A Simple 2-Step Assessment to Manage Your Team

It’s easy to simply react to the day-to-day grind.  Before most managers know it, they can find themselves in a situation where key talent has left their teams.  Additionally, managers may realize they have the wrong people in the wrong positions for the wrong reasons.  

Managers Need “Monovision”

The concept of Lasik surgery for eyes is familiar to many.  With Lasik, there is an option called “monovision”, which allows the patient to have one eye adjusted for seeing things close up and the other eye adjusted for seeing things far away.  The same concept applies to managers as they keep an eye on their teams:  the manager must focus both on individuals and on the team as a whole. 

Flexing Focus Between Individual and Team is Critical

Getting to know employees as individuals is important and assists managers in setting specific expectations for each individual regarding personal performance, compensation, and career path.  However, many managers do not spend time taking stock of the team as a whole to ensure that the mix of current talent and future potential is working well to position the organization for success in the future. 

A Simple Assessment Can Make All the Difference

This simple exercise can give managers clarity about the current team configuration and provide insight about what the manager must do to create and maintain key team talent into the future.

Managers can take these 2 steps to get a good picture regarding overall team status:

Step 1: Reflect on the relative rank of the employee's performance with the rest of the employees as a whole.  Is the employee in the top 10%?  Top 25%?  In the middle? Or in bottom 10%, etc.?

Step 2: Record each employee’s potential, using terms to reflect what the future might hold for him.   Is he “Struggling”? “In the right place”? “Needs challenge”? “Ready to Advance”? “Future executive”?, etc.  Use whatever phrases are relevant to your organization.

Based on this simple 2-step assessment, a manager can discern support required for individuals' career development while gauging the overall strength and career trajectory of the team.  From here, the manager can create a plan for addressing individual as well as overall team needs.

For more information about engaging and mobilizing employees and to take our FREE Self-Assessment to learn how well you are engaging and mobilizing your employees.

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR NEWSLETTER, BLOG OR WEBSITE? You can, as long as you include this information with it: Beth Strathman is the advisor for senior leaders who want to get clear and focused to create increased productivity and profitability in their organizations. Learn more about her company Firebrand Consulting LLC at: bethstrathman.com.

Employee Recognition for the "No Nonsense" Boss

You know who you are.  You grew up in a family where no news was good news.  When your parents had a conversation with you, it meant you had screwed up.  You’re focused on work, not that you don’t like people. You do.   You just like them better when they are working.  While you make pleasant conversation with others from time to time, it drives you nuts or at least makes you a bit antsy, and you feel it’s a waste of your time if the chit chat goes beyond 5 minutes.

Now, you’re in charge of others.  Maybe you have your own company, you’re a CEO of a large company, or you’re in charge of a department or a small work crew.  Doesn’t matter.  You’re now faced with getting the most out of others, and the concept of employee recognition or appreciation comes up.  The idea alone makes you crazy.  Employee appreciation.  After all, employees are getting paid to do their jobs.  You think, “Why should you have to gush all over them?  Geez.  Grow up, employees.  This is the adult world.  Not everyone gets a trophy for showing up to work.”

Granted, it would be a lot easier if everyone could simply show up, hit their marks, and know in their heart of hearts that they did a good job . . . unless you say something to them.  But that’s not the way the world works.  Employees’ need to belong and to feel good about themselves and that means they need you to recognize their efforts from time to time.

Yes, some recognition programs miss the mark.  They put too much emphasis on the token given to the employee (a watch, a trophy, a bonus, etc.) than on the meaning and sentiment behind the token.  (How many of you have commemorative service pins that you don’t want and don’t know what to do with?)  If a program stresses form (getting something) over function (appreciation), then the recognition program is the problem and needs to be revamped or dismantled altogether.

Here’s what we know about employee appreciation:

1.            Performance is higher in groups where the leader shows more encouragement.  In fact, a survey showed that 95% of those survey agreed with the statement, “I get a lot of satisfaction knowing I've done a good job.”  Kepner-Tregoe (1995)

This indicates that to get the best performance out of employees, employees want and need to hear that you recognize their efforts and to know that you were pleased with their work.  It doesn’t mean you have to throw a party or buy them expensive presents each time they do something right.  It simply means you need to acknowledge the efforts.  How about a simple thank you?

2.            Teams with managers who were encouraging and offered praise performed 31% better than teams that did not.  Greenberg, M. H., & Arakawa, D. (2006).

Again, recognizing efforts and telling employees that they are doing well and that you appreciate their efforts is all that is needed.  The research doesn’t say you need to spend a ton of money making a big deal out of every success or breakthrough.

3.            Deliberate and specific recognition/praise is more motivating than money. Deci, E. L. (1996)

When you show your appreciation, be deliberate in recognizing employees and be specific about what it was they did so well and why it mattered to the company.  Don't say only, “Thank you.”  Instead say, “Thanks for the long hours and hard work you put into the ABC project.  Because of your efforts, we landed the account.”

So, as much as it irks you to recognize when employees get it right, it can pay off big for them individually.  Consequently, sincerely saying a specific “thank you” will pay off big for your company, department, or work crew.  It’s not the fancy recognition program you design or the stuff you give people; it’s the recognition and appreciation, stupid.