PCS handbook.) Whether you’re at lunch or in a one-on-one meeting, use these etiquette tips to combat even the most enticing barriers that stand in your way of being an effective communicator.

DO…Be Subtle Yet Accessible
The three possible locations to keep your phone are: bag, belt or pocket. Many people chose to keep cell phones in their bags because of pocket-less wardrobes. If this is the case for you, be sure to choose a vibrating or single beep ring that is audible, yet minimal so it doesn’t ring seven times while you search through your bag.

Pockets and belt clips are the most efficient places to keep your phone because you are able to answer the ringer right away. Also you can silence the ringer right away. Remember, the last thing your friend or colleague wants to hear during the meeting is an annoying MIDI version of Beethoven’s 9th piercing his ears.

DO NOT…Lay Your Phone on the Table
The moment you sit down to lunch with someone, what’s the first thing you do? Check out the menu? Take a sip of water? Unfold your napkin? If you’re like me, you succumb to the power of the almighty carbohydrate and go to town on the rolls.

But imagine this: you sit down to eat only to watch the person across the table reach into her pocket, grab her cell phone, and smack it right down next to the salt shaker. Ouch.

Does that mean she has an emergency call coming in? Probably not. It sounds more like, as Jerry Seinfeld says, “I have 62 other people on speed dial that I could call if I wanted to; so you better be interesting.” That is not the way to make someone feel important.

DO…Take Emergencies
If you know ahead of time that an incoming call is a business or personal emergency, answer it. This is what cell phones are for. But other than an emergency message or a call that directly affects all people the conversation at hand, there’s nobody calling you that can’t wait an hour for you to call him back. In the history of cell phones, nobody has ever said, “You were in a meeting?! And THEN you called me back?! How rude!”

DO NOT…Wear Phone Accessories During the Meeting
If you sit through an entire meeting wearing an earpiece, headset or any other hands-free-time-saving-quick-answer-annoying-accessory, you should be ashamed of yourself. That’s like taking your spouse to a singles bar!

Nonverbal communication speaks before you do. It accounts for 93% of your communication. So, along with eye contact, smiling and open body language - involvement shields like cell phone headsets can nonverbally send the wrong message, for example: “Please anticipate our meeting being interrupted by somebody more important than you.”

DO NOT…Let Your Phone Ring Twelve Times
Especially if your cell phone ring is audible from Jupiter, always silence the ringer after three beeps - or in some cases, symphonies. Odds are you’re annoying the heck out of someone else in the room, namely, the person sitting two feet across the table. Most cell phones have buttons on the outside that double as ring silencers. Use ‘em. Consult your manual and learn how to quickly silence your phone while it’s still in your pocket. If you happen to sport the Clint Eastwood Quick Draw Cell Phone Holster, great! Silencing should be even easier. No excuses.

DO…Turn It Off
A fool-proof solution to cell phone interruption is best personified by the words of Mr. Miyagi from The Karate Kid II. He said, “The best way to block a punch is to not be there.” In other words, just turn your phone off. This is a great way to avoid incoming calls or the temptation to make outgoing calls.

DO NOT…Insult the Absent
Some people answer their phones during a meeting or meal and try to compensate for their rudeness by insulting the person on the other line - as if this makes up for it. They roll their eyes. They give you the “just a minute” index finger. They impatiently bob their head back and forth to the rhythm of their boring conversation while forming their non-phone hand into the “Quack Quack” gesture which symbolizes someone on the other line who won’t shut up. Meanwhile you’re sitting there like an idiot, feeling bad for the person on the other end of the phone, deciding whether or not you should have another roll.

DO…Wait for the Right Time
The best time to check missed calls that you politely silenced is when you or your colleague is away from the table. This will give you enough time to see what you missed, and if need be - return an emergency call. And if you must return the call immediately, don’t do it at the table. Politely say, “Please excuse me for a minute, but I have to take this call.”

Some sneaky people - my last date for example - pretend to use the bathroom for the sole purpose of making a phone call. This is an effective technique, but be careful. If you’ve had a few glasses of water, ten minutes later when you really do have to go, you’ll turn into “The Boy Who Cried Hello.”

