We all know that feeling when an employee just isn't meeting our expectations. Maybe they're not working hard enough, or they're making too many mistakes. Whatever the case may be, it can be frustrating to see someone not performing up to par.
As a manager, it's important to nip these performance issues in the bud before they become bigger problems. But how do you do that? Here are five managerial strategies you can use to solve poor employee performance: 1. Don’t Wait to Raise Performance Concerns As a manager, you shouldn’t wait to raise performance concerns. If you wait, the problem will likely worsen, and the employee will become more entrenched in their poor performance. It’s essential to address the issue as soon as you see it so you can nip it in the bud. 2. Document the Process of Employee Performance Management Employee performance management is a process used by businesses to ensure that employees are meeting performance standards. The process typically includes setting performance goals, tracking progress, and providing feedback. However, in today’s world performance management needs to be real-time and can’t wait for formal yearly or biannual reviews. When done effectively, employee performance management can help businesses improve employee productivity, identify training and development needs, and make informed decisions about employee compensation and promotions. By documenting this process, organisations can ensure that all employees are treated fairly and consistently, and that performance improvement efforts are aligned with the organisation's goals. 3. Be Ready for the Difficult Conversations There are bound to be some difficult conversations along the way. Whether it's addressing a specific issue, goal or simply giving constructive feedback, these conversations can be tough to navigate. However, by being prepared and keeping the lines of communication open, you can make these conversations more streamlined and less process driven. When it comes to difficult conversations, honesty is always the best policy. Be direct in your communication, and avoid beating around the bush. This will help ensure that you and the employee are on the same page. Moreover, it's important to remember that these conversations are a two-way street. Be open to feedback from the employee, and be willing to listen to their perspective. This will help create a more productive conversation. 4. Have a Follow-up Talk to Check the Employee’s Progress Following up with employees after performance conversations is essential to ensure they are on track and more importantly demonstrate that you care about them. A genuine check-in to gauge the employee's progress and ensure they have taken your feedback on-board will ensure a positive change. This is also a good time to provide additional support or resources if needed. When following up, ask specific questions about the discussed goals. This will help you get a better sense of the employee's progress. 5. Reflect on Your Performance, Too As a manager, it's important to reflect on your own performance, too. After all, we are all not perfect, and there's always room for improvement. Think about the feedback you gave to your employees. Was it constructive? Did you use positive language? Were you clear and concise? Also, consider how you could have handled the situation differently. Maybe you could have been more patient or provided more support. Reflecting on your performance will help you become a better manager and leader. It will also make you more aware of your strengths and weaknesses. Final Thoughts There are a few critical managerial strategies you can use to solve poor employee performance. By following these steps, managers can help to improve employee performance and create a more positive work environment. Learn more about employee performance management by working with me at Stuart Andrews.me. We offer executive leadership coaching in Australia to help business leaders deliver successful initiatives and outcomes. Start by buying my business leadership coaching book and booking a 30-minute discovery session today.
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Constructive criticism is a way for someone to give feedback on your performance in a way that is intended to be helpful. This can be beneficial for people in any industry as it can give them a clearer perspective on their performance and help them grow. However, it is important to be able to distinguish between helpful and unhelpful criticism, as the latter can be harmful. Sometimes it can be difficult to tell the difference between the two, but it is important to be able to in order to make the most of the feedback you receive.
