How can you help retain winning talent?
• Help your leaders understand that retaining people is not an "HR"
problem, but a leadership problem. In most cases, people leave their
managers, not their organizations.
• Understand that the cost of attrition can be staggering. Much of the
time it goes unseen. Some factors are obvious (like productivity losses).
However, there are often unseen costs, like reduced productivity during
the 3-6 months when the departing team member was inevitably distracted
during his/her job search.
• Understand why team members are leaving. Most organizations do not
have a handle on this, and they fail to differentiate between the reasons
team members stay and the reasons why team members leave.
• The team leaders role in attrition is paramount but underplayed. Most
team leaders blame external factors as causes for attrition, failing
to take any personal responsibility. Research has shown that departing
team members often leave for reasons that are actually within the control
of their leaders. Understand what those factors are, and identify how
to assess retention risk and create a retention action plan for each
of your key team members.
During tough economic times, we are often asked to do more with less.
How can you help your team be more productive?
• Stay clear of turf wars and politics. Focus on team goals and not
just your individual job responsibilities. Think beyond your job description.
Break down the barriers and silos between teams and sub-teams.
• Clarify roles and responsibilities with your manager, and make sure
that everything you are working on is aligned with departmental goals
and strategic objectives of the organization.
• Think about what motivates you. What gets you excited? Based on this,
how can you contribute to the organization's success?
• Remember to communicate up. Communication is a two-way street, and
you should take responsibility for improving communication with your
manager.
Delegating is a skill that all leaders need to maximize their effectiveness. Delegating benefits the team leader, the team member, and the organization. Successful delegation raises the team leader's output as soon as he/she begins to achieve results through the multiplied efforts of others. When others perform tasks that the team leader has assigned, the team leader gains time for planning, organizing, directing, and controlling.
Additionally, delegation provides the team leader with the chance to strengthen the departmental team by creating growth opportunities for individuals. Team members who are assigned new duties get a chance to learn and to show what they can do. Also, they get a better perspective of what's going on in the organization. As team members grow, so does the team leader's reputation as an effective team leader.
Here are some tips on how you can delegate effectively:
1. Select the right person. Pick someone who has the basic ability
and interest in the task and someone for whom you can make sufficient
working time available.
2. Give the team member sufficient background on the assignment. Knowing
the purpose of each aspect will enable the delegate to take the right
action if unforeseen circumstances occur.
3. Confirm understanding. Have the delegate explain back to you what
the task is, the limits of responsibility and authority, and the time
limit for completion of the task.
4. Release the delegate to do the task. Provide the delegate with the
time and resources to perform the assignment and trust him/her to do
the job.
5. Call for progress reports and schedule reviews. Releasing the team
member to do the job does not mean that you should delegate and forget
it. Mistakes can be minimized and confidence built through progress
reviews.
As a leader, if you want to keep a team member, there must be advancement and development available. Although career advancement is largely a corporate influence issue, your actions as a leader can still have a significant impact. This includes career counseling, helping the team member network within the organization to increase his/her visibility, and assisting in the preparation for and pursuit of alternative positions within the organization.
Unfortunately, many organizations have no system for career movement; other times, team leaders block team members from moving because they don't want to lose top performers who are crucial to achieving the team's goals.
Again, realize the new emerging workers' mentality, your team members are increasingly looking at "what's next". If you are not partnering with them in that effort, you are more likely to fall victim to a sudden departure - not only from your team, but from the organization.
Although it may seem paradoxical that you would prepare someone for the next opportunity, this professional development is also what keeps them interested and engaged in their work and enhances their continued commitment.
“Really great people make you feel that you too, can become great.” - Mark Twain
There is abundant evidence to show the important connection between open, free communication in organizations and organizational success. When people are free to voice their opinions, contribute their ideas, and solve problems, they feel valued and fulfilled. They become committed to the organization, its goals, and its customers. Organizations with closed/low communications don't ever reach their potential.
