Those searching for how to improve employees’ performance often wonder if they are giving the right commands, or dolling orders in the best way. Often, though, the most effective way to improve the performance of your employees isn’t to give commands at all, but rather to ask the right questions and listen to draw the right action plan.
Ron Ashkenas, a former business consultant and a contributor at Forbes says that “asking questions effectively is a major underlying part of a manager’s job — which suggests that it might be worth giving this skill a little more focus.”
To help you meet the goal of giving this skill a little more focus, here are the top five questions you should be asking as a leader in order to improve your employees’
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Far too often, managers don’t look before they leap. While decisiveness and quick action are important, it’s also important to take the time to figure out how you can be most useful. Asking your employee how you can help them and truly listening to their answers will allow you to do your job better, which will in turn motivate your employees even more.
Have you had any “Wins” this week?
People love to focus on their accomplishments, and asking your employees this question gives them the green-light to brag a little about what they’ve been able to do so far that week. At the end of the conversation, you can almost guarantee they will leave it feeling good about themselves, which will provide a boost to their performance.
Asking this question periodically also allows you to keep a finger on the pulse of what your employees are doing day-to-day to improve the company, allowing you to find the ones who are going above and beyond and reward them accordingly.
What part of your job are you most passionate about?
Nothing is a better motivator than passion. Even paychecks and vacations won’t keep an employee motivated about their job for very long if they are not at least somewhat passionate about what it is they do. Since most jobs have several functions and roles, it’s very likely that your employees are more passionate about some
One thing to do as a business owner to make sure that employees are being the best they can be is to observe them. For example, a boss can observe a server as she is serving her tables. By doing this, the business owner can see if she is nice, getting the guests what they want, and getting the orders correct. If the server isn’t doing her job correctly, the business owner can then tell her what she is doing wrong. That is one thing a business owner can do to make sure that their employees are being the best that they can be.
Meeting with staff, providing the opportunity to discuss concerns, ascertain motivation and build relationships between management and workers. Collect and analyse performance figures and observe trends, (for example absence levels, retention, production or customer service). Use staff satisfaction surveys to determine the mood of employees. Promptly analyse responses to identify areas requiring action.
I want them to feel as if they are part of the team. I must listen to them and be open minded to their viewpoints. I need to be able to respect those viewpoint as well. Second, I feel I need to be fair as a leader. I cannot be bias to one employee over another. I understand that I will have employees that will do more for me and they are the type of employees that will get the recognition they deserve however I cannot favor them in a way that it makes others resentful. As a leader I also think it is my duty to serve and help those within our work community. Meaning that I need to have my employees back and I should have their best interest in mind over what is best for just myself. If I do not have happy employees then they will not be doing good work and that all comes back on me and reflects how I am as a leader. You can either, take the bull by the horns and lead or you can ride on the back of the bull and be bucked off! The last thing I feel I need to be as a manager is to be honest. If I am not an honest person I will never have the respect of those I work with. No matter the situation good or bad I need to be upfront and just let them know the truth. (Heathfield,
Identify developmental needs of each employee will help provide opportunities for training and encourage good performance it also strengthens job-rated skills, and will help employees to keep up with changes in the workplace. When managers start focusing on developing their employees performance employees are able to adapt to different kinds of situations. This will help ensure the survival, well-being, and goal achievement of both the employee and the organization.
Set up a regular schedule for one-on-one discussions, where you give employees feedback on how they are doing, with suggestions for development. Employees like to know where they stand, and providing feedback shortly after a task is performed is most effective.
This letter is being written in response to your FT R/W Support Teacher opening. I presently hold a Bachelors of Arts in Political Science and I am currently pursuing a Masters’ Degree in Urban Affairs at Hunter College with an expected graduation date of 2016. Below are a few highlights of my qualifications.
Being a good manager always starts with having a plan…which keeps disaster from happening. A company cannot succeed without one. That is when the need of a manager comes in. They’re the ones normally that come in with the why’s and how’s of how they would like the department
For any business to be successful it needs motivated employees. They are the single most important factor in the long-term success of an organisation.
As a result of looking at the employees’ strengths, she was able to give them tasks that would help for an effective and efficient outcome. She also explained that it is important to give non-managerial employees a chance if they make a mistake. It is crucial for an employee to not only know what they did wrong, but how they can change to fix the problem and learn from it. An employee needs to be able to identify why something went wrong and be able to change their behavior. It is very important for employees to be able to correct mistakes and learn on the fly.
I am very pro-vaccination. This year, more than ever we are seeing blowback from parents who think that it is their "right" to keep their children unvaccinated. I have heard arguments including research studies linking autism to vaccination that was flawed and disproved years ago. Repeatedly. I have heard mothers say that they don't have to have their children vaccinated, just being around my vaccinated children will help theirs. I've heard herd immunity thrown around, and realized that people have no idea what it means, or how it applies to our real world situation. / / I grew up with a single mother who made sure my brother and I were vaccinated no matter what. I grew up understanding that this is the way we wipe out terrible, disfiguring,
One of the biggest struggles in my life tends to be food. I love eating, but at the same time, I rather not eat. I love trying new foods with exotic flavors and unique recipes, but I fear the reaction that by body will force on me. I have recently been diagnosed with a condition known as dyspepsia. This essentially means my stomach does not enjoy food as much as my mouth does. With each meal, I face the possibility of becoming nauseous after eating. As a result, I tend to avoid large portions, greasy, or overly sweet foods. Although, every now and then, I push my fears of food aside and fully indulge myself in spectacular meals. Poe’s Tavern has been the restaurant in which I break beyond my fears and gorge on food. Located in Wrightsville beach, Poe’s Tavern tends to be one of my favorite places to eat to feel satisfied after a meal, and fascinated as a literary fanatic throughout the entire experience. This restaurant has been created in honor of the author and poet, Edgar Allan Poe. Poe has been credited as the creator of the mystery and horror genera. He tends to be most well known for his poems and short stories, in which Poe’s Tavern glorifies through their restaurant environment as well as food selection. Poe’s Tavern has been a phenomenal restaurant for any literary enthusiast with an interest in a fascinating environment and adventurous taste pallet.
Good performance review techniques and methods come in a variety of forms ranging from the use of management coaches to the establishment and distribution of written evaluations. Evaluations should include all direct reports from those employees who work within the department; from beginning to end, the process of using a questionnaire benefits gloriously to a manager and their employees. Discovering what employees genuinely think of a manager’s work and leadership abilities proves crucial as it becomes an essential step in maintaining strengths and improving weaknesses. The use of a hired management coach can help during the performance reviews immensely; as their job is to aide in the facilitation of meetings, coaches can assist in assuring that the review
5. Ask employees to raise concerns and make suggestions; include discussion of training needs in employee performance management.
People enjoy being included in decisions or situations in life. In the workplace it is essential to hear other people's thoughts and ideas, in order to have a better outcome. Almost everyone likes to have their ideas heard and implemented in decision making. When managers asks an employee for advice in any given situation, even if is not implemented, it gives you a sense of importance in that person's life. Also, it makes you feel that your ideas matter, and that you are not just an employee, instead, you are someone I admire enough to help me make an important decision.
There are as many different methods of motivating employees today as there are companies operating in the global business environment. Still, some strategies are prevalent across all organizations striving to improve employee motivation. The best employee motivation efforts will focus on what the employees deem to be important. It may be that employees within the same department of the same organization will have different motivators. Many organizations today find that flexibility in job design and reward systems has resulted in employees ' increased longevity with the company, improved productivity, and better morale.