All of these old sayings can apply to how you should handle your workforce:
- You can catch more flies with sugar than with vinegar.
- Lead with the carrot and not the stick.
- You can lead a horse to water but can’t make them drink.
These cliches are behind the idea that coaching an employee is a much better way to manage over any other alternative such as scolding or somehow penalizing your valuable worker. The idea of coaching is that you can’t make your employee do anything—but you can create an environment in which they want to excel.
What are coachable moments and how can you use them to improve the performance of your team?
Consistently coaching your employees is crucial for improving their performance. The old style of authoritarianism just doesn’t work in the modern workplace anymore. Leading by fear will only create a hostile work environment and create a retention problem with your employees.
In any job market that’s a recipe for problems across the board. You’ll lose employees to your competition and the word will get out that it’s just not a supportive work environment at your office. Good luck attracting new candidates to your business!
Approach the management of your teams in a constructive, professional way.
There are several ways to do this, depending on the type of employee you’re dealing with. For example:
- New or novice employees will need more handholding over someone with more experience. You’ll spend time teaching skills and supporting their learning. Avoid micromanaging but do spend time setting the ground rules for what will make the employee successful. Then make sure they have the tools to reach that goal.
- At the opposite end of the spectrum are your key performers in the organization. They work hard and know the job. In these instances, you want to provide lots of positive recognition and feedback both privately and publicly. This is the idea of the carrot versus the stick—you want to focus on the positives instead of any negatives. Also, protect these players by making sure they’re taking time off and taking care of themselves.
Professionally managing someone requires support to help them succeed.
When you have someone who does their job well, give them the autonomy they need to keep up their good work. Then offer them ways to advance their skills even further and move up the ladder. If you do need to pull someone aside to give them negative feedback, make it as constructive as possible. Engage them in the discussion by sharing an example of what happened (i.e. they missed a deadline). Ask them why they think this occurred. Brainstorm ways they can improve. Set measurable goals for improvement with a timeline. Then encourage them along the way.
Still Need Help? Contact Stellar Staffing Solutions Today
If you’ve fully supported your worker and they have the tools and training they need, it may be time to let them go. That’s where Stellar Staffing can help. If you’re struggling to find key players for your team, call on us. We can help you meet your hiring goals.
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