Top performing companies have highly functioning teams. If you want business outcomes to improve dramatically in your company, build an action plan based on the idea that employees are NOT created equal.
To begin the journey of creating highly functioning teams, start by taking time to separate employees into three categories:
1. Actively Disengaged: This group hinders your company in a big way. They are disruptive to customers, vendors, or co-workers. If you were evil and wanted to destroy a strong company, its culture and values, you'd look for these people as your go-to individuals.
2. Going through the motions: Most employees fall into this category They are comfortable with and competent in their work, show up and participate when asked, but could be accurately described as biding their time until something better comes along.
3. Actively engaged: These employees are passionate about their work and strive to improve dramatically the experiences of customers and co-workers, transforming ordinary results into extraordinary outcomes.
Now that you’ve segregated employees into three categories, let’s discuss next steps:
1. Actively disengaged: Take a moment and add up the total compensation and benefits you are paying to actively disengage employees. Then add to that the spillover costs resulting from customers who decide to buy from a competitor along with high performing employees who leave your company seeking a better working environment. Now ask yourself, "How long am I willing to continue paying the cost of employing these actively disengaged individuals?" My advice is to stop it and get rid of those who are cancerous to your company. Until challenged, many CEOs won't do this - they will have all kinds of reasons to maintain the status quo. Remember, there is a cost for doing nothing...
2. Going through the motions: Invest the time to lead and inspire these employees to become actively engaged. Building a healthy company culture is most important. In addition, clarifying how the employee is important to the company's success, and then providing recognition and reward when they behave and preform in ways consistent with desired company culture and goals can build active engagement in short time.
3. Actively engaged: What are you doing to attract and retain key performers? What is your plan? Is it effective? What needs to change? What needs to stay the same?
Big picture - the goal is simple. Weed out disengaged employees while inspiring remaining employees to become or remain actively engaged. The results will astound you! My challenge to you is simple... "What will you do this week to begin the journey of building strong teams in your business?"
1. Actively disengaged: Take a moment and add up the total compensation and benefits you are paying to actively disengage employees. Then add to that the spillover costs resulting from customers who decide to buy from a competitor along with high performing employees who leave your company seeking a better working environment. Now ask yourself, "How long am I willing to continue paying the cost of employing these actively disengaged individuals?" My advice is to stop it and get rid of those who are cancerous to your company. Until challenged, many CEOs won't do this - they will have all kinds of reasons to maintain the status quo. Remember, there is a cost for doing nothing...
2. Going through the motions: Invest the time to lead and inspire these employees to become actively engaged. Building a healthy company culture is most important. In addition, clarifying how the employee is important to the company's success, and then providing recognition and reward when they behave and preform in ways consistent with desired company culture and goals can build active engagement in short time.
3. Actively engaged: What are you doing to attract and retain key performers? What is your plan? Is it effective? What needs to change? What needs to stay the same?
Big picture - the goal is simple. Weed out disengaged employees while inspiring remaining employees to become or remain actively engaged. The results will astound you! My challenge to you is simple... "What will you do this week to begin the journey of building strong teams in your business?"
ABOUT EARL BELL:
EARL BELL is the author of, Winning in Baseball and Business, Transforming Little League Principles
into Major League Profits for Your Company, which provides a roadmap to
success for leaders that desire to build thriving companies in a very
competitive 21st century business environment. Earl believes that “everything
you need to know about business, leadership and team building can be learned
from Little League baseball.”
Earl coaches and consults with owners,
business leaders and their teams, teaching them how to dramatically reduce the
time it takes to improve profitability, customer experience, employee
engagement and company value, while simultaneously increasing discretionary
time and reducing both stress/employee burnout. He believes the secret to winning in baseball, business and
life can be summarized in a simple formula: Winning = Service +
Humility. His motto is that Winning in Business is
a Team Sport!
Earl has served in the Chief Financial Officer
role for numerous companies throughout North America. His personal passion is
youth sports and he has coached 28 teams since 2002. Earl is a CPA, graduated from SU (Seattle University) with a
BA in Accounting and from the MILL (Mercer Island Little League) with a
Master’s in Youth Baseball.
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