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Seven Manager Resolutions for a More Engaged TeamNew Year is traditionally a time for making positive changes: quitting smoking, exercising more, or eating less are typical resolutions. Less common, but just as beneficial are the changes you, as a manager, can make in the way you interact with your team. There are things you can do that will improve employee attitudes, enhance service, product quality, and safety. Small changes can create big results. Why not make a workplace New Year resolution this year? I’ve selected seven that are simple and will produce positive results. Choose one and try it on for six months. You will see changes that result in increased productivity. Choose your New Year Resolution: 1) I will resolve to spend at least 15 minutes each day simply listening to what my employees have to say. I will learn, among other things, what interests them, how they like to be recognized, and how they would improve their job. Managers spend so much time ‘telling’ they can forget the value of listening. When I’ve asked employees to tell me what their managers do that makes them feel valued, listening is always high on the list. 2) I will resolve to identify a learning opportunity for every employee. This doesn’t mean you have to send everyone to a costly seminar. Consider cross-training, new responsibilities, or even self-study. One of the top reasons people stay with a manager and stay engaged is because they feel challenged. Find a way for each person to learn and grow that will improve their skills and level of engagement. 3) I will resolve to put up a recognition white board and use it to note accomplishments. Place a big white board and some dry erase pens in the cafeteria or another area where people congregate. Write notes of praise and appreciation to the team and to individuals. Encourage people to use the board for peer recognition as well. Erase items after about a week so that the notes are fresh and interesting. This will keep people coming back to read what has been written. (Idea courtesy of the BC Lottery, BC Canada). 4) I will resolve to take one employee to lunch every week. If you have a very small team, once a month may work. Try to get to everyone at least once in the first six months. During lunch, let your guest talk about whatever he or she wishes. Whatever you do, don’t make the lunch into a performance review! 5) I will resolve to offer five times more praise than corrective feedback. (Gallup research shows this is the ideal ratio for increasing engagement). This can seem like a lot, especially if you have a mediocre performer. Think in terms of acknowledging milestones, incremental progress, and valued behaviors. Show appreciation for additional effort, sense of humor, attitude, and a willingness to speak up about concerns. You can even offer a positive word when giving corrective feedback. End the conversation by expressing confidence in their ability to change. 6) I will resolve to connect the individual’s contribution to the organization’s objectives. Many employees see no connection between the work that they do and the work of the organization. It is difficult for employees to feel motivated when they can’t see the importance of their roles. As the manager, you can connect the dots between what the employee does and what the organization does. Think about the organization’s mission, vision, and goals and how that translates to your department. Then distill that down to the individual employee. Communicate the connection at every opportunity. 7) I will resolve to greet every employee I encounter, making eye contact and smiling, no matter how rushed I feel. Does this sound too simple to be effective? Remember that employees want to be recognized and that at its most basic that means seeing and acknowledging the person. This takes virtually no time, but if you aren’t in the habit of doing it, it can make all the difference in the world. Seven resolutions that are fairly easy to implement. Each takes no more than, on average, fifteen minutes per day. That’s fifteen minutes that you probably don’t have to spare. However, if you find the time, take the time, employees will make you glad that you did! © Cindy Ventrice 2007 Author Cindy Ventrice is a management consultant, speaker, and workshop leader with over 20 years of experience. She focuses exclusively on helping organizations improve operations, products, and services by improving workplace relationships and employee morale. Her book, Make Their Day! Employee Recognition That Works, is available from every major bookseller. For permission to reprint this article or to learn more about coaching, workshops and presentations, you can contact Cindy at 831-476-4224 or cventrice@maketheirday.com.
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