Staff engagement

7th August 2012 / Posted in: Team work, Management, Staff engagement

It’s only a week

LONDON 2012, DAY 8 SATURDAY 4th AUGUST

Was it really only a week ago since we watched the Team GB mens cycling team work so physically hard, for so long, in their quest to deliver Mark Cavendish close enough to the finishing line to sprint for gold?  The fact he didn’t achieve a medal placing was made worse by the media hype in the run up to race implying that 'Cav for gold' was a dead cert.  What a week. 

Early in the week I was upset and annoyed by the media's use of the word ‘only.’ Phrases like ‘only a 6th’ or ‘only a bronze’ seemed to belittle being 6th best in the whole World -  something only achievable with enormous dedication and application and way beyond the sights of most mortals.

Getting the best out of those around you can be influenced by the words you use .... or don’t use. A couple of years ago I was lucky enough to interview Margaret Eva, OBE, Head Teacher of Bourne Community College - a school she and her team have taken from close to special measures to outstanding. Early on in the journey they had a ‘rule’ about communicating negative feedback  to students. The ratio of praise to negative comments had to be 4 to 1, and with a school full of disinterested students who couldn't see the advantages of education it can't have been easy. Most of us have teams that are far less challenging and more focused on their work so if we put our minds to it we could adopt that ratio of praise to feedback.  However we're so used to hearing bad news and negative comments through the media it doesn't always come naturally.

The outstanding performance by our athletes - many of whom have won medals - has seen a change in the media. Even London's Underground has been praised for working.  Make sure you ride on the wave of praise and good feeling and even if you don’t have many occasions on which to make negative comments to your staff about their performance, don't forget the praise.

Previous blogs in this ‘be the best you can’ series

• Be the best you can
• Working as a team achieves better results
• The ‘Olympic effect’ on time
• The dangers of procrastination
• Technology can slow you down
• Recognising goals
• Tackling the things I’ve been putting off
• Disciplining your diary

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2nd August 2012 / Posted in: Targets, Development, Management, Staff engagement

Goal, goal, goal!

You know how supporters get excited when their side scores a goal, or crosses the finish line first,  and achieving goals in business should be no less exciting. Both athletes and businesses have multiple goals all of which go towards achieving their larger objectives.  Many athletes will have competed in events that don’t have publicity top events such as the European Athletics Championships, Henley or the Tour de France, so don’t have enormous crowds cheering them on.  Nevertheless competing at such events is one of their many goals in their quest for an Olympic medal. Even if the crowds don’t recognise their successes  - their coaches will.  Failures will be treated positively and something to learn from.

Similarly it’s a critical part of every manager’s role to help their teams set and reach goals and to see how achieving these goals is part of the bigger picture - the company’s corporate objectives.  In the same way that supporters get excited when their teams score, employees need recognition when they ‘score a goal.’ If they don’t, their motivation and enthusiasm to take on the next goal will be dampened.

Take a look at the goals you’re setting for your staff (and yourself), what they’ve achieved, and the recognition they’ve got.  Without the small goals the larger ones will be out of reach but sometimes we’re all so busy we don’t find the time to acknowledge small achievements. The time may be right to pop to the shops for some chocolate medals!

On a personal level this is my first season in Triathlon. I never intended to do more Duathlon (run and cycle) because I really struggled with swimming and panicked when I got out of breath. Completing my first sprint triathlon in Winchester involving a 400m pool swim was an achievement worth celebrating, as was Chichester Olympic distance for which the swim was 50% further - a huge 600m. Another goal I carefully planned how to achieve and got there. The natural next step should be open water but I'm unsure as I didn't really enjoy the two swims I've had in a lake.

Post script

An amazing swim with the Petersfield Triathlon Club swim coach early one sunny morning in August made me rethink my goals and I entered my first open water sprint triathlon - Vachery - on August bank holiday. It was a huge step forwards - I'd have to swim 750m in a lake.  The only thing I had to prove was to that little monster in my head that had made me think I couldn't do it.  I'm glad to say not only did I leave the little monster in the lake but I ended up buying a lot of beers as I got around quicker than I'd predicted. Discovering I'd won my age category was more than compensation.

I'd found that working on my biggest weakness, realising a lot of it was in my head and refusing to let it beat me, was starting to pay off. There's still a long way to go as I won't feel I'm a real triathlete until I've done a full Olympic distance triathlon which means a 1500m swim in open water.  It's a SMART goal I've set myself for July 2013 - back at Vachery. There are other goals on the way - such as the sprint distance at Windsor Triathlon (ILOVETRI) on 16th June 2013 which is a huge challenge - a massive field by comparison with other events I've entered plus swimming in tidal water.  

For me there are a huge number of analogies between running a small/medium sized business and training for a multi-sport event and both benefit from the other. I've learned not to worry about the things I can't change and plan how to handle those I can. 

Previous blogs in this ‘be the best you can’ series
Be the best you can
Working as a team achieves better results
The Olympic effect on time
The dangers of procrastination
Technology can slow you down

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28th July 2012 / Posted in: Team work, Development, Management, Staff engagement

The whole is greater than the sum of it’s parts

That’s team work. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a middle manager with 8 staff, a CEO with 508 staff or a business owner with just one or two employees, the same team working principles apply.

