Yesterday’s Advisor featured six of consultant Jon Gordon’s tips for reenergizing employees in a down economy. Today, we’ll look at three more of his suggestions (including one about sharks) and a New Year’s Resolution Special—a webinar all about how you can be a better boss in 2010.
[Go here for tips 1 through 6 ]
7. Teach Your People to Be Heroes, Not Victims
Gordon points out that both heroes and victims get knocked down. The distinction is that heroes get back up while victims simply give up.
Help your employees to realize that they are not victims of circumstance, Gordon says. Remind them that they have a high locus of control—in other words, they have a significant influence over how things turn out. “True, you can’t always control the events in your life, but you can control how you respond to these events—and your response determines the outcome,” Gordon says.
8. Focus on the Small Wins
The key, says Gordon, is to always place your attention on those little, ordinary, nonspectacular “wins” that add up to big successes. His credo is to expect success, look for success, and celebrate success.
“Keep in mind that employees might be discouraged or burnt out right now, so make sure to really highlight and celebrate the small wins in order to foster loyalty, excitement, and confidence,” Gordon urges. “Championships are won as the result of many small wins.”
“I will be a better manager.” New Year’s resolution? Here’s how to make it happen—a unique webinar, Become a Great Boss, that will get you (and your colleagues) up to speed—without leaving the building. Click here for details.
9. Make Sure You Have Sharks in Your Key Positions
When the economy was thriving, it didn’t matter as much if key employees turned in a mediocre performance. Now, that isn’t the case, Gordon says. He suggests looking at your team and figuring out which people display the characteristics of driven, go-get-’em “nice sharks” and which are “goldfish” or more natural relationship managers.
Your sharks are the people you need in sales or business-driving positions, Gordon suggests, not your goldfish. People who aren’t in the right positions won’t thrive—and your organization will constantly find itself struggling, he says.
Too many organizations have goldfish types in sales positions, and that’s why they aren’t thriving, Gordon says. “Put your people in the right positions and allow them to do what they do best—and they will help your company to perform its best.”
As Gordon’s tips point out, managers’ skills will be tested in 2010. Why not make developing leadership skills a top resolution for the new year? We recommend a timely new 90-minute webinar called Become a Great Boss: How to Build Your Skills as a World-Class Manager.
Become a Great Boss offers strategies that are working in this challenging economy, such as keeping workers loyal and productive when there’s no money for raises or bonuses or fun. Another strategy is listening and empathizing without being best friends. And there’s special attention to the worst mistakes new managers and supervisors make, along with clear suggestions for how to avoid them.
The date is Friday, December 18. The time, 1:30—3 p.m. (Eastern Time—adjust for your time zone). As with all BLR® webinars, one fee trains all the staff you can fit around a conference phone, you can get your (and their) specific phoned-in or e-mailed questions answered in an extensive Q&A that follows the presentation.
Be a Better Boss. Yes, there are techniques that any supervisor or manager can use to be more effective. Join BLR for a special webinar designed to kick-start your management in the new year. Click here for details.
What if you can’t attend on that date? Preorder the conference CD. For more information on the conference and the experts presenting it, to register, or to preorder the CD, click here. We’ll be happy to make the arrangements.
As with all BLR webinars, your satisfaction is assured or you get a full refund.
Please join us December 18th for Become a Great Boss: How to Build Your Skills as a World-Class Manager. Get more information.
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