Okay, so the recognition stuff is out of the way and probably wasn't news to anyone (I hope). At this point, you might be wondering, 'what the heck is this about coaching?' Well, it's a different spin on leadership to help employees be the best they can be.
Let's assume you come across a problem where an employee is doing something incorrectly. For example, you know you trained Margo on how to organize the end caps in her section of the store, but you have noticed twice now that the end caps aren't set up properly. In a typical scenario, you pull her aside and explain what was wrong, how it should have been done, and gently make it clear that it needs to be done the right way from now on. That approach seems to make sense, right?
Let's rewind, and try this on for size: instead of telling Margo, why not ask her to identify what is out of place herself? We want to put Margo in the driver's seat and help her figure out the issue and the solution on her own. Why? Because it will get her engaged in her own development, which makes her feel empowered and valued. Being engaged is what will get fast and sustainable results. Telling people what to do isn't always received well, and doesn't get them to be a part of the solution and the dialogue.
So, how do you do this? "Hey, Margo, do you have a few minutes? I was hoping you could walk me through your end cap set-up. Can you tell me your process for getting this done?"
When Margo starts to explain the process she goes through, your job is to help her identify where in the process she went wrong or missed something by asking her questions. In some cases, the 'aha' will happen naturally and you almost don't need to do anything. In others, she may have just missed what you said in the training and she simply doesn't know. At that point, it's okay to tell her. You would be amazed how many people already know what they did wrong and will freely admit it when you do this in an open and non-intimidating way. The trick here is that these coaching moments should not be held against the person - it is a learning tool. You won't get the same level of engagement and honesty if you make this a punitive situation. You can, however, hold the person accountable for not engaging in or using these discussions for their benefit when they continue to miss the mark on their performance.
I challenge you to try this coaching thing on for size and see how it can work for your business!
Friday, October 14, 2011
Monday, October 10, 2011
More on Recognition
So, you want examples? Everyone wants examples, it is much more helpful than all this talk, talk, talk. Alright, here are two examples of recognition that I find meaningful. The key again, is that it is done with sincerity and genuine appreciation - people can see right through the phony stuff...
Small 'thank you' cards. These are not the fold-open, greeting card type. They are a little bigger than a post-it note and if you want to be a little more formal, go with a thicker card stock paper, so its like a small postcard. Make a design or use clip-art or whatever suites your fancy to make it fun. I have seen ones with a picture of a rock on it that says "You Rock!", or the image of a thumbs-up (think Facebook). You can simply have 'Thanks' or 'Thank You' written in bold for simplicity. Leave it as open white space, or add lines to keep your writing neat, but the most important thing is to write it by hand and sign your name (this makes it personal & it means more), then leave it on the person's chair, keyboard, work station, locker, cubbie, etc.
When to use it? Don't overdo it, but use these regularly for the little things people do day-to-day. If you have multiple people that work for you, be aware so as not to give out the 'thank you' cards to the same people and ignore others. Trust me, unless you have a real problem on your hands, everyone is doing the small stuff that deserves a thank you once in a while.
Some examples:
"I overheard you with a client yesterday, and you did a great job explaining XXX. Keep it up!"
"Thanks for working late last night to finish up that customer order. I really appreciate all the time you put in."
"You went over & above what I would expect on the XXX. I couldn't have done it without you!"
Large award certificates. These are more formal and typically come with a monetary reward of some kind. The rewards can range to whatever your budget allows, it simply shows that what the employee did, you value at more than just a 'thank you'. See below for ideas. In terms of the certificate itself, I have gotten these in the past, and the one thing I would point out is that while its nice to have a certificate of appreciation with your name on it, the more important thing is to remember why you got it. If possible, make room to type out the reason on the certificate itself.
When to use it? These awards are for the bigger impact stuff. If a customer speaks to the manager - or writes a letter - telling you that an employee did a terrific job, it deserves more than just a thank you. That a customer took the time to rave about the service they received doesn't happen often and it should be a big deal. If the employee covered someone else's shift and busted their butt to get things done & without them you would have been in bad spot, reward them. They will do it for you again the next time if they know they are appreciated. Oh, and these, unlike the 'thank you' cards above, should be celebrated in front of peers. Show everyone else they work with how much you appreciate them when they do the big things.