There are two types of criticism: destructive and constructive. Destructive criticism is mean and makes fun of our mistakes. Constructive criticism is more helpful because it offers suggestions on how to improve. To distinguish the main differences between the two, you may take note of the following tips below. 1. Constructive Criticism Makes You Hopeful; The Other Does Not Helpful criticism is specific and makes it clear what needs to be improved. It is also positive and offers suggestions on how to improve. Unhelpful criticism is vague and leaves you feeling confused about what needs to be changed. It is also negative and doesn't offer any helpful suggestions. 2. Constructive Criticism Focuses on Solutions Constructive criticism is meant to help you improve by pointing out what you can do differently. Unhelpful, even harmful critique is meant to make you feel bad without offering solutions. 3. Constructive Criticism Is Usually Delivered Calmly When critiquing someone, it is important to be respectful and deliver the message in a way that is easy to understand. This ensures that the person receiving the criticism will be more likely to accept it and use it to improve their work. The way you give feedback can make a huge difference in how the person receiving it reacts. If you give feedback respectfully and constructively, the person is more likely to be open to hearing what you have to say and to make changes based on your suggestions. On the other hand, if you give feedback critically and negatively, the person is more likely to become defensive and shut down your suggestions. 4. Constructive Criticism Focuses on Behaviour; The Same Can't Be Said for the Other Constructive criticism is a great way to help someone improve their behaviour or skills. It involves observing specific behaviour and providing feedback in a helpful way. This can be very beneficial for the person receiving the feedback, as it can help them to identify areas they need to work on and improve. Destructive criticism, on the other hand, is not as helpful. It involves observing someone's behaviour and providing feedback in a harmful way. This type of criticism can damage the person receiving it and make them feel insecure or discouraged. 5. Constructive Criticism Isn't Personal, but Factual The SBI (situation, behaviour, impact) method is a great way to give constructive criticism that is objective and professional. This method ensures that personal feelings are left out of the equation, and only the facts are included. This is helpful for the person receiving the feedback because they can focus on what they need to improve without feeling attacked. Conclusion Overall, helpful feedback is specific, objective, and actionable. It is given in a respectful and supportive way, with the goal of helping the recipient improve. Harmful critique, on the other hand, is vague, subjective, and often unhelpful. It is given in a disrespectful and often critical way, with the goal of making the recipient feel inadequate. Be sure to go for constructive feedback as it promotes further development rather than frustrated stagnancy that no one ever wants to feel or experience. If you want to learn more from one of the best executive coaches in Australia, I, Stuart Andrews, would love to help. I offer leadership coaching to support Executives and Business Leaders drive successful initiatives while their teams consistently perform at the highest level, all with the assistance of my book, The Leadership Shift: How to Lead Successful Business Transformations in the New Normal. Feel free to check out my book for more helpful insights and tips on being a successful executive throughout your career. Leaders are under constant pressure to make decisions quickly and efficiently in today's constantly changing environment. However, with the ever-changing landscape in technology, innovation, and new business models, it is becoming increasingly difficult to always make the right decisions. Leaders need to be able to take into account all of the factors that go into making a decision and execute it rapidly.
There are a few things that leaders can do to make better decisions. Choose a process and style that fits the situation Leaders need to be aware of their own decision-making style and how it might fit (or not fit) the situation at hand. Some decision-making processes are more effective than others in certain situations. For example, a leader who generally relies on logic and reason may find that a more intuitive, creative approach is needed in a particular situation. Get input from others Leaders should seek input from others, especially subject matter experts when making decisions. This can help them identify potential problems and obtain a variety of perspectives on the issue. Consider the consequences Leaders need to think about the potential consequences of their decisions before they make them. They should ask themselves what could go wrong and what the impact of their decision could be. Be prepared to defend your decision Leaders should be prepared to defend their decisions to others. Communicating the reasons behind the decision is imperative for sustaining an aligned vision and purpose. Set a deadline Leaders should set a deadline for when they want their decision to be implemented. This will help ensure the decision is reviewed against competing priorities and given the appropriate attention for implementation. Be transparent Leaders should be transparent with their team so everyone knows what is happening and why. This builds trust in the decision-making process. Be open to feedback Leaders should be open to feedback with their decision-making process so that they can continually improve it, especially in a constantly changing landscape. This ensures that their decision-making is always in the best interest for the organisation and its people. Determine the worst-case scenario Leaders should always be prepared for the worst-case scenario when making decisions and for any potential challenges that may arise, including a plan to mitigate them. Follow your guiding values All leaders should have a set of guiding principles when making decisions. These values should be based on the company’s mission, vision, and objectives. These principles should be used to review all decisions made by the leaders in the organisation. Make a decision matrix When faced with a difficult decision, it can be helpful to create a decision matrix to help organise the information and make the decision-making process more systematic. The Bottomline Leaders need to make sure that they are taking the time to make thoughtful decisions with all the facts. They need to consider all of the options and make sure that they have their employee’s needs at the heart of everything they do. Leaders also need to be open to feedback and willing to change direction if they are presented with new information. Do you need executive coaching in Australia? Stuart Andrews can help you and your team with effective and efficient decision-making. We help executives and business leaders drive successful initiatives while their teams consistently perform at the highest level. Get your copy of “The Leadership Shift” now to help you orchestrate successful transformations. It's official: the hybrid work model is here to stay. The great work-from-home experience of more than two years has shown that employees can be just as productive working from anywhere and even more! This has led to companies realising that a remote or hybrid workplace is a viable option.
