The key to success for any organization is a well-trained and well-informed staff that can be counted on each day to meet company expectations. Between the blend of generations, and the diverse levels of expectations that each employee requires, it can be quite challenging to maintain a cohesive team.
Every employee has their own expectations and commitment levels; therefore, the challenge is meeting each of their needs in order to motivate them to be a part of the team’s success.
Accepting this reality, it is still possible to assemble a successful team. The following efforts can be effective regardless of the individual.
Define expectations
- In a workplace where resources are limited and job openings stretch a team thin, it is easy to rush an employee through the training process and get them quickly doing the job they were hired to perform. This process can certainly lead to frustration and stress for the new hire
- To ensure the candidate understands what they are getting in to, defining
- expectations begins in the hiring process.
Empower and Encourage
- Clearly explaining hours required, production expectations (whether quotas or deadlines) and performance evaluation parameters, will allow a candidate to feel well-informed when beginning their new position. In addition, once hired, it is imperative that things discussed during recruiting, will be visible and closely match what they were told during the interview.
- Once an associate is trained and fully versed on all aspects of their position,
- to take ownership the best thing you can do to ensure long term success is
- to empower them to take ownership and pride in their position. Let them
- know the value of the work they provide and its value to the success of the
- organization.
Acknowledge them through emails or communicate in person that you see their growth and effort and that they are appreciated. Use handwritten notes to provide regular encouragement.
I think we all can remember a time a leader has taken the time to give positive feedback and how much it meant to us no matter how small. Allow them to participate in discussions related to their position and solicit from them process improvement feedback.
Avoid putting a cap on their capabilities
Continue to provide challenges for your team. Create opportunities for them to push themselves beyond what they believe they are capable of mastering. Providing check points and strong mentoring is important to ensure success and helps to avoid stress and disappointment.
Tools to Encourage Staff Development
Allow them to conduct a team meeting, take leadership on new project or having them train in a new area to provide support and back up are just a few examples that can add pride and self-confidence to the associate.
Realizing that each associate is an individual with their own needs and challenges is an important first step in ensuring satisfaction and commitment of the associate.
Workers today are much less likely to accept a rigid employer who does not demonstrate empathy and compassion.
Taking the time to get to know each employee and being open to meeting their needs, when possible, will create a trusting and healthy relationship.
Keys to Ongoing Engagement
Some additional ideas that would show empathy is possibly offering a flexible schedule within the expectations of the workload, remote working on a limited or full-time basis. Creating an environment where two-way communication is encouraged and practiced. It can prevent issues from becoming unfavorable to the associate or organization.
Acknowledging milestones such as birthdays and anniversaries for example go a long way to letting the associate know that they are valued as individuals.
Create a Positive and Pleasant workplace
Providing a positive environment for your employees begins with the leadership team and how they present themselves.
Leadership and management must demonstrate a positive and pleasant attitude regardless of the circumstances.
Stress and negativity are a cancer that spreads quickly among employees.
There is ‘Only’ Trust in Team
Beyond how we express ourselves, allowing your employees to be themselves and treating them as professional and valuable resources, will demonstrate that you trust them to do what they are supposed to do without constant hand holding.
Some fun ideas to promote a happy and healthy team would be to bring in lunch for a department. Have some quick team-building games, using small giveaways or little gifts.
Provide an environment where individuals feel a part of something positive and what to participate.
Daily mindfulness and effort to ensure your team feels valued and empowered through strong communication and consistent evaluation of staff satisfaction will generate the tenured and knowledgeable staff necessary for long term success.