Examples of rewards:
Free lunch
Movie tickets
Gift certificates
Lottery tickets
Free oil change
Amusement park or event tickets
Gift baskets
If there is something specific to your business that employees don't already get as a perk, think about that as well. If these types of gifts aren't in the budget, you could also allow the person to leave 15/30/45 minutes early on a slow day, for example. Try as much as you can to make the reward meaningful to the person. Don't hand over movie tickets because you have a ton of them sitting around, when you know for a fact this person doesn't go to the movies.
Next time around, we will discuss the idea of coaching for success. It really does work!
Small 'thank you' cards. These are not the fold-open, greeting card type. They are a little bigger than a post-it note and if you want to be a little more formal, go with a thicker card stock paper, so its like a small postcard. Make a design or use clip-art or whatever suites your fancy to make it fun. I have seen ones with a picture of a rock on it that says "You Rock!", or the image of a thumbs-up (think Facebook). You can simply have 'Thanks' or 'Thank You' written in bold for simplicity. Leave it as open white space, or add lines to keep your writing neat, but the most important thing is to write it by hand and sign your name (this makes it personal & it means more), then leave it on the person's chair, keyboard, work station, locker, cubbie, etc.
When to use it? Don't overdo it, but use these regularly for the little things people do day-to-day. If you have multiple people that work for you, be aware so as not to give out the 'thank you' cards to the same people and ignore others. Trust me, unless you have a real problem on your hands, everyone is doing the small stuff that deserves a thank you once in a while.
Some examples:
"I overheard you with a client yesterday, and you did a great job explaining XXX. Keep it up!"
"Thanks for working late last night to finish up that customer order. I really appreciate all the time you put in."
"You went over & above what I would expect on the XXX. I couldn't have done it without you!"
Large award certificates. These are more formal and typically come with a monetary reward of some kind. The rewards can range to whatever your budget allows, it simply shows that what the employee did, you value at more than just a 'thank you'. See below for ideas. In terms of the certificate itself, I have gotten these in the past, and the one thing I would point out is that while its nice to have a certificate of appreciation with your name on it, the more important thing is to remember why you got it. If possible, make room to type out the reason on the certificate itself.
When to use it? These awards are for the bigger impact stuff. If a customer speaks to the manager - or writes a letter - telling you that an employee did a terrific job, it deserves more than just a thank you. That a customer took the time to rave about the service they received doesn't happen often and it should be a big deal. If the employee covered someone else's shift and busted their butt to get things done & without them you would have been in bad spot, reward them. They will do it for you again the next time if they know they are appreciated. Oh, and these, unlike the 'thank you' cards above, should be celebrated in front of peers. Show everyone else they work with how much you appreciate them when they do the big things.
Examples of rewards:
Free lunch
Movie tickets
Gift certificates
Lottery tickets
Free oil change
Amusement park or event tickets
Gift baskets
If there is something specific to your business that employees don't already get as a perk, think about that as well. If these types of gifts aren't in the budget, you could also allow the person to leave 15/30/45 minutes early on a slow day, for example. Try as much as you can to make the reward meaningful to the person. Don't hand over movie tickets because you have a ton of them sitting around, when you know for a fact this person doesn't go to the movies.
Next time around, we will discuss the idea of coaching for success. It really does work!
Friday, September 30, 2011
Hello? Does anyone see me?
As a people leader, one of the most important things we can do is to recognize our employees. But what in the world does that even mean? We hear about recognition and it sounds like another corporate buzz word. It's understandable that some people just tune it out. It would be wise, instead, to sit up and pay attention. Recognition is NOT just a buzz word. It is fundamental to getting the most out of your employees. As an example of what I am talking about, take a moment to think about the last few times you did something for someone else...
No, really think about it!
Got it? Ok, read on...
The things you are thinking of likely required varying levels of effort on your part. Some are easy, and we may even do them without thinking (holding a door for someone), some take a little more work (changing plans so you can give a friend a ride home), and others can be truly taxing (helping paint your neighbor's basement). Now, I want you to think about whether the recipient of your kindness acknowledged it. Did they say 'thank you' or at least smile? Did they buy you lunch or a cup of coffee for your trouble? (this is the point where I am hopefully tapping into your emotions a bit). What if they did none of these things, and your actions went unnoticed and seemingly unappreciated? Feels kinda crummy.