Most workers want their company to offer a hybrid work model post-pandemic, with the option to telecommute up to four days per week or less with compressed hours. Many companies are implementing a "productivity anywhere" workforce model and introducing the possibility of a hybrid workplace for employees and executive coaching to navigate this new approach. The hybrid work model combines remote and in-person work, becoming more popular as companies attempt to create a more productive and positive work culture. However, some potential challenges come with this model, such as longer working hours, micromanagement, and the dissolution of traditional company culture. However, there are ways to avoid these challenges by building a more productive, streamlined, and positive work culture. Creating a Hybrid Work Experience As businesses move to a hybrid work setup, they face the challenge of preserving or upgrading traditional company culture. This can be difficult, as culture is more than just office perks and team-building events. Businesses must find ways to keep their employees connected and engaged, even when they are not in the office. It’s More Than Just Added Perks Culture starts with how a company approaches work. Things that are important to the company like trust, transparency, executive coaching, and autonomy can be achieved by giving employees the flexibility to work from home. Free lunches and snacks will not help employees who are stressed or too busy to eat. Creating a healthy workplace culture is much more effective when you help your employees feel comfortable with their work and how they do it. It’s Building Them Up for Success Companies can do this through a combination of physical and emotional support, such as ensuring:
Hire an Executive Coach Who Can Bring All These and More Get executive coaching on leading hybrid workplaces with Stuart Andrews today! Stuart supports executives, management teams, and business leaders in building and leading high performing teams. Read more about it in his book ‘The Leadership Shift’, available now on Amazon! Purposeful living means having a clear idea of what you want to achieve in life and taking active steps to make it happen. It's all about setting goals and working towards them, even when it's tough. It's about making a difference in the world and leaving a lasting legacy.
When you have a sense of purpose as an organisation as a whole, you believe that what you're doing is essential and makes a difference to other people. This comes from your values and beliefs as a group. Here are some considerations regarding the importance of having a sense of purpose: Why a Sense of Purpose Matters for Organisations A sense of purpose is essential for any organisation, whether it's a business, a charity, or a government department. It gives members of the organisation something to work hard for and customers and clients something to believe in. There are several benefits to establishing a strong sense of purpose within an organisation. It can improve employee engagement, customer satisfaction and retention, and overall business performance. A sense of purpose can also help to attract and retain the best talent. People want to work for organisations that have a clear sense of purpose and are making a positive difference in the world. A sense of purpose helps to create a unique identity. It's what makes an organisation stand out from the competition and allows it to build a loyal following. How Can You Discover or Determine Your Sense of Purpose? Losing your sense of purpose can be incredibly detrimental to both your individual and organisational success. When you lose sight of what you're working towards, you can quickly become unmotivated and unhappy. This can lead to a decline in work performance and lower morale within the organisation. There are many ways that you can determine or rediscover your sense of purpose: 1. Define your values: What matters most to you? What do you stand for? Once you understand your organisation's values, you can start to think about how you can align your work with those values. 2. Ask yourself what problems you want to solve: What issues or challenges excite or interest you? What can you possibly do to make a positive impact in the world? 3. Consider your individual and team talents and passions: What do you do well and enjoy doing? How could you use those talents and passions to make a difference in the world? 4. Look for opportunities to give back: Are there any causes in your organisation that are important to you? Can you find ways to volunteer or donate your time and resources? 5. Set goals: Once you have a sense of purpose, it's essential to set goals that will help you achieve them. Ensure that you set achievable goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, and relevant. Conclusion If your sense of purpose is clear, you will be able to make better decisions for your organisation and be more efficient in achieving your goals. You will also be more inspiring to others and create a positive work environment as they will enjoy having a shared vision and understanding. Furthermore, if your organisation's sense of purpose is clear, it will be more efficient, and attracting top talent will be easier. Ultimately leading to increased profitability and successful outcomes. So, if you want your organisation to be successful with consistently high performing teams make sure its sense of purpose is clear and shared throughout the fabric and structure of the company. If you need help identifying the root causes that are impacting organisational sense of purpose you should consider an executive coach who has helped lead and guide teams through uncertainty with clarity, sense of purpose and shared understanding. Stuart Andrews is a reputable executive coach in Australia who has been providing leadership and transformation coaching to executive leaders and organisations across the globe. Get a copy of The Leadership Shift: How to Lead Successful Business Transformations in the New Normal - a book filled with thought provoking insights from Australia’s trusted executive coach! Professional development programs are avoided by many employers because they believe they are useless or don’t allocate the required funding to learning and development. There are various ways these programs can help your business and your employees.
