Archive for Motivation Techniques
Talent Management – Grooming Your Best
Posted by: | Comments
Talent Management – Are Annual Appraisal Results a Good Indication of the Employee’s Ability to Do Higher Level of Work?
By Lois Moncrief
Problem: Companies want to retain their best employees and prepare them for future top jobs in the company. It costs money and is a long term commitment to train and mentor these “high potential” employees. Therefore, companies are looking for ways to make the “first cuts” to limit the group to the most likely to succeed. Some companies use the results of employee annual appraisals to decide who is included in the first cut.
Using Annual Appraisals to Decide First Cuts
Some recent findings (Source: “How to Hang on to Your High Potentials”, Harvard Business Review, October 2011 p. 76) indicate that annual appraisals can be used to make the first cut in deciding who is considered a high potential.
On the surface this would seem to be a good starting point.
However, ability to do one’s current job well is not necessarily an indication that one can do a different, higher level job well.
In addition, the following variables could add to the difficulty of using the annual appraisals to decide that first cut:
-
Do all possible high potentials have the same manager
evaluating them using the same performance standards for each? -
Do all possible high potentials have the same job
description and the same performance standards? -
Are the performance standards of possible candidates
“subjective” (frequently vague with plenty of room for management
subjectivity) or “objective” (numbers that are hard to discpute? -
Is each manager truly objective and fair or does
he/she allow his/her biases and preconceptions to influence his/her
evaluations of each employee?
Using annual appraisals as one of the factors used to determine a first cut may be of some value. However, I would take this a step further rather than relying so heavily on the annual appraisals.
Note: USA Today Snapshot on September 27, 2011 “Are annual performance reviews an accurate appraisal for employee’s work? 61% say “Yes”; 39% say “No”
Source: Globoforce/Society for Human Resource Management survey of 700 human resource managers
Another Valuable Factor for Consideration
Here is my suggestion for another valuable factor for determination of first cut:
Give special short term assignments such as projects and leading teams to all qualifying candidates.
Give all interested and qualified candidates temporary assignments where they are leading teams on short term projects lasting 1-4 months. This gives each qualified candidate the opportunity to demonstrate his/her ability to perform at the higher level of work and demonstrate his ability to lead others.
Each qualified candidate should be give the same amount of time and the same level of project difficulty.
At the end of this period, all candidates can be evaluated by a team of managers on how well each of them did on their assignments. In addition blind surveys could be given to team members to evaluate the Team Leader’s effectiveness in leading the team and successfully completing the project.
Candidates who miss the cut should be counseled on areas for improvement and given opportunities for training in those areas and encouraged to try again later.
This process can be repeated if deciding managers would like to ensure that their selections for further training and mentoring are really the best candidates.
Advantages of Using My Suggestion for Another Factor for Determination of First Cut:
1. All qualified candidates may participate. Each should be given a short term individual project and also a short term team project that they can lead.
2. The short term projects of higher level work gives each candidate an equal opportunity to show what each of them are capable of doing. (Remember: keep the time the same and the level of difficulty the same in as much as possible).
3. Candidates select or weed themselves out by their performance on these short term projects that match closely the level of work they would be doing at these higher levels of future top jobs.
4. Other employees see who rises to the top through their own efforts and skills.
5. Each candidate sees how he compares to other candidates.
6. Giving all qualified candidates an opportunity to participate will lessen complaints and dissatisfaction with the process.
7. Candidates who miss the cut have reason and direction to continue working on their own career development and stay with the company.
Conclusion:
Adding performance on short term individual and team leader projects that are at the higher level of difficulty comparable to future top jobs gives decision makers a better look at the candidates and what they are capable of achieving in order to decide who makes the first cut and who doesn’t. This should result in saving organization money and time spent training the first cut group by ensuring the best candidates have been selected.
If you would like more ideas on Career Development for your top performers, critical skill employees and high potentials, get your copy of Module 6 – Career Development now.
Click here for more information.
Copyright (c) 2011-12 Lois Moncrief All Rights Reserved
7 Steps to Enhance Employee Performance and Appraisals
Posted by: | Comments7 Steps to Enhance Employee Performance and Appraisals
By Lois Moncrief
Performance appraisals give managers an excellent opportunity to engage employees, enhance employee motivation, and turbo charge employee performance.
