The bottom line is that a manager manages people to perform tasks and achieve objectives. Beyond that you have to have ‘people skills’ so everyone working for you feels they are personally appreciated and important and their work is also appreciated. So how do you go about doing that?

1. Know your objectives - Unless you know your objectives clearly and precisely you cannot communicate them to the people under you.

2. Make sure team members know their objectives - Everyone should have well defined objectives and timelines so they know exactly what is expected of thm and when it needs to be completed. They should also have an idea of how their conribution fits into the ‘big picture’ so if priorities and deadlines shift, they have some idea of why things have changed.

3. Know each member of your team personally - As things ebb and flow in people’s personal lives it inevitably spills over into their work life. This is to be expected, and it should be minimalized as much as possible, but as a manager (and a human) you should be aware that sometimes their is that spillover. If you know each person personally (and it doesn’t have to be intrusive) it can help you to understand why your star performer has an off day or is distracted. People know when someone has a sincere interest and will appreciate your understanding.

4. Show interest in their output and be appreciative - It is easy to set objectives and collect results, but you still need to realize that peope want you viewing their work and showing genuine interest and being appreciative. The tasks are expected, after all that’s what they were hired for, but it only takes a half a minute to acknowledge it.

5. Meet one-on-one on a regular basis - This goes right along with the previous two points, but still bears saying. It is easy to make the daily or weekly comments and communications, but there needs to be ongoing regular meetings to make sure that everyone is on the same page and to ensure continued understanding. These don’t have to be long meetings - ten to fifteen minutes is generally enough time to touch base, but you also shouldn’t have meetings just for the sake of meeting. Have one or two specific items to talk about, and know the real purpose is to listen to what they have to say.

Even in lean economic times there are always places that are looking for quality employees and if there is anyone feeling unappreciated or abused at your workplace, there is a chance that they are looking for greener pastures.

But why would they be looking and how can you prevent that from happening? Here are three things that you need to consider.

1. Hiring Practices. Yes, this is where it all starts. Most people that are submitting applications aren’t looking for a great fit as much as a paycheck, but what, as an employer, are YOU looking for? Are your hiring practices limited to a short interview and possibly checking a reference, or are you doing an in-depth interview with more than one interviewer? Are you asking the right questions and are you really listening to the responses? I was hired once to do a particular job and stated in no uncertain terms what role(s) I was willing to fill. A year later they decided to give me a job that I emphatically stated that I was totally unwilling to perform at my interview. Immediately after that assignment, I was cruising the want ads and shooting e-mails to my networks.

2. Workplace Respect. This is a two way street. Are the employees recognized and respected for the skills they bring to the table, and do they recognize management as people who listen and are capable of getting the job done? If the boss brings his son in as a supervisor and the son is incapable, what signal does that send? On the other hand, if a competent professional is brought in, the employees will recognize the expertise.

3. Workplace Culture. Does everyone recognize the role that they fulfill in the company? Do they approach their jobs in earnest, realizing that what they do impacts the future of the company or do they go through the motions and pine for the weekend? A sense of company pride is not unusual, but it is not automatic. Often upper management and owners think that their ethics are reflected, but that only comes with effort.

If you read these and don’t have documented methodology to address these, you need to rethink your plan. The People Academy, Inc has tools that specifically address these and other communications and human relations issues. If you have specific questions about a particular situation or would like to learn more about the services and products we offer, please write and we’d be happy to address them either live or through supportive blog posts.

Thanks

If you cast a wide net, you’ll cast all kinds of fish, but if you bait a hook correctly, you can target your catch.

What is the employee incentive that gives you the most “bang for your buck?” Studies have shown time and again that bonuses and rewards programs only turn into expectations rather than remaining incentives.

The true best thing you can do is personal recognition. No money, no logo t-shirt..no kidding.

But the recognition has to be a genuine contact: a true connection. You, as a manager or supervisor need to see how someone’s behavior warrants recognition and then make a sincere compliment. People are starved for heartfelt praise. It is worth its weight and gold and will bring huge returns. Here is where some managers can run into trouble. It’s easy to be disingenuous and be seen as someone who will pat employees on the back strictly for potential return.

But genuine appreciation is seen as such and truly appreciated. Taken to a different level, you should also recognize your fortune to have employees that deserve praise and by recognizing that, your candid praise will carry more weight and morale can take off.

So I am sitting here doing what I do (when I sit here) and just in front of me moving quickly from left to right across the ledge is a little tiny ant. If I was sitting here doing what I do at a picnic the little thing would have gone quite unnoticed. He (I am assuming he) would have been in his natural environment (at least as defined by me).  But here’s the thing. I work from home and home and ants are antithetical. At least as defined by me.

My office sits towards the back of the house. A small room filled with windows on all three sides. It is very light and breezy and easy to keep an eye on my nosey neighbors when I feel so inclined as to return the favor. But it is on the second floor. The second floor.  How he got here is beyond me and WHY he is here is way beyond. I don’t know much about them but ants strike me as ground creatures. They live in the ground, they walk around on the ground, they eat stuff off the ground or at the very least eat stuff on my first floor kitchen floor on those occasions where invasion has been successful; but, the second floor?