Professional development increases an employee’s value and guarantees they remain relevant in their career field, in addition to the advantages of productivity and efficiency enhancements through additional training for their role. An employee’s professional growth may also include earning a certification in a subject area that is related to their current job or a future role. Staff members can increase their value to their employers and the workforce at large by demonstrating their ability to undertake bigger and cross functional tasks through development certification. Retention and Job Satisfaction Businesses that do not give their personnel the opportunity for career-building education typically experience higher employee turnover than those that do. Lack of interest and motivation is correlated with why organisations find hiring and retention so difficult. Employees quit because companies don’t invest in their professional development. Employees expect engaging, challenging, and career-enhancing experiences and education. Companies risk losing their employees to rival employers if they don’t invest in a culture that values educational training programs for their workforce. Ideas for Professional Growth of Employees Employees can pursue professional development in a variety of methods. Find the programs that work best for your team by using the steps below. 1. Ask Staff Members about their Professional Needs For business owners and managers, addressing staff skill gaps is crucial. Address each employee’s job performance and areas where professional development would be advantageous for them and the business. In order to do this, work collaboratively with your team managers and HR representatives to have regular meetings with your staff with respect to their personal development. Ensure the conversations with the employee demonstrate that the organisation truly cares about them individually, their growth and their future. Furthermore, by sharing ideas for professional development inside the office, staff members are given the opportunity to contribute significantly to the overall programs while fostering their own personal and professional development. It is a collective obligation to foster learning in the workplace. Employee suggestions for academic or professional development programs should be welcomed. 2. Establish Alliances with Other Businesses and Experts in the Field Companies should think about joining forces or offering access to workplace education via online courses and in-house training sessions. You might also use online resources for your industry or make contact with professional bodies both locally and globally. E.g. create learning innovation hubs where employees get to experience some time out working on their own initiatives in a group with other internal and external stakeholders that can inspire new ways of operating. 3. Take Advantage of Technology Employees must stay current with technological advancements. Since most businesses are affected by disruption with the rapid improvements in technology, individuals who possess a variety of skills and talents are more flexible and valuable to employers than those whose learning has stalled. Technology and online education have made it simpler and more affordable than ever to promote a learning culture in the workplace. 4. Launch a Regular Expert Learning Program Invite a competent team member or expert speaker to instruct your colleagues at a casual lunch. The expert can give a presentation to the group, and afterwards, team members can interact creatively with the expert to learn firsthand information about a certain subject. This fantastic monthly activity can impart knowledge to workers without consuming a lot of their time. Conclusion Opportunities for professional development are welcomed by some employees but not by others. Employers should support employees’ efforts to further their education both on and off the job. You could also set up new & unique initiatives that inspire innovation. If you’re looking for a motivating executive leadership coach in Australia, you should call Stuart Andrews. He offers leadership coaching to support executives and business leaders in driving successful initiatives while their teams consistently perform at the highest level. Start your journey to success by reading his newest book, The Leadership Shift As the years go by, what defines a leader, or rather, how to develop a leader, changes. In the past, leaders may have been seen as managers who just sit down behind a desk and give orders. Nowadays, people want leaders that lead the team by example. So, what does this mean? Well, our ideal leaders may change as the years go by. However, if there is one thing for certain, it is the fact that we have to train the leaders of the future right now!