The greatest examples that prove the value of open communication lie within some of the products and services we use every day that were developed or thought of by employees. For instance, one of Starbuck's most successful new products - the Frappacino - was developed by two Baristas at a local Starbucks shop. The amazing point of the story was not that two Baristas had the ability to develop a product that would generate a ton of revenue. The amazing point was that the management team at Starbucks had created a culture in which they listened to the great ideas of their people.
There are hundreds of stories like this, but only from companies that have learned the value of open communication.
Dale Carnegie once said, “Do the hard jobs first. The easy jobs will take care of themselves.”
When it comes to leadership, one of the hardest jobs for managers to do is interact effectively on a day-to-day basis. I’m not talking about saying a quick “hello” and “good morning” as you pass each other on the way to the coffee pot. That’s all well and good, but what I’m talking about is the kind of interaction that maintains and enhances self-esteem.
Problems on the job are the hard stuff. They can be solved more effectively and less stressfully when a manager deals with what people do rather than with their attitudes or personal characteristics.
Are your leaders tackling the hard stuff first?
1. Are they delegating, evaluating performance, correcting work habits,
dealing with complaints, and resolving conflicts while supporting team
member self-respect and self- esteem?
2. Are they basing discussions about performance and work habits on
behavior rather than on personalities and attitudes?
3. Are they involving team members in goal setting, problem solving,
and decision making?
A cross-national study by the Center for Creative Leadership indicates that today’s leadership involves more collaborative and innovative approaches. Leadership is likely to be a major driver in helping organizations to retain a competitive advantage in the marketplace.
Our experience has shown that first-line managers, and the leadership skills they possess, can determine not only whether an individual stays with an organization but also how much that individual contributes to the organization’s success.
“Do the hard jobs first. The easy jobs will take care of
themselves.”
"I used to be a member of this team. Now I'm the manager. Do I really have to discipline the non-performers?"
Making the transition from peer to manager is a tough undertaking. With the new managerial role comes additional responsibility, and part of that responsibility includes disciplining team members. Many managers prefer to avoid the process by pretending an issue doesn’t exist and hoping it will just go away. Innovative leaders, on the other hand, understand how to turn a potentially negative interaction into a positive developmental step.
Here are some tips when disciplining team members:
1. Focus on behavior rather than attitude or personal characteristics.
Focusing on behavior gives people something to change and provides specific
feedback.
2. Ask the team member for his/her view of the problem.
3. Try to get the team member to come up with a solution.
4. Ensure that the team member agrees on a plan of action.
5. Never give the team member a written warning unless you have given
him/her a verbal warning first.
6. Maintain your team member’s self esteem.
7. Remember that the objective is to eliminate the problem, not the
team member.
8. Close the session on a discipline problem by setting up a date to
review progress on the plan.
Managers are responsible for a lot these days – hiring staff, meeting budget targets, and achieving departmental goals. This is a strain some days, and it is easy to feel unproductive yourself. It is equally important for employees to feel that they are meeting their goals and performing acceptably. It would be easy to ignore the individual task of coaching, but we simply can’t do that.
This quote by H. Gordon Selfridge couldn't better summarize what leaders and coaches do best:
"The boss drives people; the leader coaches them. The boss depends
on authority; the leader on good will. The boss inspires fear; the leader
inspires enthusiasm. The boss says "I"; The leader says "WE."
The boss fixes the blame for the breakdown; the
leader fixes the breakdown. The boss says, "GO"; the leader
says let’s, "GO!"
How do you delegate AND get the results that you want?
Sometimes it does seem easier to do it yourself. Delegating responsibilities and projects can take time and without clear communication, can lead to misunderstandings and negative results. But delegating does more than just balance the workload – it can help strengthen the bonds of your team. Delegating demonstrates trust and encourages development. It can make a team member feel that his or her job is important and essential to the success of the business unit. However, in order to achieve this result, delegating must be done effectively. Successful delegation requires skill. Here are a few tips:
1. Clearly communicate your expectations by emphasizing the “what”
and the “why” of every task.
