I Want a Promotion…
This post is the third in a series that shares a summary of a podcast from a company called Essential Communications, along with my notes that dig into each point a little deeper. If you like what my post has to say, you may want to check out their website and see what else they have to offer you.
http://essentialcomm.com/podcast/your-teams-best-interests-part-one
Catching you up: When employees believe their manager has their best interest at heart, they are more satisfied and more productive than those who don’t believe that. Treat your people well, and you will be rewarded!
How to show your employees you have their best interests in mind:
3. Create opportunities for new responsibilities.
None of us wants to stay in the same old job day after day, doing the same old thing hour after hour. (Well, very few of us anyway!) You are a manager (or supervisor or owner or boss) because you didn’t want the same thing all the time – you wanted change, you wanted challenge. You probably wanted a promotion.
As it turns out, that’s a really typical feeling for workers. We like novelty, we like change (within reason, when it’s not scary), and we like pushing ourselves and learning more. In fact, there’s a term for that state of when your expertise and skill level meet the perfect intersection of challenge: It’s called Flow. This is that time when you’re in the zone, just doing your work, and you don’t even notice the passage of time (or lunch). That’s kind of what we’re all looking for.
The other thing we really like is recognition. We want to know that others see the effort (and talent) we’re putting into our work, and we want to know they appreciate it. We workers like to get praised, recognized, and appreciated. This is something we all seek.
Unfortunately, we can’t just go around asking for promotions – or handing them out. There are usually limits to how quickly someone can move up in the ranks, needing to learn new skills, to show mastery of specific techniques or knowledge, or to simply put in a prerequisite amount of time. Not to mention, there are finite positions as you move up through the company; there can only be one CEO (for example).
So, how can we meet that need for recognition and novelty and challenge (without necessarily giving a promotion)? Well, one way is by giving our people new responsibilities, as noted in the bullet above! But what does that mean, exactly?
In my experience, there are a lot of ways to do this. One of my favorites is to offer for the employee to create and run an event (and this could be for peers or for clients). This event might be a fun social gathering, a learning opportunity, or something completely different. Other possibilities include: having a seat on a certain committee or taskforce, mentoring a new hire (or transfer), or training someone (or a group) in a specific skill or technique. You could even tie this into professional development and offer attendance to a coveted conference or expanded learning in another department of the organization.
The goal of the activity is to show that you trust this employee, to empower them to step up and to go beyond their traditional duties, and to give them the opportunity to learn and to show off their skills to others. You want to demonstrate that you acknowledge their expertise and experience and that you are helping to groom them for the next step. (Just be sure you are also providing them with the appropriate support and resources they need to succeed – or to learn from not succeeding…) This is not the time to take advantage of an employee by having them do extra work without getting paid. There needs to be a benefit to your employee, and it needs to be their choice.
What are some ways you already do this? How do other managers in your organization create these opportunities for new responsibility? What else could you be doing?
If you’re the person who wants a promotion, what kinds of responsibility could you take on that would let your leadership and expertise shine? Who else could help you brainstorm ideas for this?
I read a lot of articles and attend many webinars and conferences on how to create organizational cultures that motivate employees. I love sharing the nuggets I take from those with you.
This month’s posts share a summary of a podcast from a company called Essential Communications, along with my notes that dig into each point a little deeper. If you like what my post has to say, you may want to check out their website and see what else they have to offer you.
http://essentialcomm.com/podcast/your-teams-best-interests-part-one
1. Be sure your employees understand their job.
2. Deliver lots of feedback—both praise and developmental.
3. Create opportunities for new responsibilities.
4. Allow employees to have high visibility.
5. Position people for promotion.
6. Provide professional development
7. Offer career development
8. Be the resource they need. Share the view from your vantage point
9. Be fair
10. Tell your team how to succeed with you