So, are you an executive looking to train leaders in your team? If so, let's discuss the importance of training leaders and the various strategies you can implement: What's the Importance of Training Leaders in Your Team? No one could deny the fact that leaders are the ones who inspire teams and show them the way forward. Leaders are the rocks that the team can rely on when times get tough. However, both leaders and teams alike need to be trained and developed to make the most out of their talents and ways of working. Not only is it important to develop leaders so they can lead better but also help the team build a growth mindset and improve productivity. Here's why training your leaders is important: 1. Improved Communication When leaders participate in training courses, they are able to learn how to communicate more effectively. We all know how communication is key in order to maintain close relationships, so this is an imperative especially in dealing with remote and a hybrid workforce. 2. Improved Leadership Skills Training courses complemented with executive coaching also provide leaders with the tools and insights needed to learn how to lead better. This is an important consideration, especially if you have a new leader who has joined the organisation or taken up a new role. 3. Boosts Creativity A training course can also give your team the chance to learn new ideas and concepts that you may not have thought of before. They can even surprise customers with new and exciting innovation and ideas! 4. Improved Soft Skills If you have employees who are looking to develop their soft skills, training courses can be helpful. This can reduce waste in an organisation to ensure it is efficient. e.g. well thought out emails can reduce time wasted in going back and forth with clarifications. 5. Increased Confidence Another benefit of participating in training courses is that when your team learns new skills and shares them with everyone else, their confidence as leaders will be boosted. As a result, they’ll be more prepared when facing new challenges and inspire confidence in their teams. Strategies to Train Your Team Members into Leaders There are many strategies you can employ to train the leaders of tomorrow, and here are just a few of them: 1. Mentorship and Coaching If there is one thing that can help a leader fulfill the responsibilities of their position, it is guidance. Therefore, if you want to make leaders out of your team, you need to look to mentor and coach them. This is important as it will allow them to develop the necessary skills they need in order to become a good leader. 2. Encourage a Positive Working Environment The best way to develop leaders is to encourage a positive working environment. Of course, you can't just give them a positive working environment. What you need to do is to lay down the ground rules and encourage an environment where both you and your employees feel comfortable working. You can even invest in various technologies and tools to promote such an environment, such as defining what a high performing team looks like and their ways of working. Not only will your team be much happier to work in such an environment, but it also motivates them to become leaders! 3. Be a Good Role Model Ensure you are a good role model. This is important as it will allow you to convey good values to your team, not only through telling them what you expect of them but by being an example to them. Just imagine telling your team they need to listen carefully but you don’t encourage an open door policy yourself. 4. Set Core Values Another important aspect is to lay down core values. This is important as it will allow you to determine what values you want to instill in your team. For example, you can tell your team to always strive for excellence, to treat others with respect, etc. When the core work values are set, your team knows exactly what to strive for and how to embed them in daily activities. 5. Be Supportive While it is important to be a good role model, it is also important to be supportive. Being supportive means that you not only tell your team what they have to focus on, but you are there to back them up as well. Your team needs to feel your presence and have access to discuss challenges to obtain guidance. 6. Emphasise Personal Growth One of the most important things you can ever do is to emphasise personal growth for your employees. This is extremely important as it lets your employees know that you care about them as individuals, their personal interests and not just a company resource. 7. Keep Them Motivated Instill motivation by creating an environment that is united on a sense of purpose and shared understanding. Complement them regularly and offer opportunities to celebrate the wins as a team. Anything from simply telling them that you are proud of them or rewarding them with perks! You can also provide opportunities to be challenged (stretch assignments) where they can work as a united team solving problems and being rewarded for their innovation and team spirit. Conclusion In order to build high performing teams and inspire them, leaders need training, development and coaching. With a shortage of successful leaders, it’s important we start developing tomorrow’s leaders now. The various strategies mentioned above, can help create a new high performing team of leaders in your organisation, leading not only your business towards a brighter future, but a world to a better place too! Stuart Andrews offers leadership coaching to help business leaders and executives enjoy high-performing teams that lead their organisations to success. Find our more about his executive coaching and more. Also, if you would like to lead successful transformations, check out his book today! Hiring practices that prioritise finding the best culture fit or looking for talent in the same old places often undermine efforts to boost diversity and creativity.