I am thinking that there may be something wrong with him; a little bug psychosis. It made me a little antsy. Don’t you have to be a little crazy to stare straight up at something a thousand times taller than you and come to the conclusion that climbing it in hopes of finding something to eat is a good idea? It would be like me climbing up the outside of the Empire State Building because I had heard at some point in my past that there might be some guy with a cracker in his pocket standing on the observation deck. That is not sound thinking.

Maybe it’s not about food. Maybe he’s desperate. Maybe he’s a jumper. Maybe he stole the G4.  I opened my window and looked down the two stories expecting to see a small gathering of several dozen ants chanting “Jump! Jump!”  (Wow, they look like ants from way up here . . .).  I was all ready with the little finger flick thing (oh come on now, I couldn’t spend my entire afternoon waiting for him to make a decision) but saw nothing really and sat back down.

It then dawned on me that I really do know nothing about ants. Just a bunch of non critical observations along with some assumptions and a decayed memory of faded facts from some old 70’s Animal Kingdom television show. I was in no real position to judge the motivations (and/or instincts) of one of god’s creatures. He knew what he was doing. He saw his purpose. He was built for this and was doing it, my understandings and questions not withstanding.

How many times have we done the same with one of our own? “Why is he here”? “What was she thinking”? “Why are we doing this”? “That thinking has no place here”? “The neighborhood is changing”.  “I can’t”. Those preconceptions, generalizations and sloppy cognitive record keeping that limit each of us, whether said by us or others, discourage and in fact prevent everything that is possible on the second story ledge. Not suppose to be there! Who said so?

At work, at home and at play we need to learn more and judge less. Help others see where the possibilities are. Walk with them on Purpose. Help others reach their second story.

Jim

www.thepeopleacademyinc.com

http://www.linkedin.com/in/jimreece 

Oh sure. Look at the picture. Nice hair there sonny. I have had a lifetime of nice hair as judged from afar (and very near and close up with the senior citizens as a 16 year old bagger at Jewel). Boy, if you are not from the Midwest then that statement ‘bagger’ could make me some (R) Senator’s date. I am talking groceries here not gross-eries.

So, I have nice hair and can attribute that to nothing but genes; mainly from my mother’s side as my father’s had none; hair that is. But what happens when an attribute of compliment churns to the south? My hair, I’m told, looks good in June and September but holy s* when July and the dog days of August hit the street. Not unlike that Life magazine picture of July 1945 when we decided over Nagasaki that enough was enough.  The only real difference (except for the tens of thousands of disintegrated Japanese families) is that my hair is in color. My only real chance of hurting anyone is driving down the highway windows open hair flailing like some old feather duster on acid.

The point is that sometimes, through forces not our own, gentle natural properties become not so gentle. Qualities that are complimentary do sometimes become our own worst enemy.  As we work with those we love and those we don’t (but who pay us) remember this. The discord of humid laden hair is not a ‘fault’ it is nature’s way of calling attention to the unmanageable while sometimes rising to the unimaginable. It’s that way with personal development and it is that way with organizations too. There are natural causes underlying organizational “humid hair”; the natural state gone astray.

The answer then is to understand the nature of the humid-ic unmanageability and to plan accordingly. We are familiar with many of these forces on behavior; social issues sometimes from home, lack of proper training or, more likely, proper managing, and a lack of direction or sense of worth. Responses range from the preventative to the reactionary. While all situations cannot be predicted many more than are now could be; with some awareness.

It is only important that responses be appropriate. And they can only be appropriate if we understand. And we can only understand if we consider the other. In life and at work and with all the relationships that intertwine it is the same.

Be aware of who you are and understand the forces that move you away from that.

Jim Reece

http://www.linkedin.com/in/jimreece

jim@thepeopleacademyinc.com

Some things simple simply aren’t; at least at first. While chatting recently over cocktails I was reminded (thank god for cocktails) of a past life career that took me overseas on a number of occasions. While there were many experiences during that tenure which helped me grow in a number of different ways (inside and out) it was my very first trip to my very first site that was the source of the memory.

It was (I say ‘was’ for in capitalism one should have capital) a little company with a great big mission that involved kids and their holistic well-being. The vehicle was well ahead of its time; physical activity but there was much more to it than that. It was one of those simple things that isn’t. Until you get it – then it is. Like tying your shoes. We franchised the concept through the US and internationally. My role was to help them ‘get it’. It was consulting in nature and it was awesome.

After nearly a year with the company I knew enough to be helpful (but at the same time not knowledgeable enough and so therefore dangerous). This position is familiar to many and I did what we all do – the best I could. In prepping for the trip, to open the first Thai facility, I asked the company founder about language – what are the challenges? I had trained the owners here in the States for nearly six weeks and knew they, at least, spoke better English than me. The founder’s answer was not to worry – he’d never encountered any issue at all. I accepted his answer gladly and well before I came to find out that he did not know what he was talking about.

