Management
Retaining good employees is always a primary
goal for managers. The current tight pool of qualified employees
makes retaining solid producers even more important to your organization.
We all know that losing good employees
means lost productivity, additional hiring and training costs,
and those myriad other details that cost time, money and just
generally slow things down.
Dispensing constructive criticism is a
manager's job. How good are you at this? For two or three weeks,
run a daily tally on the number of positive and negative comments
you make to each employee. If the negatives are outpacing the
positive, ask yourself this: Who wants to go to a job every day
knowing that four to six land-mines are waiting for you? The last
thing you want is to motivate good employees to seek employment
elsewhere.
Remember that we as managers are really
coaches. A good coach does not wait until the end of the season
to offer advice, feedback, insights and encouragement. These should
take place throughout the season.
Being a good listener is part of being
a good coach. Learn to ask questions since people often behave
in ways for reasons not readily apparent. Try to understand accurately
what is being said. Ask questions to let them know you are listening,
as well as ensure that you really understand what they are saying.
Listening to staffer's points of view may
change your understanding and will definitely earn greater staff
commitment to resolving problems. More importantly, it will prevent
you from having a reputation for being unapproachable, intransigent
or a waste of time to speak to.
Old-style supervisors feel that their job
is to come up with solutions - the boss knows best mentality.
This management philosophy's day is long gone. All successful
organizations actively seek employees' ideas.
Tap your employees' creativity because
their ideas are solutions by imagination. The added benefit lies
in quicker buy-in to your plans and the organization's mission,
as well as greater commitment.
<< Previous Page