Great managers are often experts in their field with a proven track record of success. However, leading and managing people are an entirely different ball game. Managers need to hone another skill that, unfortunately, is often overlooked: talent management. The ability to identify talent, motivate employees, and find the best roles for each employee is crucial to running a successful team. In short, great managers are also great talent scouts. Being a great talent agent comes with challenges. It requires leaders to become more open minded and to say goodbye to outdated, though popular, hiring tactics. Too many of us follow the popular trend of thinking that the “best hire” is the one that fits our culture. This approach undermines all the efforts made to boost diversity and ultimately get in the way of achieving creativity and innovation. In this post, we are going to look at what talent management really means for an organisation and how leaders can find the talent for their companies and manage them the right way, too: What Is Talent Management, Really? Leaders and executives can define talent management in different ways, but at its core, it is the process of identifying and developing talent. It is about a business’ ability to hire and retain the best staff and ensure that it has a healthy talent pool. It’s about finding the people who can tackle the business’ biggest challenges, support its goals, and drive its success. It also means making sure that your employees have the skills to get the job done and the potential to grow even further. Talent management is about transforming an employee into someone who will drive the success of a company. Why Is It Important? Talent management is not just a buzzword. It is not just another term that leaders use to talk about the staff they need to get the job done. It’s the critical process that businesses need to understand if they want to thrive in today’s competitive marketplace. Talent management is the heart and soul of a business. This process helps leaders ensure that they have the right teams in place to achieve their goals. It also ensures that companies have the right resources at their disposal to make the most of their existing resources, and achieve their vision and goals. How Can One Find the Right Talent and Manage Them Successfully? Here are steps leaders need to take to become great talent scouts: Think Ahead If you are a leader, you need to be forward thinking. You need to think about what you need now and in the future, and ensure that you have the right talent in place to achieve your goals. This means that you need to look beyond your networks, beyond your usual hiring practices, and find a different perspective. Take the time to look into your hiring practices. What kind of talent is being hired? What kind of talent are you missing? What does your hiring process look like? Are your current hiring practices helping you succeed or holding you back? Depending on the answers to these questions, you'll be able to make the necessary adjustments. Prioritise People Who Are Already in Your Company If you want to make better hires in the future, you need to start by looking at your existing employees. You need to see the talent that is already in your company and make the most of it. Use the following steps to find talent you already have:
Embrace and Encourage Diversity and Inclusivity We have all heard about the importance of having diverse teams. But can you really achieve diversity in your team if the hiring process is not diverse? Diversity and inclusion are no longer buzzwords. They have become the norm and they have been integrated into business strategy. If you want to get the best out of your employees, you need to embrace diversity and inclusion in your business. Here are a few tips to help you build a more diverse, inclusive, and productive team:
Be Data-Driven You need to start tracking performance, measuring performance, and finding the right talent for your company based on data-driven insights. What are your top performers' skills and expertise? What do your best performers have in common? What skills do you need to fill the gaps in your team? You need to focus on the skills and knowledge of your top performers. Use this information to fill the gaps in your team and counter any weaknesses. You can use these insights to build a strong talent pool and create the right team to take your business to the next level. Do What You Can to Help Your People Be Better At the end of the day, you are not just a talent scout, you are a leader. You are responsible for helping your people get better. Remember that your primary goal should be to help your people grow. But you cannot force your employees to develop if you do not provide them with opportunities to learn. Your employees need to see that you are willing to work with them and listen to them. Simply put, you need to make sure that your employees can see that you care. Conclusion Leaders and managers should think about talent management as a process rather than an event. It means that leaders should be actively looking for the right talent and nurturing existing talent in their companies. It is a process that takes time, patience, and effort, but it is worth it. If the leaders in your company do a good job of managing and growing talent, they will save themselves a lot of time, money, and headaches in the long run. The good news is that you don’t have to figure out all there is to know about being a good leader and manager on your own. You can seek the help of a reputable business consultant and equip yourself with helpful resources, too. Stuart Andrews is a reputable business coach in Australia who can help you unlock your potential and develop your leadership skills. Apart from signing up for an executive coaching program, you can also get a copy of the newly released book, The Leadership Shift: How to Lead Successful Business Transformations in the New Normal where you can get applicable tips from a seasoned business consultant. Find out more by contacting Stuart and grab your copy of this amazing and insightful book today! For a business to be able to create a best practice workplace, its leaders need to establish great employee experiences. To achieve this, they must be able to ask the right questions regarding pressing internal and external demands and adjust their employee experiences to accommodate the impacts.
