best management practices

Sculpting Positive Self-Expectations in Your Employees

In ancient Greek mythology there was a sculptor named Pygmalion who fell in love with a statue he carved, which then came to life in response to his love for it.  What does this myth have to do with managing your employees?

Everything.

Your employees come from diverse backgrounds, with different histories, psychologies, personalities, baggage, skills, and so on.  But they all share one important characteristic: responsiveness to their manager’s expectations of them.

Think of yourself as Pygmalion, the sculptor, and your employees as the marble which eventually will become a statue.

The reason the mythical sculptor’s statue came to life was because he believed in it — he knew that the sculpture was the most beautiful, most lifelike carving of a woman in all of Greece, and he exuded those thoughts while working.

Similarly, your employees will come to life and far exceed your expectations of them if you believe that they can, and communicate that message to them.

This isn’t a new finding: J. Sterling Livingston suggested this very thing in a 1988 volume of Harvard Business Review.  His thesis was that “the way managers treat their subordinates is subtly influenced by what they expect of them”; in other words, your staff’s capacity to succeed is in part determined by your belief in and expectations of them.

If you yourself don’t have confidence in one of your staff members, you are likely to express that doubt, even subconsciously, to that employee, and thereby impair her capability to do excellent work.

Of course, this does not mean that you are solely responsible for the performance of your employees.  However, it is the duty of a manager to inspire and train employees to be the best they can.  Believing in your employees is particularly inspirational to them because it give them the motivation to excel for the sake of excellence, and not out of desperation for their job.

To help sculpt positive expectations in your employees:

  • Assign them increasingly challenging work as they progress (but not before they can handle it).
  • Have monthly meetings with individual employees where you praise their successes and offer constructive feedback.
  • Group successful employees with rookie employees to establish as sense of confidence early on.
  • Make walks around the office and interact with your employees occasionally, keeping conversation positive and friendly.
  • Ask about what skills your employees would like to learn and try to find educational/developmental opportunities that match.

There is more to managing employees than simply thinking and saying good things about them —and unlike Pygmalion, you really can’t fall in love with them — but encouraging positive expectations and developing employees’ self esteem is one way that you can bring out the best in them, and in your company.

This is a guest post by Kimberly Wilson. Kimberly is from accredited online colleges, she writes on topics including career, education, student life, college life, home improvement, time management etc.

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Easy and Cheap Ways to Build Employee Morale

When you’re trying to create a productive and cooperative workplace, improving employee morale is key. When employees are happy, they’ll want to stay with the company, be more productive, and offer ideas worthy of PhDs, which can help improve the business even more. Perks are a great way to do this, but unfortunately not every company has enough money to organize exotic employee picnics or offer huge benefits. But that doesn’t mean you can’t create a healthy work atmosphere. Here are several cheap ways that you can improve morale without breaking your budget:

1. Managerial Encouragement

If employees only hear from their managers when mistakes are made, it discourages morale. Managers need to stay updated on employee accomplishments, and develop ways to encourage and reward these achievements. For example, managers could leave handwritten notes at an employee’s desk acknowledging a job well done, stop by the employee’s desk to offer a handshake for congratulations, or offer sweets to employees who come into her office. Employees who feel appreciated will want to work harder.

A monthly employee newsletter would also give the company a chance to recognize outstanding employees on a wider scale. Newsletters also keep the staff updated on company news, which keeps the staff involved in the company’s progress. Be careful not to send these too often, though, as that will devalue the honor of getting a mention, and might even devolve into an annoyance.

2. Employee Lunches
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Things That Your Staff Do That Drive New Hires Away

Employee turnover is a data point that every manager wants to be conscious of no matter the size of your company.

After all, who wants to spend the time energy, and money that it takes to hire the right candidates only to see them walk out the door a short time later.

There are a number of reasons why new hires may decide to leave your company after only a few short months.  Some of the obvious reasons are:

  • The job was not as described
  • Your employee was not onboarded properly, (no introductory training or resources to perform the job efficiently)
  • Some type of personal emergency

One of the worst reasons that an employee may give for leaving a company after only working a very short period of time is that they received a better job offer. (Great way to burn bridges)!

But there is one reason that some new employees leave that may not be as transparent to you as a manager:  Your new employee did not feel welcomed by their colleagues.

Take a look around your work environment and take an honest look at the office culture.

  • Does it appear that there may be cliques of employees – those employees who always go to lunch together or who always sit together at meetings or other company events?
  • Are there certain employees who are very social outside of work and who spend “water cooler” time talking about the things that they’ve done together over the weekend?
  • If there is a notable work related event that has the office abuzz, is everyone within earshot included in these conversations?

Employees who are not welcomed into the fold and made to feel part of the fabric of the organization can often feel a sense of isolation.  When not feeling embraced or included, these employees are more likely to leave your company; especially if they are new and are not vested in the position yet.

We can’t manage who our employees interact with on a personal level, but we can set standards for inclusion for all staff. Do your part by making sure that you:

  • Share your expectations of how employees are welcomed into the organization. You can do this by making sure that all of your staff understands that it’s their responsibility to make new employees feel welcome and to include them in work related activities.
  • Assign a point person for your new employee on their first day.  This is the person that should be responsible for ensuring that your new employee understands how to navigate through the company system and culture, and introduces your new staff person to other employees at the company.
  • Check in with your new staff member on a regular basis to see if they have any questions, or just to find out how they are doing.

It just takes a little effort to help make a new employee feel part of the team.  It’s an investment that can pay off in terms of your employee turnover and retention rates.

Dianne Shaddock is the President of Easy Small Business HR, Employee Hiring and Managing Tips, and the author of the ebook “How To Supervise:  What Your Boss Never Told You Before You Took the Job“,  A Step-By-Step Guide For New and Seasoned Managers.  E-reader versions available in late November on Amazon, Barnes and Nobles, and Apple iBook.

 

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Management Missteps: 5 Imperatives for Hiring Your Next Employee

Hiring new employees is no easy task. Although the recession has created a large pool of overly qualified candidates in nearly every business sector, you may worry about taking on experienced workers at lower pay than they’re used to since a better offer from another company (which is bound to come along eventually) could leave you back at square one. And even beyond finding someone qualified, what you’re really seeking is a new member of your team, someone who will have a positive impact on the overall dynamic, contribute to the goals of the company, and take pride in the work he/she does for you. Luckily, there are ways to determine if a candidate for employment is a good fit for your company. Here are some tips to help you skip missteps and hire the right people from the get-go.

1. Pay attention to what candidates ask. Sometimes the questions an applicant asks are just as important as the ones they answer. If a potential hire asks no questions at all, it can signal a lack of interest in the job or the business, or else a personality type that is simply not proactive. You might not want either sort in your organization. If, however, they seem to have done some research on your company and they have plenty of questions about the job, the company, and the industry, there’s a better chance they are going to be assets to your corporation.

2. Watch for people skills. Not all positions require a candidate to work with the public or even interface with clients. And
 you’re bound to run into plenty of applicants who are nervous during the interview. But whoever you hire is going to have to get along with coworkers and supervisors, at the very least, so you’ll want someone who is personable and well-spoken (especially in positions that require an employee to represent the company in some way). A simple test is whether they look you in the eye, smile, and shake your hand, since the average job-seeker is well aware of these social conventions.
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