After landing and several meetings with senior Thai management, who spoke English well enough, I headed out the door and down the facility’s main hallway to the meeting room where I would do the first day orientation for the folks who would actually be running the children’s programming on a daily basis; college educated PE people. I was prepped and prepared materials in hand imagining my positive imaging message – let’s get psyched we have important work to do! I walked down the hall with Sompit, the Thai owner, and heading into the conference room she says, “Now don’t talk too fast. No one in the room speaks English so I will translate the best I can”.

WTF? (I was WTF before WTF was). Twenty smiling faces newly hired excited at, for some, their first professional job working with kids. Little did they know they were about to learn nothing. I have, like you, been thrown curve balls before and expecting something different you change your stance move the mitt and catch the ball.

What followed in the next four hours was exhausting AND exhilarating. I did slow down – but not my language first – it followed. What I had come to learn is that translation is not a ‘you say this word and I will go find it in my language and then use it’. Translation is culturally contextual in that after I said what I said she washed its meaning and then spoke to the thoughts and ideas behind my words in her native language. I can’t even imagine how that happens – but it does. So my thinking slowed down as I worked to choose words that more clearly expressed the meaning of whatever topic I was on at the moment. I was mindful to check on clarity much more often than I ever had previously. The day was a success and I know that I learned much more than they in very many ways.

We translate too everyday – English to English. It too is culturally contextual but on a more micro basis – the differences are more subtle – a crack versus a chasm. We usually succeed in the effort but not always. We take much for granted like tying our shoes. But it is only easy once we ‘get it’. And that takes a little awareness and even more practice.

That is unless you use loafers in your language.

Jim

jim@thepeopleacademyinc.com

http://www.linkedin.com/in/jimreece

@jimreece

And women too. In most cases when asking a question the answer comes back with the responders auto-reply switched on. Not always but more often than not. This is not to say that the reply is insincere or deceptive. It is simply, well, simple. (Unless they are on the third glass of wine in which case it is probably just stupid. Entertaining but stupid none the less). I know this as fact as I have myself answered many a question while actually searching the house for where I left my third glass . . .

In everyday conversation this simple back and forth does no harm and in some ways most likely facilitates actually getting through the day. However when the question is important (to either person) and the answer even more so then a bit more effort is required.

When the response to your first question comes vollying back a contemplative form of “why” should follow from you in return. As in “why do you feel that way?” or something of the same flavor. The response will unveil a bit more honesty but as in the proverbial onion still only dried paper-like skin. To get to real it takes two more ‘whys’.

The response to your first why should be followed with another. And to that response yet one more. And be adult about it - use it in a sentence. For you parents out there one of life’s little irritants (cute at first with a quick fade) is that period of toddler development called the “why?why?why?why?why?why?why?why?why?why?why?why?why?why?why?why?
why?why?why?why?why?why?why?wh?why?why?why?why?why?why?why?why?
why?why?why?why?why?why?why?wh?why?why?why?why?why?why?why?why?” stage. And no, you weren’t at that moment filled with pride at the level of intellectual curiosity. Even though that’s the way you told the story.

‘Whys’ are respectful and allow for the opportunity to get more thoughtful. Again the first level response is not shallow it is just simple. We are built for speed and getting to ‘next’. Our minds grab responses from the thoughts floating on the surface. But meaning is built from thoughts just below and it takes a couple of whys to form the connections that allow the respondent to finally say, “Oh yea. I guess that’s why. I hadn’t thought about it that way. Thanks.”

It takes a little more time but then meaningful often does.

Jim

http://www.linkedin.com/in/jimreece

Our recent selection of the next President of the United States, Barak Obama made history. This historic moment is, regardless of your politics, is one of hopeful transformation. This transition period is defined by hope and a new way of doing business. Friends of ours from all over the world have expressed a very personal exuberance at the possibilities.

And what is coaching if not helping another see the possibilities. Now is the time to reenergize and refocus. Capture the spirit of hope and engage your clients in ‘the possible”. The Coaching Institute and The People Academy are committed to the transformation and are putting our resources together again in the spirit of your success.

Whether you are the internal champion in your home or your organization one thing has remained consistent - coaching skills are needed more than ever in every environment.

What does good look like? What is blocking your power to produce? What do you own? What is possible? Does it all connect with what I set out to do? Where is the evidence? DOES ANY OF THIS THINKING APPLY TO YOU?

Would asking the right questions, listening; really hearing and engaging help you with the above? Would those skills have stopped an argument before it happened? Helped a team mate? Helped your department? Helped your family?

It is not about life coaching, business coaching, wellness coaching. It is about performance coaching; getting to good; hope realized.

WHAT DOES GOOD LOOK LIKE FOR THE COACHING INDUSTRY – FOR YOU - NOW AND IN THE FUTURE?

Jim

http://www.linkedin.com/in/jimreece

Sometimes a few words say so much. As we continue to search for ways to bring life to organizations it is helpful to remember these words,

“Man’s main task in life is to give birth to himself, to become what he potentially is.”

Erich Fromm, American philosopher 1900 –1980

http://www.linkedin.com/in/jimreece