Category: Team Performance

develop leaders, not more followers Shannon Cassidy

Develop Leaders, Not More Followers

Shannon Cassidy Leave a comment

 

Besides the celebration, what happens if you get a promotion? What if you need to leave your company for some reason or you find yourself called to a different path in life? If any of these occur, what happens to your team? A great leader is always on the lookout for people they can teach and mentor. They search not for more followers but for potential leaders who can replace them. They develop leaders, not more followers.

So how do you develop another you? Another great leader? Begin with these four methods.

Give them experiences tailored to leadership.

As a manager or leader, you have certain tasks that are not required of anyone but you. Find ways that your potential leaders can gain experience in those areas. If you make a presentation once a month, allow your mentee to try her hand at it. As you develop their leadership skills, watch for unique talents they can apply to managing. Look for skills that you didn’t use because you didn’t have that talent. Allow them to see behind the curtain and try their hand at the parts of your position that are invisible to most.

Teach them to network.

Networking events can be painful and awkward, but great leaders jump in and do the work no matter how they feel. Teach your candidates how to network by having them follow you and watch how you initiate conversations. After they’ve witnessed your techniques for a while, they will be equipped to network independently. Networking is extremely valuable no matter the job. Giving your mentee the chance to cultivate abilities and confidence in networking is vital to the future of your company. As they progress into leadership roles, they’ll already have contacts and people skills.

Allow them to fail.

E.M Forster said, “Spoon feeding in the long run teaches us nothing but the shape of the spoon.”

It is highly beneficial for your leaders-in-training to fail, so you need to give them that chance. Push them to figure out problems on their own and then allow them to act on the wrong solution. Micromanaging will not teach your candidates how to stand on their own when they move into the leadership role. Of course, this doesn’t mean allowing their failures to affect the company while you just watch. But little by little, allow your leaders-in-training more responsibility.

Trust them to lead.

Just as it is difficult to watch your child leave your nest, it is a hard decision to allow your leader-in-training to leave your watchful eyes to lead independently. In order to complete the development of a leader, you must take your hands off the result. Think about it: If you teach your leader-in-training how to make smart, informed decisions, but still require that they run every idea by you before they’re allowed to make a move, how empowered will they feel?

Begin now to look around and select employees that you see have potential for leadership. If you do leave your company or your current position, you will have a succession plan in place for continued growth without you.

Leaders develop more leaders.

 

Sources:

http://guides.wsj.com/management/managing-your-people/how-to-develop-future-leaders/

http://www.bloomberg.com/bw/stories/2010-02-16/how-companies-develop-great-leadersbusinessweek-business-news-stock-market-and-financial-advice

http://www.forbes.com/sites/dailymuse/2013/06/25/5-strategies-that-will-turn-your-employees-into-leaders/

Maximizing Employee Productivity: It's as Easy as 1, 2, 3 photo Shannon Cassidy

Maximizing Employee Productivity: It’s as Easy as 1, 2, 3

Shannon Cassidy Leave a comment

How to maximize employee productivity may seem like the best kept secret in business, but it doesn’t have to be a challenge. Employees are motivated by the same things that motivate you; it’s simply putting the process into place that foster the desire to give their best every time they walk in the door.

Learn What Motivates Them

An annual engagement survey, a stay interview, or a casual conversation can bring light to the factors that motivate your best employees. By simply asking those who have dedicated years of hard work to the organization, “Why did you stay? What motivates you to work so hard? What would drive you to consider a new opportunity?” you can gain invaluable insight regarding motivators. Some might answer that they love the challenge of the position, while others may tell you that they feel the work they do makes a difference in the lives of others. Some might appreciate some light competition in the workplace while some may strive for reward or acknowledgement.

Once you understand what drives your best employees, you can develop policies and practices that provide this kind of motivation to all employees as a workplace culture. Perhaps you can promote feeling challenged by implementing a progressive fast-track to leadership program for those who show promise. You might help each employee understand how their contributions really matter to the company or what the company has done to support local causes to promote the personal satisfaction that accompanies performing meaningful work.

Establish a Work Environment that Drives Performance

Employees who are overheated, exhausted, or unorganized can’t perform to their full potential. Establish a work environment that’s conducive to stellar performance. Ask your employees which simple changes might increase their productivity to find quick wins that improve morale and boost productivity. HR managers often find that employee requests are not what they expected – they tend to be very inexpensive, unburdensome requests but fulfilling these requests instantly boosts morale and productivity. Some common requests include a small fan, an anti-fatigue mat, or a chair or stool.

Keep in mind that asking the question but failing to deliver can ultimately decrease productivity. If a request is made that simply can’t be done, it may be beneficial to explain the reasoning to employee who made the request and ask if they have any other ideas or suggestions that you can work on.

