Do you remember the story of David, the Executive Director, who lost his leadership team, the Board of Directors, his staff and his job?
As I mentioned, he was a dedicated, hard worker, as well as a very good, caring person. He just didn’t have the leadership, strategic planning and organizational development skills necessary to be successful and fulfill the organization’s goals.
The mistakes that David made as Executive Director are some of the same mistakes I see small business owners and leaders make all the time that cost them growth, productivity, time and money. And often times their job or their businesses are lost as well.
But those costly leadership mistakes can be easily corrected.
Here are 7 simple steps to increase employee performance:
1. Reinforce your vision or mission.
People need to know and be reminded of the collective aim of the business, what their team’s function is, and how they contribute individually to the overall success within their job.
2. Remind people what’s in it for them.
Want to amp up motivation? Find the crossover from what you’re asking someone to do, to what it will do for them.
3. Make work fun.
People are more engaged, more creative and more enthused when they’re having fun!
4. Ask questions.
Asking questions gives you valuable feedback and insights, as well as shows that you care and that others have a voice. Very empowering!
5. Give feedback.
Don’t keep your staff working in a vacuum. If they’re doing a great job, tell them. If there’s something to improve, tell them. Keep the lines of communication open.
6. Show appreciation.
People like to feel valuable, important and part of the team. Give people rewards, and show them you appreciate their efforts and their achievements.
7. Inspire collaboration.
The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. When we work together, we leverage each other’s strengths, and what’s produced can be exponentially better.
Remember, your team wants you to be a great boss. They want you to succeed and to help them succeed.
Allow them in on the process by following these guidelines.
Also, these steps should be custom-tailored for each individual on your team. It may take some experimenting and tweaking to find what works best, but it shouldn’t take long. Just watch for measurable performance improvements and behavioral changes. You’ll know if you’re moving things along.
Your business’ productivity and profitability, as well as your own work enjoyment, will increase as a result.
Your friend and coach,
Jason
