Who is Setting the Priorities?

by Julie | Apr 10, 2018 | Management

The topic of employee expectations came up recently with one of my clients.  The client was talking specifically about attendance and showing up to work on time, but this argument applies to many aspects of an organization.  The client’s perspective was that managers had no clear way to enforce the attendance policy, so they didn’t address the issue with employees.  This thought process assumes that employees are showing up late because there is no way to enforce the policy.  I believe that people want to come to work and do a good job.  But if they don’t know what “a good job” looks like, they are left to set their own priorities.

One of my favorite Zig Ziglar quotes captures the idea: “You can’t hit a target you cannot see, and you cannot see a target you do not have.”

If everyone is working toward a common goal, and that goal has been communicated clearly, then each individual can understand how his behavior is contributing to that goal.  But if you don’t have clear common goals, each individual will establish his own goals and corresponding behavior, which may or may not be in line with the common goal.

For example, if an accident-free workplace is a priority, what does that mean in terms of employee behavior? The management team has to establish goals for working in a safe manner, then communicate what actions need to be taken by each employee in order to achieve an accident-free workplace.  Similarly, if throughput is a priority, what is the goal for throughput on the individual level, and what actions need to be taken to support that goal?

Simply establishing and articulating goals isn’t enough. The management team also has to demonstrate a commitment to the goals.  I’ve seen a number of companies who say safety is a top priority, yet upper management refuses to follow the safety rules established by the safety committee. I’ve witnessed managers treating their employees disrespectfully, then being upset with the lack of teamwork within the organization.

The success of an organization lies with the management team and its commitment to developing, communicating and supporting the goals of the company.  Once the goals have been established, the next step is to ensure that each individual understands how his or her behavior can impact the achievement of those goals.  The last step is to provide consistent feedback on how individuals are performing against those goals.

Clearly defining the goals, outlining how individual contributions impact those goals and supporting each individual in the achievement of those goals will create a collaborative work environment where everyone wins.

Why Ask Why?

by Julie | Feb 19, 2018 | Management

Why is Why Important?

Over the past few months, I have observed a trend within our society.  We seem to be afraid to ask “Why” when a difficult or unusual situation presents itself. For some reason, we accept the situation, even if it doesn’t seem to make sense and then start making assumptions as to the reason. I’ve seen this with customers, employees and even friends and family.

We all know what happens when we start making assumptions, and it is true (to a certain extent).  The “Why” is important as it impacts how we respond to the situation.

Here are a few examples of what happens when we don’t stop and ask Why:

• A manager noticed that an employee had been really distant recently but she didn’t really worry as she assumed this was a due to the Lyme disease that the employee was recently diagnosed with.  The reality was that the employee was very upset with her manager due to a perceived lack of concern resulting in a very unhappy, unproductive employee who was spreading discontent throughout the team.  If the manager had spoken with the employee when she sensed the distance, perhaps this discontent could have been resolved before it impacted the productivity of the entire office.

• The largest customer of a small manufacturing company calls and asks to have a meeting. Instead of asking why the customer wanted the meeting, the sales person sets it up for a week later and immediately begins to stress over the reason for the meeting. Was the customer going to fire the company due to the number of late deliveries? Did the customer want a price reduction due to some recent production issues? Was the sales person going to lose her job if she lost this account? By the time the day of the meeting arrived, the sales person wasn’t able to eat or sleep.  However, in the end, the customer expressed their desire to continue working with the company but wanted a commitment from the company to improve on-time delivery.

It is my belief that if your intentions are pure, you have the right to ask Why when a situation presents itself that seems to be out of the norm.  The question must come from a place of concern and not accusation; a place of learning, not an effort to gain the upper hand.

I’m not saying these conversations are always easy.  There may be things that are painful to share or difficult to hear. It may require you to shelve your ego and put yourself in the position of the person sharing the information.  What is this person trying to tell me?  Am I really focusing on what he is saying or am I preparing to respond to this perceived attack? If you don’t take the time to hear what is being said and listen with empathy, you could cause more harm than good.  But, if you really listen, you have the opportunity to create a stronger relationship.

In our current climate of heated debates, 10-second sound bites and need for frenzied activity, we are missing an opportunity to connect with each other.  If we view these situations as an opportunity to create deeper relationships, everyone wins.