Ok, let's jump back into the workplace. Let's say I work as a hostess at a local restaurant. I spend my Friday and Saturday nights smiling, welcoming customers, showing them to their seats and thanking them profusely (but not overdoing it). Most of my customers are nice people, but there are nights when I deal with really nasty ones. They roll their eyes, and make snide comments about the long wait. On a busy night when a server calls out sick, I help get drinks refilled and clear away plates, all while keeping an eye on the hostess stand so as not to leave anyone waiting too long. Anyway, such is the life of the hostess.
On a particularly grueling night, with two people out unexpectedly and some pretty annoyed customers breathing down my neck, I turn to see my boss standing behind me. She smiles and says, "Thanks for helping out. I know it's been a tough one tonight but you're doing great." Then she heads back to the kitchen. The customers are still there and the night isn't over yet, but guess what? That comment was pretty nice to hear, and it means something. It means that as busy as we are, my boss found the time to tell me I am doing a great job. I just got recognition.
What does this have to do with getting the most out of your employees? Well, what do you think I feel about my boss after that kind of recognition? I feel like she knows how much effort I am putting in tonight. I am feeling appreciated. I like getting recognition because it feels good, and I feel like I have a pretty good boss.* Now, I work just a little harder than maybe I was before. I owe it to her to make sure I am doing a great job tonight....you possibly just got an extra 10% of effort from me and all it took was a ninety-second interaction.
Hopefully, you are making some of the connections on your own at this point. In my next entry, I will provide some concrete examples of recognition that can be tailored and used with your own employees.
*Disclaimer: I realize it takes more than one interaction to make me think I have a pretty good boss. We'll talk more about that later.
No, really think about it!
Got it? Ok, read on...
The things you are thinking of likely required varying levels of effort on your part. Some are easy, and we may even do them without thinking (holding a door for someone), some take a little more work (changing plans so you can give a friend a ride home), and others can be truly taxing (helping paint your neighbor's basement). Now, I want you to think about whether the recipient of your kindness acknowledged it. Did they say 'thank you' or at least smile? Did they buy you lunch or a cup of coffee for your trouble? (this is the point where I am hopefully tapping into your emotions a bit). What if they did none of these things, and your actions went unnoticed and seemingly unappreciated? Feels kinda crummy.
Ok, let's jump back into the workplace. Let's say I work as a hostess at a local restaurant. I spend my Friday and Saturday nights smiling, welcoming customers, showing them to their seats and thanking them profusely (but not overdoing it). Most of my customers are nice people, but there are nights when I deal with really nasty ones. They roll their eyes, and make snide comments about the long wait. On a busy night when a server calls out sick, I help get drinks refilled and clear away plates, all while keeping an eye on the hostess stand so as not to leave anyone waiting too long. Anyway, such is the life of the hostess.
On a particularly grueling night, with two people out unexpectedly and some pretty annoyed customers breathing down my neck, I turn to see my boss standing behind me. She smiles and says, "Thanks for helping out. I know it's been a tough one tonight but you're doing great." Then she heads back to the kitchen. The customers are still there and the night isn't over yet, but guess what? That comment was pretty nice to hear, and it means something. It means that as busy as we are, my boss found the time to tell me I am doing a great job. I just got recognition.
What does this have to do with getting the most out of your employees? Well, what do you think I feel about my boss after that kind of recognition? I feel like she knows how much effort I am putting in tonight. I am feeling appreciated. I like getting recognition because it feels good, and I feel like I have a pretty good boss.* Now, I work just a little harder than maybe I was before. I owe it to her to make sure I am doing a great job tonight....you possibly just got an extra 10% of effort from me and all it took was a ninety-second interaction.
Hopefully, you are making some of the connections on your own at this point. In my next entry, I will provide some concrete examples of recognition that can be tailored and used with your own employees.
*Disclaimer: I realize it takes more than one interaction to make me think I have a pretty good boss. We'll talk more about that later.
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