Winning hearts and minds of employees

[Raymondism]

Attended a talk on Winning hearts and minds of employees some time back....

 

Whenever the management talks, they say that winning the heart of the employees is important...

When the employees talk, they say "Show me the money"..

So who is right?

 

[Acieed]

It's all about setting the right expectations.

 

 

[Raymondism]

It's all about setting the right expectations.

 

there can be one aspect.. would you care to share more?

 

 

[Acieed]

 

When you set goals, make sure it is fully comprehensible and understood by your team. Don't make vague goals that you yourself don't know how to get there. Identify members who do not have the right skills to meet your goals, and tell them what they need to do to improve their skills and meet your expectations. Identify members who have the right skills but don't have the right attitude (e.g. bochap you), and tell them straight what they need to do to meet your expectations, or consequences.

 

Lastly, if they all meet your expectations, show them the reward. Be specific not vague, but once you resolve these conflicts, you will have a happy and productive team. And the cycle goes on as expectations change.

 

There are several good individual and team management books to reference.. e.g. Six Sigma / LEAN, MBTI, etc.

 

there can be one aspect.. would you care to share more?

 

[Raymondism]

When you set goals, make sure it is fully comprehensible and understood by your team. Don't make vague goals that you yourself don't know how to get there. Identify members who do not have the right skills to meet your goals, and tell them what they need to do to improve their skills and meet your expectations. Identify members who have the right skills but don't have the right attitude (e.g. bochap you), and tell them straight what they need to do to meet your expectations, or consequences.

 

Lastly, if they all meet your expectations, show them the reward. Be specific not vague, but once you resolve these conflicts, you will have a happy and productive team. And the cycle goes on as expectations change.

 

There are several good individual and team management books to reference.. e.g. Six Sigma / LEAN, MBTI, etc.

 

thks for sharing...

this would fall under giving due recognition...

 

actually i was referring to the clear divide between the thinking of the management and the ground staff..

sometimes the management put an emphasis on the "soft approach" i.e. staff engagement, recognition......

while the ground staff will say "Waste of time... might as well give me the money"

[Acieed]

These people are either "right skills, wrong attitude" or "wrong skills and wrong attitude". It is part of your duty as management to manage them by setting the expectations straight, or manage them out of the team before they infest your productive employees.

 

The key is, if they do not get remunerated for what they feel they should, likely they want to know why. This is goal setting.

 

If you are in a situation where employees have a glass ceiling, such that they outperform every one of their goals but not duely rewarded (e.g. civil service), then good luck Maybe you need to work it out with HR or upper management or relook at the remuneration structure.

 

thks for sharing...

this would fall under giving due recognition...

 

actually i was referring to the clear divide between the thinking of the management and the ground staff..

sometimes the management put an emphasis on the "soft approach" i.e. staff engagement, recognition......

while the ground staff will say "Waste of time... might as well give me the money"

Edited July 5, 2011 by Acieed

[Raymondism]

These people are either "right skills, wrong attitude" or "wrong skills and wrong attitude". It is part of your duty as management to manage them by setting the expectations straight, or manage them out of the team before they infest your productive employees.

 

The key is, if they do not get remunerated for what they feel they should, likely they want to know why. This is goal setting.

 

agree... but ground staff will usually not get big bonuses.... unless in sales... that is a fact in most big firms...

 

those "wrong" ones probably belonged to the bottom 10% or 20% in a company...

i read an article somewhere saying that there are another group of very motivated and high performing pple (probably top 10%) in each company

these are the "drivers" of the company...

in between these two groups... account for 60 to 80% of the employees..

 

hence i think though monetary motivation is attractive but will not be very far reaching... as most staff do not warrant or hit the top 10% mark...

how to still make these 80% people happy..

of cos, must pay them their salary la....

 

in your experience... what do you (as a boss) or your boss (if you are an employee) do to "motivate" or connect to the 80%

 

 

[Mustank]

i know: actively disengaged

[Mustank]

How do I motivate those actively disengaged people to perform like the top 10% without the budget to do so?

[Raymondism]

How do I motivate those actively disengaged people to perform like the top 10% without the budget to do so?

 

so now we have the following:

 

top 10% : drivers of the biz

 

bottom 10%: actively disengaged people

 

in between 80% : normal employee

[Mustank]

I know. Lie or give a false impression that top 10% rewards will be waiting for those who perform

[Watwheels]

I think it's a myth. It's almost impossible when it comes to working with ppl. "Businessmen" use the tagline to sucker ppl into attending their expensive talks/seminar/workshop.

 

Employees come and go. If you try to make them stay, it will only make things worse. Wherever offers a better pay that's where they will go. Money talks. That's the tagline.

[Acieed]

That's why I said there are always people who are unable to perform and unhappy. They need to be managed out of the team. It's not a matter of whether they are low performers, but perhaps they are in the wrong job or role.

 

If they are overperforming and underpaid, and perhaps they are in the wrong company.

 

I think it's a myth. It's almost impossible when it comes to working with ppl. "Businessmen" use the tagline to sucker ppl into attending their expensive talks/seminar/workshop.

 

Employees come and go. If you try to make them stay, it will only make things worse. Wherever offers a better pay that's where they will go. Money talks. That's the tagline.

Edited July 5, 2011 by Acieed

[Kiadaw]

When you set goals, make sure it is fully comprehensible and understood by your team. Don't make vague goals that you yourself don't know how to get there. Identify members who do not have the right skills to meet your goals, and tell them what they need to do to improve their skills and meet your expectations. Identify members who have the right skills but don't have the right attitude (e.g. bochap you), and tell them straight what they need to do to meet your expectations, or consequences.

