How to Have Effective, Efficient, Enthusiastic Employees:
A new employee comes to work full of enthusiasm and ready to tackle the world, and within a few weeks loses that fire. Why? Here are three possible explanations. The employee was not hired properly [wrong for the job]; the employee was not trained properly; the company has not motivated the employee to maintain that high energy level. Think about the last time that you hired a new employee. Were you able to show the applicant a written job description? How would the employee know what is expected? How will progress be measured? How will performance be judged? With a written job description, a clear discussion about tasks, skills, responsibilities and expectations will minimize putting the right person in the wrong job. Training is an area most companies fail to recognize as important and therefore, fail to execute effectively. A written and implemented company training program will result in trained employees who know what to do and how to do it. Where the job-specific training stops, employee development begins. A company library including books and tapes for employees to check out, is a way to support employees in increasing their skill sets and reaching a higher potential. Reams have been written on how to motivate employees. What is agreed upon, is that, the prime motivators, recognition and respect, kick in once an employee has their basic needs fulfilled. People want to be recognized by their peers, supervisors and owners for a job well done. Is authority delegated along with responsibility? Many owners do not delegate authority because they are reluctant to give up control or are ineffectual from a lack of understanding the delegation process. What results is frustration for both the employee and the owner, with no one winning. Additionally, giving employees a voice in company direction may keep the motivation fires burning. Develop committees made up of employees to help management brainstorm various strategies and direction. The employee suggestions can often be as good or better than the owner would recommend and the employees will gain much more from thinking through the situation. Periodically, interview employees. Many owners are totally uninformed as to the opinion and satisfaction of their employees. Empower employees to become part of the company. Encourage employee participation in the development of what the company stands for. Publish for all to see the goals, vision, mission and culture of the company. Have employees share in the success they help create in the company through bonus and incentive awards. When designing these programs, be certain the programs you choose aim the employees in the direction you want them to go - look at all aspects. For example, if a bonus is based only on profit, quality may suffer because employees may focus only on speed. Once a program is instituted, it is very hard to stop, so it is important to think through all of the alternatives before moving ahead. Motivated employees are aligned with the company goals and visions, are clear about what you expect of them and know their value to the company. You will have less absenteeism, less turnover and few employee issues to resolve, if you promote these business practices. ©2000-present Flight Unlimited - All Rights Reserved |