DO NOT…Debate the Caller ID
Nothing is more frustrating than to be on the other end of the “Caller ID Debate.” If you’re not familiar with this atrocity, here are the four steps. (1) They give you the “just a minute” index finger, (2) They check their caller ID, (3) They tilt their head and stare at the phone for 2-5 seconds, and (4) They make a decision to answer the call or return to your conversation. This is terribly uncomfortable. You actually watch your friend (?) decide whether or not there’s someone else she’d rather talk to. Ouch.

The Bottom Line
Cell phones have become a primary form of communication. In fact, manufacturers will ship 585 million phones in 2004, according to a study from market watcher Strategy Analytics. But with every phone shipped comes a coefficient of frustration caused by improper etiquette. Show consideration for the person joining you and be mindful of ringers, accessories and incoming calls. And if you use your cell phone at the right time for the right reason, you will honor your company as an effective communicator.

Remember: don’t incur the opportunity cost of cell phone convenience at the expense of someone sitting right across the table. You’re sitting down with him. Talk to HIM!

EzineArticles Expert Author Scott Ginsberg

© 2005 All Rights Reserved.

Scott Ginsberg is a professional speaker, “The World’s Foremost Expert on Nametags” and the author of HELLO my name is Scott and The Power of Approachability. He helps people MAXIMIZE their approachability and become UNFORGETTABLE communicators - one conversation at a time. For more information contact Front Porch Productions at http://www.hellomynameisscott.com.

Avoiding “The Sheep Dip”
05.27.08 | Comments Off

It is a sad fact that many employees are still being subjected to the age old training ritual of “sheep dipping”. This is a process by which employees are “refreshed”, “cleansed” and “re-invigorated” by ensuring they attend set training courses or, perhaps, are placed on the ubiquitous “refresher” course. This refresher course is, of course, necessary, because most employees forget what they have learned on similar courses that they had been previously on. Do they?

Companies just love “the sheep dip”. Easy to create, easy to administer and can cut costs. Simply, get your Training Department to devise a list of courses that link to the company’s priority capability areas; decide who needs what training; tell which employees to go on what course, and then give everyone a “big pat on the back” for achieving the Training and Development Plan. Easy! But beware!

The “Sheep Dip” process can be flawed in the following ways:

1. The list of training courses that are provided can remain static from one year to the next. Has your business not moved on? Are the courses that you provided two to three years ago still valid? Are there not new skills emerging from one year to the next? A yearly audit of the skills and capabilities that are needed to deliver the company business plan must be done and the range of training offerings must be tailored, “chopped and changed” and added to if necessary. Employees’ skills must be kept up to date in order to keep competitive advantage.

2. The Line Manager decides to have no input into the “sheep dip”. All they do is send the employee through the process and then “tick the box” that says: “I have you developed my Employees?” Managers have to take ownership of what training interventions are provided and also of the standard of these interventions. Many managers when confronted with a list of training course options go no further than checking that a particular course seems OK for their employee. They do not analyse the content and the standard of the course. Of course, many would say that is not their responsibility and that those in the Training Department should be the people responsible. Do they not care what standard of training their employees get?

3. Staying with Managers. After having decided which course an employee should go on, how many managers actually sit down with employees to work out learning objectives before the course? How many will check the progress of an employee through a development programme? How many will sit down with the employee after the course or programme, review how they fared with their learning objectives, and then agree an action plan for implementation of the skills learned on the course?

4. The “Sheep Dip” is very rarely measured. How many Training Departments actually measure the effectiveness of their training interventions? What impact are these interventions making on the competency development and the productivity of the employee being “sheep dipped”? Sure, the department, or external training provider, will have plenty of “happy sheet” feedback but what about the bottom line? Is the company getting a return on its investment in training?

5. The “refresher” course mentality has to be eliminated. If an employee needs a “refresher” course on skills that they should be using in their everyday work, then their original course did not deliver what it promised. This could have arisen through the standard of the content, the trainer, or through the employee’s application on the course. It may be that the wrong employee went on the wrong course! Whose responsibility sits with each of these areas? The Line Manager! There may be instances whereby an employee went on a course that was relevant to their role at the time and perhaps they go on secondment to another job where the skills are different. If they then go back to their old role, then perhaps a “refresher” type course is needed but big questions should be asked if someone who is still in the same role has to attend a “refresher”! I know of some manager colleagues who are on their third coaching course! Same content, same methods, same models. Return on Investment??