 

Lastly, if they all meet your expectations, show them the reward. Be specific not vague, but once you resolve these conflicts, you will have a happy and productive team. And the cycle goes on as expectations change.

 

Wow, the statment in bold is classic what NOT to do to win hearts & minds of employee, IMO.

 

The last paragraph more in line with title.

 

 

Think about these points.

 

Why would they care about your expectations? Because you are their manager & you say so?

 

& what consequences do you mean. They will not be promoted, or get bad grades? or the team goals & Targets?

 

You mention not right attitude is bochup you, but why would they be? Is the problem with him/her, or you, or both? Nothing against you, just something to think about.

 

I am sure you have been sucessful as a manager to get things done. But do you think you are good in winning the heart of your employee. I am not so sure, base purely on what you said above.

 

But I will be happy to be proven wrong.

Edited July 5, 2011 by Kiadaw

[Acieed]

I presume you have issues with your manager before

 

You mention not right attitude is bochup you, but why would they be? Is the problem with him/her, or you, or both? Nothing against you, just something to think about.

 

Sure this happens but it is up to the manager's manager to manage him. If he has been put in the job, his own performance is also being measured. If he is the business owner, then who are you to tell him that he is wrong ? It is a business, not a charity. Employees are hired to do the job that his manager need them to do. Poor performance can come from many sources, wrong skills, wrong aptitude, good skills in the wrong job, in the wrong company, even wrong manager.

 

The discussion here so far has to do with enabling the employee to do his job as a happy employee. If the goal is to win hearts and lose the business, then it is a different discussion altogether. It also mean the manager lose his job.

Edited July 5, 2011 by Acieed

[Kiadaw]

I presume you have issues with your manager before

 

 

 

Sure this happens but it is up to the manager's manager to manage him. If he has been put in the job, his own performance is also being measured. If he is the business owner, then who are you to tell him that he is wrong ? It is a business, not a charity. Employees are hired to do the job that his manager need them to do. Poor performance can come from many sources, wrong skills, wrong aptitude, good skills in the wrong job, in the wrong company, even wrong manager.

 

The discussion here so far has to do with enabling the employee to do his job as a happy employee. If the goal is to win hearts and lose the business, then it is a different discussion altogether. It also mean the manager lose his job.

 

I am going on a plane tomorrow & have a lot of thing to do, but I keep this short. Just my view:

 

A happy employee is a effective employee.

 

The purpose of the team is to meet an objective, which itself, can have many targets & goals.

 

As the team leader or manager, your role is to guide the team so that the objective is meet. The objective must be the driving factor, not what you wanted.

 

I know you will said, "what I wanted will get the team to the objective. Just follow my instructions, I know best!"

 

Does it sound familiar, just like when you are a kid & tell your parent. "I do not care what you want"....& actually mean it

 

Actually it can really be the same thing, but as a manager, its important that set targets & goals for employee be base on team objective, not your expectations.

 

try to use the word, 'WE', instead of 'I' . E.g. Hi guys, "we have this set of targets to meet. In order to do so, James, I will need you to ........"

 

When they are driven by a clear team objective, they will be more motivated, as oppose to trying to meet the expectation of an individual.

 

 

& also one more thing. never ask someone to do something that you are not willing to do yourself.

 

I think that's all I have to say, due to time constraint. Hope you find this helpful.

[Acieed]

Bro, I think you are preaching to the choir We are talking about the same thing.

 

The precondition is setting clear specific goals to meet, which I already said -- this is the driving factor / objective that you are talking about.

 

The part you quoted me about only applies to employees who do not have the required skills + are unwilling to work with the manager or the team to meet objectives. In reality, it is not hard to find these people. And the hiring process usually doesn't guarantee 100% success in finding the right people.

 

Enjoy your flight!

 

I am going on a plane tomorrow & have a lot of thing to do, but I keep this short. Just my view:

 

A happy employee is a effective employee.

 

The purpose of the team is to meet an objective, which itself, can have many targets & goals.

 

As the team leader or manager, your role is to guide the team so that the objective is meet. The objective must be the driving factor, not what you wanted.

 

I know you will said, "what I wanted will get the team to the objective. Just follow my instructions, I know best!"

 

Does it sound familiar, just like when you are a kid & tell your parent. "I do not care what you want"....& actually mean it

 

Actually it can really be the same thing, but as a manager, its important that set targets & goals for employee be base on team objective, not your expectations.

 

try to use the word, 'WE', instead of 'I' . E.g. Hi guys, "we have this set of targets to meet. In order to do so, James, I will need you to ........"

 

When they are driven by a clear team objective, they will be more motivated, as oppose to trying to meet the expectation of an individual.

 

 

& also one more thing. never ask someone to do something that you are not willing to do yourself.

 

I think that's all I have to say, due to time constraint. Hope you find this helpful.

Edited July 5, 2011 by Acieed

[Kiadaw]

Bro, I think you are preaching to the choir We are talking about the same thing.

 

The precondition is setting clear specific goals to meet, which I already said -- this is the driving factor / objective that you are talking about.

 

The part you quoted me about only applies to employees who do not have the required skills + are unwilling to work with the manager or the team to meet objectives. In reality, it is not hard to find these people. And the hiring process usually doesn't guarantee 100% success in finding the right people.

 

Enjoy your flight!

 

Thanks.