Here are 7 Steps to take for better results:
1. Establish Performance Standards that are SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time bound).
Meet with your employee at the beginning of the evaluation period to go over the standards for the coming year. Ensure that your employee understands the criteria that will be used for his evaluation. Allow your employee to make comments and suggestions. When an employee is allowed to participate in the process and the standards, he will have more “buy in”.
2. Progress Reviews Should Be Done Monthly or at Least Quarterly.
This can be a monthly report on progress on all performance standards submitted by the employee and reviewed and approved by the manager. A meeting to discuss the progress review is recommended.
You, as the manager, taking the time for a meeting and giving feedback puts the employee on notice that this is important to you and that you are holding him accountable to the standards.
Take the time to be sure you know what the employee has really accomplished. Ask for proof in the form of copies and reports. Verify the progress independently even if it is just spot checks.
Place any employee who falls short in one or more elements on a 90 day Performance Improvement Plan before the end of the evaluation period.
When an employee knows he is being held accountable, the responsibility for his success or failure is truly his.
3. Focus on “Accomplishments” not “Activities”.
Being “busy” is not the same as being “productive”.
If you are using competency based performance evaluations be sure to not evaluate the skill or competency such as “adaptable” but the accomplishment that resulted from the use of the skill – how being adaptable produced results for the company bottom line.
4. Evaluate Fairly and Objectively.
Do not use subjective performance standards that are “moving targets” that you can change at whim depending upon how you have predetermined the employee should be evaluated. (Don’t laugh. It happens.)
Do not use “absolute” standards. Do not use “always” or “never”. No one has perfect performance that is an absolute. Example: Never makes a mistake. Always arrives on time.
There needs to be an”acceptable range” with an opportunity to “exceed” and a possibility of “not meeting”.
Employees lose motivation when they can see a “no win”.
5. No Bad Surprises!
Never allow there to be any bad surprises in the final annual performance evaluation. All employees should already have a good idea where they stand before they receive the final evaluation.
If you have had progress reviews with employees, mentored them as needed, used SMART goals, and allowed opportunities to bring performance up to meets (including a performance improvement plan) then each employee is truly responsible for his outcome. His evaluation should not be a surprise to him.
This should avoid a situation for a surprised and angry employee to take desperate and retaliatory action.
6. Deal with Failure in a Timely Manner.
If an employee is unable to meet the standards after you have regularly reviewed his progress with him, mentored him, and placed him on a performance improvement plan then it is time to demote, transfer to a lower job he can do, or fire him.
Taking the necessary action helps all employees to be motivated when they see there are consequences for non-performance.
7. Reward Your Stars Well.
It is important to reward those who have done well. Recognize their accomplishments. This will encourage more outstanding work from them and send a message to others that it pays to perform well.
For more proven techniques to improve employee performance and appraisals, get your copy of Module 11 today.
Copyright (c) 2010 Lois Moncrief All Rights Reserved
11 Misconceptions on Employee Motivation
Posted by: | CommentsIt is easy to “buy into” some misconceptions about employee motivation. However, these misconceptions can mislead managers so they do not reach their goals. Here are some important misconceptions about motivating employees to consider:
1. Employees come either naturally motivate or they are not motivated. It is not “all of nothing”. However motivated most employees come to a job, most can be molded into better motivated employees.
2. It is the manager’s fault if employees are not motivated. The manager shares the responsibility for employee motivation. The manager plays an important part but not the only part.
3. It is the employee’s fault if employees are not motivated. The employee has part of the responsibility of being motivated but there are other facts that can affect employee motivation. Some factors can de-motivate employees.
4. Every employee can be motivated. Most employees can be motivated to do better.
5. Every manager naturally knows how to motivate every employee. Managers and employees are complex individuals. Managers do not naturally know how to motivate each and every employee.
6. It is a “one size fits all” in employee motivation. All employees can be motivated the same way. This is simply not true. Different employees respond best to different employee motivators.
