Fighting the economy.
Big surprise the economy hasn’t bounced back yet and we aren’t all swimming in money. The good news is that if we’ve made it this far then there is a good chance we can stick it out long enough to see things improve. In my daily life as a consultant I feel it is important to help business owners be the best they can be by getting the most out of their employees. Let’s be honest. It’s an employer’s market right now and there is no reason to accept sub-standard performance from any employee. However, you also need to ensure you are doing your part as the business owner to set your employees up for success. That will take time and effort on your part as a business owner and commitment to communication with your team. It takes time to not only set the expectation but to also follow up to what your employee is doing. How else will he/she know your expectations and that you really mean what you say unless you inspect what you expect. Yes I know, a tired old cliché but it’s true. To make it simple take one or two tasks that your employee isn’t doing quite to your expectations and follow these steps.
1. Sit down and have a frank conversation about the tasks in question and what specifically what’s not being done. It is also a good idea to mention what he/she are doing well as it will boost his/her confidence.
2. Ask for his/her feedback on why the expectations aren’t being met and what you can do to help.
3. Work together on a plan of action over the next couple weeks to get tasks done and set a date to meet again and review the progress.
4. During the time before the next meeting check in to see how he/she are doing. Offer encouragement and feedback.
If there is improvement then job well done. If he/she isn’t making the kind of progress needed and expected then seek out why. There may be an underlying cause that is fixable. Or he/she may not be in the right position. Either way you have opened the lines of communication and let your employee know you’re committed to his/her success.
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