In yesterday’s Advisor, business consultant Bridget Miller provided some tips for managing and improving employee performance. Today, more techniques from Miller to drive performance higher at your organization.
- Give frequent and timely feedback. When an employee does something worth recognizing, give him or her that recognition. If appropriate, consider giving a reward for employee service that exceeds expectations. It’s also important to ensure that when an employee steers slightly off course, he or she knows that, too. Even negative feedback helps (as long as it’s not the only feedback) because it ensures employees understand expectations.
- Be open to receiving feedback, too. Listen to employees when they ask for better tools. Listen to their needs to ensure they’re happy. Ensure each person is in the right role for his or her needs and skills.
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- Review company hiring procedures to ensure the best candidates are being selected.
- Conduct employee engagement surveys; poor performance can be a result of lack of engagement and low morale.
- Focus on morale. Take steps to ensure that employees are satisfied with their jobs. Here are some ways:
- Review benefits, work environment, salary levels, and more. Ensure the benefits offered are benefits that your employees value. Remember that employee benefits that help employees—even if they’re not high-value items—can improve morale.
- Ensure employees understand the organization’s mission and vision; giving employees something to get behind can help them understand their purpose and role in helping the organization succeed.
- Consider ways to improve team cohesiveness.
- Ask employees what they need.
- Ensure managers are being consistent in their application of company policies. For example, ensure there’s no appearance of favoritism and no individuals or groups that do not have to follow the rules. Inconsistency can cause frustration, which can decrease productivity.
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- Give employees the right tools and processes to excel. Sometimes, investing in a better tool or process can reap huge dividends in productivity and employee satisfaction.
- Give employees the power to do their jobs well. Empowering employees is critical; it allows them to avoid minor roadblocks. Empowering employees can include ensuring they have the authority to make decisions critical to their success—and the ability to delegate if necessary to get the job done. Employees should know and have input into their goals and objectives, which will also give ownership—they should help to decide goals, deadlines, and more. Give them the resources they need, and hold them accountable without micromanaging. Encourage employees to find solutions to problems.
Many times when productivity suffers, there is an identifiable root cause. Things like dissatisfied employees, the wrong fit for the role, not enough training, lacking the right tools, conflicting priorities, and unclear expectations can all get in the way of employee productivity. Identifying these root causes can help uncover the path to maximum productivity.
About Bridget Miller:
Bridget Miller is a business consultant with a specialized MBA in International Economics and Management, which provides a unique perspective on business challenges. She’s been working in the corporate world for over 15 years, with experience across multiple diverse departments including HR, sales, marketing, IT, commercial development, and training.