Reward Them for Achievement

Reward employees for longevity and productivity. Genuine acknowledgement in public is often the simplest and most meaningful reward to employees at every level and every supervisor, manager, and administrator can do it. Reward employees throughout the day by providing paid breaks every couple hours to refresh and recharge. Reward them annually by commending them for the dedication to the organization. Consider issuing small bonuses for production over a certain threshold.

The key to motivating employees to perform highly lies right within the walls of your own organization; it can be found through simple discussion with your very own high performers and then timely and sufficient follow through. Arm yourself with knowledge, respond appropriately, establish a comfortable environment, and reward your employees every day that they walk through those doors ready to produce.

 

Reasons to use a gantt chart

Reasons to Use a Gantt Chart

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Imagine juggling several balls at once, keeping your eyes on all of them. To drop one is to spoil the entire performance. In order to accomplish this, you must be a skilled juggler. A project manager’s job is like this, keeping all the parts of the moving project working and going forward.

But there is a wonderful tool that help with the juggling – the Gantt Chart. Even though Henry Gantt invented it in 1910, it is relevant and extremely useful today, especially with all the Gantt Chart software.

Patrick Hankinson of Hello Focus explains:

Put simply, a Gantt Chart is a way to visualize a project schedule. At first glance a Gantt Chart might not look substantially different from a horizontal bar chart. However, by plotting progress (either completed or expected) against project elements, Gantt Charts create a visual timeline that is coherent and easy to interpret. 

Reasons to Use a Gantt Chart:

  1. You can have a chart that is visual and flexible. The chart will be an evolving document that can tell you and your team the exact progress you’re making on individual aspects of the project and the project as a whole.
  2. You can manage jobs effectively. By using a Gantt Chart, you can break the project down into manageable tasks. It all boils down to manageability. Gantt Charts help you break down big projects into small chunks so that tasks can be delegated and responsibilities shared. As part of this process, you’ll work out who will be responsible for each task, how long each task will take, and what problems your team may encounter. This detailed thinking helps you ensure that the schedule is workable, the right people are assigned to each task, and that you have workarounds for potential problems before you start.
  3. You can set accurate deadlines. Make it a habit to schedule or reschedule tasks for a project directly on your Gantt Chart. By doing so, you’ll see how every tiny change affects the timing of the entire project — which means more precise planning and accurate deadlines.
  4. You can define dependencies. One of the best reasons to use a Gantt Chart is to determine out the total amount of time it will take to accomplish a project (what project managers like to call the Critical Path). This can be done by defining dependencies — those tasks which depend on other tasks before they can be started or completed.

According to the editorial team and Mind Tools:

In Gantt charts, there are three main relationships between sequential tasks:

Finish to Start (FS) – FS tasks can’t start before a previous (and related) task is finished. However, they can start later. Start to Start (SS) – SS tasks can’t start until a preceding task starts. However, they can start later. Finish to Finish (FF) – FF tasks can’t end before a preceding task ends. However, they can end later.

  1. You can display the progress of your project. You can use these charts to keep your team and your sponsors informed of progress. Simply update the chart to show schedule changes and their implications, or use it to communicate that key tasks have been completed.

Do you utilize Gantt charts?

 

Sources:

https://www.smartdraw.com/gantt-chart/gantt-chart-tips.htm

http://hellofocus.com/what-is-gantt-chart

https://www.wrike.com/blog/project-management-basics-beginners-guide-to-gantt-charts/

https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newPPM_03.htm

 

 

Tips for Making Sure Your Performance Reviews Are Productive

Tips for Making Sure Your Performance Reviews Are Productive

Shannon Cassidy Leave a comment

Performance reviews are a staple of many company’s management strategies, but they aren’t always helpful. If not properly done, they can become homogenous and their insights insignificant. If you’re in human resources or management, here are five tips that will help make sure your performance reviews are useful for both your company and its employees.

Make Time for Performance Reviews

Performance reviews are often neglected because there’s not time to complete them. They’re another task that managers must complete, but time is rarely devoted specifically to them. Managers are forced to fit performance reviews into already hectic schedules. What should be meaningful conversations become five-minute meetings that take place between (or even during) other tasks.

A year, or even six months, of work can’t adequately be assessed in five minutes. If performance reviews are to provide individualized insights into employees’ performance, there must be time specifically set aside for them. Consider giving managers a half hour to an hour that’s solely to meet with an employee and discuss how they’re doing. If managers will still be tempted to shortchange the time, give them funds to go out for lunch with each employee. Conducting a review during a meal will ensure that there’s adequate time.

Speak About Specific Situations

Just as you want to hear about specific instances from interviewees, managers should speak of specific situations when conducting performance reviews. Every item on a review should be supported by a specific example. What employees do well should be precisely detailed, along with the exact things they can do to improve.