Does every member of your team see themselves as part of a team and is the whole greater than the sum of it’s parts?  Lots of people claim to be 'team players' but their actions suggest otherwise and asking yourself the following questions will show whether yours is made up of team players:

• does everyone in the team trust each other? 
• does everyone feel they can speak their minds freely in an open forum?
• does the team know what is expected of them, how this forms part of the corporate strategy and understand how performance is measured?
• if there are shining stars which should be promoted would promotion have the support of the team?
• does each team member feel they give an equal contribution?
• does each individual recognise their strengths AND weaknesses, and use their strengths to support weaknesses in others?
• does the team come before self?
• does the team recognise it’s human to make mistakes, everyone can learn and benefit from them provided they are corrected quickly and grudges aren’t held?

If you have evidence to answer ‘yes’ to the above you have a great team. If not, it's possibly time for a rethink.

Today (Saturday 28th July 2012) we saw the mens cycling road race.  After the success in the Tour de France many were expecting a gold for Great Britain.  It was team work that took Bradley Wiggins to be the first Brit in the 109 years of the Tour to the winners podium and team work that got Mark Cavendish across the finish line first and to become the first person ever to win the final stage of the Tour de France for the fourth time. Interviewed after last Sunday’s win Mark Cavendish said ‘It’s incredible what we’ve achieved today – what a team.’  Anyone watching any of the race will see that they worked brilliantly as a team today - but perhaps the strategy of not going with the breakaway group was flawed.  It will be a massive disappointment but the team can't wallow in what might have been as Bradley Wiggins still has an important job to do next week if we want him on the podium after the time trial.

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21st April 2011 / Posted in: Business efficiency, Operational management, Planning, Priorities, Productivity, Staff engagement, Time management

Turning Bank Holiday Disruption on its Head

In the days when I was young, and an employee, the prospect of 4 bank holidays in less than a fortnight was a dream. Now that I run my own business and advise others about running theirs I feel very differently.  The prospect of a reduction in trading days in April and May, the distractions caused by Easter, the Royal Wedding and the recent sunshine, and staff wanting to take an extended Easter break will be bad news for many businesses.

Don’t take the defeatist approach assuming that business will be bad, but turn the situation around to limit the damage or even make it work in your favour. The most valuable commodities to your business are probably your staff and time so focus on making the most of what you do have during the next few weeks. Refocus everyone’s energies and priorities on what delivers your strategy and drives revenue into the business.  It may even give you an advantage over your competitors.   Finally, don’t forget to communicate these plans clearly with your staff, explaining why you are putting them in place and getting their feedback. Good two way communication and a few treats in the office will motivate your staff, keep them focused and make them feel appreciated.  

'What gets measured, gets done. And what gets recognised gets done again, and even better.' Robert Crawford, Director, Institute of Customer Service

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22nd September 2010 / Posted in: Communication strategy, Human Resources, Social networking, Social networking policy, Staff engagement

Why HR should embrace social networking

The continual stream of questions and comments, from HR professionals, on LinkedIn and Twitter, expressing concern about the use of social media has prompted me to write a series of blogs, this being the first.

Amongst some HR professionals, and senior managers, there appears to be a paranoia about social media. They are concerned that staff are frittering away work time using social media, writing terrible things about the company and their colleagues, or looking for another job.  Many companies block the use of Facebook and Twitter at work.  However, if staff are spending work time doing personal things, such as social media, isn’t it an indication that management is failing to inspire, motivate and engage with their staff then making social media the scapegoat?  If staff are disengaged then they won’t be productive and focus on the job in hand. They don’t see the point and they are likely to post negative comments on social media sites such as Facebook. Conversely staff that are engaged have mutual respect for their colleagues; they trust their colleagues; they value the organisation; they operate in line with brand values; and consequently are unlikely to bite the hand that feeds them through inappropriate or disloyal postings on social media.

Social networking isn’t likely to go away so organisations that are dynamic, and react to the changing world of communication, are more likely to get ahead of their competitors.  As it’s people that make the World go round the first step to make social networking part of your communication strategy is to engage with your staff.

In the words of Dov Seidman, Founder, Chairman and CEO of LRN “Improving employee engagement does not require executives to don their motivational capes and work on improving employee engagement. Instead, the process begins with a simple question about the workforce, a query whose answer leaders should act upon: Are our employees inspired?”

The CIPD 2009 Recruitment, Retention and Turnover Survey showed that 72% of respondents said improving line manager HR skills is the most effective way of improving retention. A recent article in McKinsey Quarterly on “Retaining key employees in times of change” showed that employee retention isn’t a one off exercise – it’s continuous process. Staff engagement plays an important role in staff retention.

Remember, if it’s only your competitors, and their staff, using social media to talk about the market sector in which you operate – you are in trouble. Not only is your company invisible to your target audience, but if your staff are inspired by what they read don’t be surprised if they join the competition.

If you have concerns about staff engagement, or about guidelines for using social media, contact me, Sarah Matthews at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or on 01428 644010.

References

• Why we can’t motivate engagement – Dov Seidman
• Why We Can't 'Motivate' Engagement – Business Week
• Leadership opportunities are an incentive in any sector
• Retaining key employees in times of change

Future blogs will cover who, in the organsation, should be engaged in social networking and how you should manage social networking through policy and guidelines.

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