7. Money (in the form of raises, cash awards, and promotions) is required to keep employees motivated. Money is not the “perpetual employee motivation” machine. Other factors can actually work better than money. That does not mean to never use money for employee motivation. It does mean to not totally rely on money to motivate employees.
8. Fear is the best workplace motivator and employees who fear their boss will be the best motivated. Fear only works for short term and unusual circumstances. Overall, it is a poor workplace motivator that should not be used.
9. The desire to see the company be successful is the biggest factor driving employee motivation. While it is in the best interests of employees that the company they work for is successful, it is not the biggest factor driving employee motivation.
10. Feeling “valued” has nothing to do with an employee’s willingness to work harder and better. Feeling valued can be a significant factor in motivating employees.
11. Efforts to increase each employee’s motivation can only last for a short time at best. There are ways to motivate employees at a deep level which can have an impact that is lasting.
Copyright (c) 2010-12 Lois Moncrief All Rights Reserved
7 Powerful Leadership Skills To Enhance Employee Motivation
Posted by: | CommentsBy Lois Moncrief
Good managers are good at getting employees to do their work.
Leaders are good at inspiring employees to do more willingly.
The two can be a great combination.
To make use of that combination, here are 7 Powerful Leadership Skills for Managers That Increase Employee Motivation and Job Satisfaction
1. Set a Good Example – this covers so much ground – be honest, be fair, be respectful and expect respect back. Put in an honest day’s work yourself. Don’t just talk the talk – walk the walk. Leadership by example is very powerful.
2. Performance Standards – have reasonable expectations of your employees and communicate those expectations clearly and award appropriately. Make sure you create a performance evaluation system that gives employees the opportunity to create a win for themselves by working hard and smart to exceed your expectations and a win for you (with increased productivity, etc.) . If you only have subjective elements that are moving targets and only you know and decide at a whim what meets, exceeds, or fails then you take away your employees’ motivation to do well.
3. Hold Your Employees Accountable – Make sure there are consequences appropriate to the situation – if you tolerate poor performance and/or poor behavior (without dealing with it in a timely manner) you create a very bad situation that only gets worse with time. It is a real employee motivation killer. Your good employees will have no reason to go the extra mile especially if they have to do it to make up for someone who is coasting, getting away with it, and being paid the same amount of money. Others will decide that they might as well stop or slow down working as there are no consequences. This situation is difficult to turn around.
4. Do Reward Those Who Do Well In Their Jobs – if you want the performance to repeat, then recognize and award it! This is a powerful employee motivator.
5. Keep Your Employees Informed and Share Your Vision With Them – have regular meetings to keep them informed and show them what you see for the future of the company. Give them opportunities to have input also. Having input into decisions creates buy in and a sense of ownership for employees. They will be more willing to put forth extra effort in their work when you form a “partnership” with employees and they move from “what’s in it for me?” to “what’s in it for us?”
6. Keep an Open Door Policy – Make it “safe” for your employees to come into your office and share whatever they want in confidence and then really listen to them. You will be surprised how much you will learn about your workplace that will help you become a better manager. I am not talking about encouraging gossip. I am talking about an honest exchange of information intended to improve workplace conditions. The input you receive will show you ways to improve employee motivation and employee morale when you understand the problems that are holding your employees back.
7. Don’t Let the Workplace be Ruled by Politics and the Good Old Boys – There are few things more de-motivating to the majority of your employees than this. This is poison to one of the strongest employee motivators – career development. All employees want to think that they can develop skills and acquire knowledge and work hard to give themselves a” fair” chance at a better future with the company. You take that away when you give promotions to “friends” rather than the most qualified.
The High Five
If you are a good leader, in addition to being a good manager, everything will go better. You and your organization will reap the benefits -
1. employee motivation will be high
2. employee morale will be high
3. employee performance will be high
4. employee retention will be high
5. employee job satisfaction will be high
You will have the high five!
Promotions for You!
All of this ensures that your own career will have more and more success because when you show that you can handle your current resources and responsibilities well – then higher management will have every reason to give you more responsibilities and resources to handle and that means promotions for you!
Copyright (c) 2010-12 Lois Moncrief All Rights Reserved