6. Finally, the “sheep dip” can be very de-motivating for some employees. No change from one year to the next and no innovation or creativity being exhibited by the company can lead the employee to think that the future success of the company could be in doubt. Do they want to stay with such a company? Also, if the line manager takes little responsibility for the true development of their employees and abdicates all training and development responsibility to the Training Department, then the employee will quickly become disillusioned with the lack of support and encouragement. Their skills will not improve as quickly as they should, either.

5 Steps to Avoid a “Sheep Dip” Mentality

1. Ensure Training and Development is high on the corporate agenda. The Training and Development Plan is as important as the overall Business Plan. Without the T&D plan the capabilities needed to deliver the full potential of the Business Plan will not be developed.

2. Do a full audit of the training and development interventions that the company presently provides (and also that of external providers) and ensure that these interventions are exactly what’s needed. Choose external consultants carefully and continue to develop the capabilities of internal trainers. Take the time to adapt, chop and change old course materials and methods.

3. Make sure that all line managers are made responsible and accountable for developing their staff. In addition to making sure that they source training interventions for their staff, managers must also be aware that they should have an input into the training process by challenging course content, capability of trainers and by taking time with their employees before, during and after the training.
4. Put measurements in place, which will enable you to calculate a return on your training investment. Measure improvements in competency and where possible, bottom line results such as sales etc.

5. Review your Training and Development Plan on a regular basis. Not yearly - at least every quarter.

When was the last time you reviewed your training plan? Still “sheep dipping”?

About the submitter:

Allan Mackintosh is a Professional Management Coach. He is the author of “The Successful Coaching Manager” and creator of the OUTCOMES and CARERS performance coaching models. Allan also is an accomplished business speaker on the topics of coaching and sales management.

He can be contacted on:

Tel: 00 44 1292 318152
Mob: 00 44 776 416 8989
e-mail: allan@pmcscotland.com
web: http://www.pmcscotland.com

Self-Esteem and Beethoven
05.22.08 | Comments Off

Good leaders are always building and maintaining the self-esteem of their team
members. In fact, this skill may very well be the cornerstone of effective leadership.
However, leaders often move too quickly to take the care needed to do this
effectively when providing feedback. The result can be both the loss of loyalty and
talent. Both come with a high price tag to the organization.

To illustrate the fragile nature of self-esteem, consider for a moment one of the
worlds finest musicians: Beethoven. The film, “Immortal Beloved,” is about the life of
Beethoven and while it has a fictional story line, it also offers many true scenes from
this great masters life.

In one such scene, Beethoven is conducting his own composition (imagine that for a
moment) but he is completely deaf. This fact, however, has not yet been discovered
by his audience or the community at large. Shortly into the piece, the orchestra
becomes completely frustrated with Beethoven and literally stops playing. The
audience is quite entertained and begins laughing due to their perception of his lack
of competence. Beethoven is devistated by their response and leaves the concert
hall immediately. It is a painful example of the fragility of self-esteem, and how
easy it is for us to jump to conclusions about someone’s behavior and be totally off
the mark.

When confronted with performance that falls short of an expectation:

  • Take time to gather facts and observe the employee before having a
    conversation.

  • Ask the team member for their opinion first and try to understand the situation
    from their perspective before providing your own observations.

  • Find out if the expectations are clearly understood, or if there are other factors
    you may not know behind this performance.

  • Should the employee admit to a lack of performance they are in essence inviting
    you to do some coaching. They know they are off track. They need and want you to
    hold them accountable. Make a contract together for the expected improvements
    and follow up to see that these promises are kept.

By not jumping to conclusions you give your team member the benefit of the
doubt. You are saying, look I do not know all there is to know about you and your
job, tell me; I trust you. You’ll gain perspective that builds both the relationship and
the performance of your employee and your team.

Susan Stamm is a Partner in a Lancaster PA team development firm called The TEAM Approach the publisher of
the FREE Team Toolbox. the FREE Team Check-Up and the FREE Team Leader
Check-Up.