2. After you explain the task, ask for the team member’s view.
3. Confirm your team member’s understanding of the task.
4. Mutually agree upon a target completion date. If the task is complex,
consider establishing checkpoints or milestones along the way. This
will provide a framework for accountability.
5. Provide timely feedback when the task is done to generate an opportunity
for personal growth and increased responsibility on future tasks.
How do you transform performance goals into reality?
The importance of establishing performance goals cannot be understated.
Typically worked on between an employee and their leader, performance
goals
create the fabric that aligns organizational priorities with employee
action. However, establishing performance goals is only the first step
in the process. To turn those performance goals into reality, each must
be accompanied by an action plan. While the performance goals provide
the destination, the action plan provides the road map to get there.
Here's a quick 4-step formula for creating a personal action plan for
each of your performance goals.
Step 1: Brainstorm about all of the action items that you need to complete to accomplish each goal. You may feel a bit overwhelmed at first, but continue with this process.
Step 2: Package similar items to keep your plan as simple as possible.
Step 3: Sequence your action items and assign a target completion date. Make sure that you identify at least one action item that you will complete immediately so that you can start building momentum toward your performance goals.
Step 4: Build support and accountability into the process to
keep you on track throughout the year. Your support structure may consist
of actions that you take as an individual, daily rituals, or assistance
from other people such as your manager, co-worker, mentor, or friend.
One of the simplest ways to help keep you on track throughout the year
is to find an accountability partner with whom you can share your goals
and gain support.
While hiring top talent is important, it’s also important for existing team members to create an environment in which newcomers are welcome and want to stick around.
It may not be your responsibility to hire new people. Perhaps that is your manager’s job. It is, however, your responsibility to help new people transition onto the team. Here are a few tips to make any new transition easier:
1. Start by making a professional first impression. Welcome the newcomers and offer to help them through the administrative process of coming on board.
2. Consider taking them to breakfast or lunch on the first day, and make informal introductions to people they will be working with. The bottom line is that people want to feel connected and welcome and everyone on the team can help with that.
3. Create opportunities for on-the-job training. No matter what our backgrounds and experience levels are, new team members need assistance from tenured employees to get onboard with policies, procedures, and processes.
4. Check-in and create an “open-door” environment where people feel comfortable coming to you for assistance.
5. Learn to recognize people’s styles and understand that each individual has different needs.
6. Share resources, knowledge, and best practices. Help create an environment where people can be successful – together.
If you ask one of the professional guides at the Colorado Mountain School about the four rules that experienced teams always abide by in the backcountry, they will tell you: (1) stay together, (2) stay together, (3) stay together, and (4) never split up.
In the army, leaders live by the principle of “take care of your people and they will take care of you” and soldiers “watch their buddies.”
Decisions made in the backcountry and in the military come with consequences
that are far more severe than any we would expect in corporate America.
If you want to build an innovative team, check out these four lessons
from the experts:
1. We must travel together. Traveling together assumes
that everyone on the team knows where they are and where they are going.
In the corporate world we call this a shared vision. Everyone must understand
what the team is trying to achieve and be on board to support the team’s
mission.
2. We must be flexible enough to adapt the plan. When
things don’t go exactly as expected (and they never do in the backcountry
and on the battle field), survivors have the wherewithal to adapt and
adjust. In the business world, everyone on the team must recognize that
change is inevitable and that plans need to be flexible to meet changing
priorities. It’s important to be focused on the task at hand, but not
overly focused to the point that the big picture (and ultimately the
shared vision) is lost.
3. We must know the job of the person above us and the person
below us. Every member of a special operations team has a deep
technical skill (e.g., first aid, weapons, and communications). But
if the communications operator is wounded, everyone else on the team
can take over that role. In the business world we must understand what
the people beneath us do and we must understand what our boss’s boss
needs.