Achieving a healthy workplace and positive employee experience is especially important these days as most industries and organisations have increased substantial investments from the setbacks caused by the pandemic. While the stages of the employee life cycle remain the same, leaders must constantly review how employees are engaged at each stage. For example, how well do the digital onboarding experiences you provide help employees establish and sustain internal relationships? To help you improve employee experiences, your trusted business leadership coach in Australia shares five areas to focus on and what you should do to get positive results: 1. Hiring - Leaders Search for Top Talent in New “Places” The demand for new hires is high, especially in the midst of the economic recovery. It is also important to note that companies need to get creative in looking for top talent. For example, big companies like Microsoft and Google are now actively searching for good employees not in the usual places such as school campuses but on social networking sites like Facebook and LinkedIn. To attract top talent, employers must look beyond what is available and make good use of social media and other online tools. Furthermoreyou can use digital onboarding programs to set up your online presence, gather the right information and expand your audience. You can also use special events and contests to establish your presence on these sites. 2. Onboarding - First Impressions Still Matter Onboarding refers to the process of preparing an employee for a role in an organisation. During this process, an employee must be able to learn the organisation’s culture and systems and get to know his co-workers, their roles, and their goals. When a new hire enters an organisation, the typical onboarding experience will include discussions with a manager and/or a human resource officer, with the completion of training. However, digital onboarding has opened the doors for new and innovative ways of onboarding new employees and increasing engagement. Nowadays, a great onboarding experience lets new employees get to know the organisation through social networking sites and video sharing sites. Employers can also use apps and games to help employees learn about the organisation and its purpose, culture, systems, and history. 3. Performance - Unclear Role Expectations Have a Significant Effect To put it simply, employees must be able to perform exceptionally well in their roles. However, many employees have reported that they have unclear role expectations, and this is one of the factors that was exacerbated during the pandemic. Due to the complexity of their roles, employees find themselves unsure on how to improve performance. For instance, in the first stage of the employee life cycle, new hires are told to look for opportunities for improvement and growth. You can achieve clarity in your performance expectations by clarifying your measurement and reward system. For example, you can use metrics like employee engagement and the results of your time and management system to show employees how they can improve performance. It’s also important to include real-time feedback loops to ensure that employees are not waiting until structured performance reviews to have opportunities to improve and grow. 4. Development - Painting a Picture of Growth for Employees Is Important The employee life cycle is all about moving from one stage to another. If you want to be able to help employees grow and export talent across the organisation, then you must be able to paint a picture of growth for them. In some instances, leaders present succession planning for employees but fail to explain how this will happen. For instance, , new employees are told that they will be able to progress to the next stage if they invest in themselves. At this point, leaders need to explain what they mean by investing in themselves. Employees can invest in themselves by completing coaching programs, earning a certification, participating in learning and development initiatives, exploring opportunities outside the organisation, and so on. To help you explain how employees can improve their skills, you need to develop clear action plans with criteria that can be measured on a regular basis to monitor growth. 5. Employee Wellbeing - Wellbeing is the Number One Priority Employees who are not well will find it hard to achieve the goals of their organisations. Lower engagement levels will not only impact individual performance but broader team morale and overall organisational financial results. To help employees achieve and maintain well-being, you must show them that they matter to the organisation and provide the support they need to do their jobs. An excellent employee experience must be the top priority, and leaders must be able to show their employees that they are pivotal to the success of the organisation. This includes demonstrating a genuine interest in their personal lives and providing opportunities for growth. Some organisations have started to define clear wellness programs, where they are able to demonstrate to employees how they clearly support them mentally, socially, physically and financially. Conclusion In order to ensure that you have game changing employee experiences, you must be able to establish clear and healthy systems for each stage of the employee life cycle. By focusing on the five stages discussed above, you can deliver a better employee experience and ultimately improve business performance. Of course, you can invest in this further by engaging an executive coach from one of the trusted experts in your area. Stuart Andrews is a reputable business leadership coach in Australia who can help you improve the way you do your business. With Stuart Andrews’ strategies at your disposal, you can make huge strides to take your business to new heights. Learn how to be a better business leader from the book written by your trusted business coach in Australia! People say that the best jobs are the ones you enjoy and make you happy. Sure, that's true, but sometimes, even the things you love can become boring and dull. This is an important factor to consider if you're running a business, as your employees may find themselves demotivated and sometimes unhappy with the job they have.