Keep Ongoing Notes to Reference

Performance reviews are meant to cover a specified amount of time, often either six months or a year. Many times, however, only the weeks immediately preceding a review are assessed. It’s too difficult to remember everything an employee did over several months or a year, especially when managing multiple employees.

In order to accurately assess an employee over the entire duration of a review, managers should keep ongoing notes on all of the employees they oversee. While employees in your company may already be written up for serious errors, managers should also keep notes on the good things that employees do. These notes will help form the foundation of a comprehensive review, and they can provide specific examples for the review.

Suggest Ways to Improve

Performance reviews shouldn’t just be about what the employee has done in the past. They should also give the employee ways to improve in the future. When critiquing, don’t just be critical. Be constructive. Help employees identify ways they can improve, and offer to help them as they strive for those goals.  Although there may be some negative items on a review, offering constructive ways to improve will give employees hope that they can get a better review in the future.

Have Two-Way Conversations

Performance reviews are much more productive when employees are actively engaged. To encourage employees to take part, turn reviews into two-way conversations rather than one-way monologues. Even if you don’t want to debate an employee’s review with them, they should at least have an opportunity to ask questions and explain their personal goals.

Don’t let your company’s performance reviews become a mere formality that managers squeeze in. Instead, make sure they’re a valuable part of your company’s management strategy by making time for them, speaking about specifics, referencing notes, being constructive and having a conversation. These five actions are simple, but they’ll have a profound effect on how beneficial your company’s performance reviews are.

 

step-by-step conflict resolution Shannon Cassidy

Step-by-Step Conflict Resolution

Shannon Cassidy Leave a comment

Conflict resolution is a primary human resources function in nearly every organization. While this task is rarely an HR professional’s favorite to tackle, conflict resolution is necessary for a positive work culture, improved productivity, risk management, and limited turnover. The good news (or the bad news) is that the outcome of conflict resolution is largely based on the mediator, who is often the HR professional. The HR professional has a responsibility to conduct a productive, meaningful conversation, keeping both employees on task and producing results that satisfy each party.

Even with the most difficult personalities, conflict resolution doesn’t have to be hard. Following these steps can eliminate the chaos and transform conflict resolution into a calculated science.

Choose a Private, Neutral Setting

Conflict resolution should never be done in front of other employees, clients, or guests. Selecting a private, netural location such as a private meeting room, a human resources office, or a small conference room prevents humiliation and promotes honest conversation.

Always Schedule in Advance

When employees are caught off guard, they tend to show increased defensiveness, anger, and frustration. Always schedule a conflict resolution meeting in advance, and whenever suitable, tell both parties why the meeting has been scheduled. This prevents the defensiveness and other negative responses that come from a surprise attack and allows employees to gather their thoughts in advance.

If numerous employees are having interpersonal issues with the same person, schedule multiple one-on-one meetings.

Define Clear Goals

Once the meeting has started, the HR professional’s first order of business is to define goals for the meeting. Defining goals establishes purpose for the meeting, which is vital for a meaningful encounter. Without established and clear purpose, conflict resolution often evolves into a never-ending merry-go-round of insults and accusations. Some possible goals for a conflict resolution meeting include:

  • To establish a plan for completing a project together despite differences
  • To overcome differences to better provide for our clients, guests, patrons, or patients
  • To complete specific tasks that have been a point of conflict, such as scheduling vacations, defining roles, or making decisions

Overcoming differences between employees ultimately provides a more positive experience for clients, guests, patrons, or patients, so the second goal should be included in nearly every conflict resolution meeting. It draws their attention to the bigger picture and provides clear direction for the meeting.

Give Each Party an Opportunity to Share

Provide each person time to share their viewpoint and concerns, following basic ground rules:

  • Conversation must be respectful at all times
  • Each party speaks in turn only
  • Yelling, swearing, name calling, or any other display of disrespect or aggression will end the meeting immediately and result in discipline.
  • Conversation should stay on task, addressing specific situations that have brought issue and not personal character

Limit this time to 5 minutes each and don’t allow response following statements. One person speaks, the other speaks, and then the meeting moves forward.

Brainstorm Solutions

While most employees who have a tense working relationship will never agree on every point, focusing on solutions can encourage them to look past disagreements to perform to their full potential. Take ample time to discuss solutions, and request ideas for resolution from each party. If either employee is quick to shoot down ideas, request a better suggestion.

Establish a Plan

Establish a clear plan going forward. Which employee will take on which responsibilities and when? All parties should know the plan and their specific role in it when the meeting is concluded.

Conflict resolution doesn’t have to be hard; stick to the steps, remove personal feelings, and work to accomplish defined goals and and stay on task, and conflict resolution will no longer be laden with dread.