4. We must watch each others backs. In the back country
we constantly monitor each other for signs of dehydration and altitude
sickness because we know the impact it may have on life and limb. In
the business world we must be willing to go beyond our “job description”
to help, coach, and mentor each other. Trust, in any relationship –
business or personal – is not a “nice to have”, but a “must.”
“No one is thinking if everyone is thinking alike.” - General George S. Patton
Think about the importance of this statement. Innovative teams not only embrace differences of opinions and new ideas – they encourage it. Through a diversity of ideas teams learn to innovate, challenge the status quo, and enhance their processes and projects.
Here are a few tips to help your team think differently:
1. Create a shared vision across your team. When everyone works under
a common set of expectations, goals, and assumptions, new ideas will
be viewed as a means toward achieving the vision.
2. Ensure everyone understands that their ideas and opinions are valued.
Take time to ask for people’s input and actively listen. Remember, your
most innovative ideas will come from the quietest people on your team.
3. If it ain’t broke – break it! Challenge how, when, where, and why
you do what you do, and expect everyone on the team to do the same.
4. Encourage people to share information, knowledge, and experience
– both within and across teams.
5. Expect conflict to be resolved in a constructive manner. Help people
understand that conflict should result in positive outcomes.
With less than three months remaining in the year, it’s time to dust off your 2005 goals and assess your progress. Here are some questions to ask as you review your goals.
1. Which goals did I succeed in reaching? What contributed to my success?
2. Which goals did I not succeed in reaching? What kept me from reaching
my full potential?
3. Are there goals that need to be re-valuated or adjusted for today’s
situation?
4. What are three things I can do today to get back on track?
5. How can I best utilize my support structure to be successful?
It’s October and you still haven’t done your 2005 goals? It’s never
too late. Check out 5.12 Solutions’ Goal Setting and Personal Action
Planning: A Self Directed Guide. It’s a unique 7-step process that helps
you create a vision of what you want in life, the goals and action plan
to get you there, and the support structure to keep you on track. And,
look for our two-hour, guided 2006 Goal Setting Workshops in January.
We’ll offer an early morning, lunch and evening session so you’re sure
to find a time that works best for you. Or contact us for details on
how we can help initiate meaningful goal setting and action planning
in your organization.
“Teamwork -- noun: work done by several associates with each doing a part but all subordinating personal prominence to the efficiency of the whole.” Do the individuals on your team know their part? Have you discussed and defined each role? Have you reinforced the importance of each team member’s performance to the group?
Here are some tips to reinforce team roles:
1. Don’t wait for the next performance review to define,
modify or reinforce your team members’ roles. Make
a point to arrange frequent, informal, one-on-one contact. Be sure to
clearly relay your expectations and feedback to each team member.
2. Take every opportunity to discuss roles as a team.
Make team members accountable for their failures and successes. Conduct
frequent team debriefs to allow members to learn and move forward as
a group.
3. Take the time to celebrate even the smallest accomplishments
as a team. Employees who feel they are contributing
and are appreciated are better team players and more productive overall.
Does your team have an agreed upon method and process for interacting with each other? Has your team discussed how it wants to "be" together? Has your team identified the dynamics that will result in the highest level of performance for everyone?
The Team Charter is a simple and easy-to-implement method for addressing all of the items above. In its simplest terms, the Team Charter is an informal contract that everyone on the team agrees to abide by as they work together on a daily basis. It may outline any number of areas related to the dynamics of the team such as how the team will make decisions, how it will deal with conflict, how members will treat and respect each other, how meetings will be run, etc.
The bottom line is that the Team Chapter can address any area of importance relevant to the team. The key is to get buy-in from each team member by asking for their input and ideas on what should be included. Once implemented, the Team Charter should be posted in a common area and/or distributed to the entire team, as it serves as a daily reminder of the team dynamics that will result in the highest level of performance for everyone.