So, with that in mind, what should you do to create a more positive workplace? By creating a positive workplace culture! What Exactly Is A Workplace Culture? Workplace culture can be defined as all the different elements that make up a working environment. It's like a company's personality. Workplace culture is made up of elements like the policies, procedures, norms and values that guide working practices. All of these elements work together to create a healthy workplace that benefits everyone in the organisation. What Affects A Company's Workplace Culture? To get a better understanding of workplace culture, we must first delve into what affects it. Here are a few factors that come into play when it comes to creating a positive workplace culture. 1. Core Values Have you been wondering what the buzz is about "core values" for the past few years? Well, you're not alone. Companies are discovering that having core values is an important piece of their company identity. Let's start from the beginning. A core value is something that is at the foundation of your company's identity. It's a core belief that your company holds onto. These values are what keep your company competitive and in the game. By understanding and having a solid core set of values, you can create a workplace culture that is based on these values. 2. Company Culture Positive workplace cultures are created by understanding the needs and wants of the workers, what they enjoy, and what they prefer. Workplace culture is a reflection of the company's core values. Culture is the set of practices and behaviours reflective of the environment of the workplace. An employee's experience at work is an example of a business' workplace culture. 3. Receptivity If you have a negative workplace culture and then you force it on your employees, they're not going to accept it. Instead, they're going to resist it, and, ultimately, they're going to resist your company's core values. What Factors Create A Positive Workplace Culture? If you want your workplace to have great employee experiences, you have to make sure that it has a good company culture. It's not easy to get started with a new culture, especially if your company culture is the cause of discontent among your employees. However, it's not impossible to do. Some key factors can definitely affect your workplace in a positive way and make it more enjoyable for everyone! These include: 1. Teamwork Teamwork is one of the most important factors in positive workplace culture. It is actually responsible for the success of your company and can be the main reason why your company is profitable. Therefore, good culture correlates with a productive and efficient organisation. However, just because your employees are working together doesn't mean that you should take their teamwork for granted. There's a lot that goes into teamwork, such as the ability to communicate effectively and to work together towards organisational objectives. 2. Identity Identity is an important element that can influence your company. As a result of its impact, it can also influence your workplace culture. It's good to use your company's identity to strengthen your company brand. Ultimately, it will positively affect the way your employees view your company and the way they view themselves. If a company's identity is strong, it can provide the foundation needed for a company culture that is dynamic and unique. 3. Dynamic It is important to note that companies that value dynamism is progressive and forward-thinking. This is why it is essential to have a company culture that is also dynamic and forward-thinking. A company culture that is not dynamic may seem like it's stuck in the past. Generally, it won't lag behind the competition, and it won't keep up with the changing times. 4. Responsible Leadership Good leadership is important for positive workplace culture. When the leaders of your company are responsible for how they act, it speaks volumes about their morals and even about the company's values. Without responsible leadership, it is not possible to have a positive workplace culture. 5. Rapport In a positive workplace culture, rapport between your employees is important. If their rapport is good, it means that they can communicate well, they can work together effectively, and they can make decisions based on common ground. Rapport between employees is not just helpful for your business; it is also helpful for them as individuals. Good rapport can help them develop their skills, and it can also help them grow and develop as individuals. 6. Wellness Wellness is a pretty broad topic, so we will not go into too much detail. However, the bottom line is that a healthy lifestyle is important for positive workplace culture. Employees who lead a healthy lifestyle tend to be more engaged in their work. They are more productive, and they are more likely to show up on time. 7. Authenticity In a positive workplace culture, employees can be themselves. They are not afraid to express who they truly are or to feel comfortable with themselves. If they feel that they need to act a certain way just to fit in, then they will have a negative experience. Authenticity inspires loyalty and engagement, it is important to be yourself at work. Adopt a casual environment where employees can open up and feel more like themselves and less like an employee. Conclusion Overall, positive workplace culture is a must to survive, especially during times where employees have so much choice for employment and organisations struggle to retain talent. Investing in culture improvements will bring about immense value to your company. It can help you build a strong reputation in the marketplace and increase the value of your brand, it will motivate your employees to work harder and ultimately improve your company's performance. So, if you feel like your workplace culture could do better, don't wait around. Stuart Andrews offers leadership coaching to support business leaders and executives in running companies with high-performing teams. If you are looking for an executive coach in Australia, get in touch with us today! In addition, check out my book and see how you can improve as a leader. |
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March 2023
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