Help Them Succeed
This post is the fifth 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:
5. Position people for promotion.
In addition to being a really fun alliteration, this step is super-important to keeping your best people.
Wait. What?! If I make my people ready for a promotion, aren’t they just going to leave me and take that promotion?
Not necessarily…. By showing your people that you recognize how amazing they are, you might actually be able to keep them on your team longer. Remember, when employees believe their manager has their best interest at heart, they are more satisfied – that means they’re more likely to stick around with you versus looking elsewhere for opportunities that will let them grow and shine (and get promoted). If you don’t position them for a promotion – and they want one – they very likely will leave you.
So what exactly does it mean to position people for promotion? In addition to giving them new opportunities (like peer leadership roles) and letting them shine (by getting them in front of important people), it also means providing or supporting appropriate professional development (see the next post) as well as coaching and mentoring them to seek out and apply for positions for which they are ready.
Let your people know how important they are to you. Recognize their work.
Talk to them about what they really want to be doing. Where do they see themselves next year, in three years, in five years? What needs to happen now for them to be able to get there. How can you support them in taking those steps?
Is there professional development that would be beneficial? Are there contacts elsewhere in the company (or even in another company) that would be good for them to know? Make the introductions and even recommendations where that is appropriate. Are there other areas in the company where your team member could help out with a project or learn a specific skill that would be useful for them in the future?
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.