Speaking of Business: Find your vision, then sell it to your staff
Q: I am having a really difficult time trying to get my employees to do what I have hired them to do. My company makes a good profit, and I reward my employees very well when they do a good job. But they don’t always do what I ask of them. Instead, they’ll work on other lower-priority projects. I pay them well, and it’s my opinion that they could not go anywhere else and make what I am paying them. This is so frustrating for me. At times I do not know if owning this company is worth all this stress.
A: You are not alone with your stress. I often find this type of stress in companies that lack a “shared/sold vision.”
You need to first make sure that you have a solid strategic plan in place, and communicate this plan to all employees. Begin by asking your key team members the following questions to begin formulating your plan of attack. Robert Fritz, author of “The Path of Least Resistance for Managers,” developed this list. Ask yourself:
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” What are we offering?
” Who are our customers?
” What do our customers want?
” What do we want?
” Is there a match between their wants and ours?
” How did they learn about our company?
” How did/will they obtain our offering?
” What is the current market?
” What is the future market?
” How will our offering change?
” Where are we going?
By answering these 11 questions, you can begin to better understand your business. The above questions help you focus on:
” What you need to do.
” How you need to do it.
” How it will work (viability).
” Where you are going.
The business strategy expresses the purpose of the organization and defines how wealth is generated. It leads to the tapestry of related decisions.
There are many solutions on how to improve your position with your staff. Another good starting point is to use the following checklist. Select the appropriate answer by indicating the current status of the job-performance appraisal process in the organization or your department.
Select either “Yes,” “Partial” or “No” per statement below:
1. Managers and employees are consistently identifying performance-improvement opportunities.
2. Managers and employees are appropriately commended, both verbally and in writing, when their performance is exceptional.
3. Positive performance coaching, focused on improving acceptable performance, is regularly taking place with all employees.
4. Employees are effectively counseled when substandard performance results from job-related actions.
5. Appropriate action is taken when personal, off-the-job problems adversely affect on-the-job performance.
6. Managers clearly understand under what circumstances employees can be dismissed.
7. An equal amount of time is spent commending exceptional performance and coaching to improve acceptable performance as is spent counseling employees on bringing substandard performances up to standard.
8. A uniform, fully documented commendation, coaching and counseling process is used throughout the organization.
9. Adequate resources (forms, flow charts, etc.) are readily available to effectively perform the commendation, coaching and counseling process.
10. Those responsible for commendation, coaching and counseling are fully trained in the process and skills.
11. Employees perceive coaching and counseling by management as a constructive and beneficial experience — focused on improving future job performance.
After answering the above survey, give yourself two points per each “Yes,” one point per each “Partial” and zero points for each “No.” Now add point totals. Interpretation of your point score:
19-22 = Excellent; no improvement needed.
15-18 = Very Good; improvement helpful.
11-17 = Good; improvement recommended.
Less then 11 = Opportunity; improvement needed.
Recommended action: Review each “Partial” and “No” item. How important is it? What is its impact on your results? What would it take to improve? These questions will help you in choosing the appropriate actions.
Greeley resident Russell Disberger is a founding member of Aspen Business Group, a Northern Colorado-based specialty consulting and venture-capital firm assisting businesses in obtaining strategic growth. He can be reached at (970) 396-7009 or via e-mail at russell@aspenbusinessgroup.com.
Q: I am having a really difficult time trying to get my employees to do what I have hired them to do. My company makes a good profit, and I reward my employees very well when they do a good job. But they don’t always do what I ask of them. Instead, they’ll work on other lower-priority projects. I pay them well, and it’s my opinion that they could not go anywhere else and make what I am paying them. This is so frustrating for me. At times I do not know if owning this company is worth all this…
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