| Many managers and executives sabotage | | | | tomanage but they are worth their weight in |
| employee performance systematically and | | | | gold, if you want to survive. |
| regularly.Why would they consciously or | | | | |
| unconsciously sabotage organization success | | | | g. pay attention to your "gut" feelings, |
| with this destructive management style? | | | | they will be right more than they are |
| Change can be either a curse or a blessing. | | | | wrong,regardless of what you hear or are |
| Most people fear, dislike and resist any | | | | told.Ego.Would you rather be happy or right? |
| change that they perceive threatens their | | | | Uncontrolled egos have destroyed more |
| security, future success or well | | | | enterprises than any other single ingredient. |
| being.Regardless of the best corporate | | | | It takes a certain amount of ego to be |
| intentions or agendas surrounding any change | | | | successful when running a business, |
| in policy, procedure, re-organization or | | | | regardless of its size, but too much will |
| expansion, employees from the boardroom to | | | | earn people's wrath, contempt and scorn. |
| the lunchroom tend to think the worst when | | | | None of these make for a healthy corporate |
| change appears on the scene. Regardless of | | | | environment. I recommend the following:a) |
| its purpose, need or anticipated outcome | | | | does your need for power, fame, control ever |
| change is often a saboteur of individual | | | | get in the way of sound practical business |
| performance and organization productivity and | | | | decisions? |
| profits.In order to maintain and or increase | | | | |
| market share, competitive posture, or long | | | | b) are you more concerned with getting vs. |
| term financial stability, while keeping | | | | giving credit? |
| customer satisfaction high and turnover to a | | | | |
| minimum, it is essential that the | | | | c) are you more interested in being right |
| perceptions, attitudes, values and | | | | than the health or success of a project, |
| expectations of your human resources be taken | | | | activity or your organization as a whole? |
| seriously into account. In my thirty plus | | | | |
| years of experience as a trainer, speaker and | | | | d) do you spend more time talking or |
| consultant to a wide variety and size | | | | listening? |
| organizations worldwide I have discovered | | | | |
| there are twelve key issues that sabotage | | | | e) do you tend to over power, intimidate or |
| employee performance and productivity.They | | | | manipulate people toward your opinion, answer |
| are,1.Arrogance | | | | or method?Management style.It is easy to |
| | | | determine; if your overall management style |
| 2. Ignorance | | | | is positive or negative, if it contributes |
| | | | to increased or decreased market share, |
| 3. Poor or no coaching | | | | greater or lesser profits and increasing or |
| | | | decreasing customer base, if it contributes |
| 4. Poor hiring practices | | | | to improved employee performance or increased |
| | | | stress and employee turnover. There are six |
| 5. Isolation | | | | questions to ask yourself:a) is your |
| | | | organization a fun place to work? |
| 6. Clouded perceptions | | | | |
| | | | b) do people look forward to coming to |
| 7. Ego, Management style | | | | work? |
| | | | |
| 8. Inconsistent communication patterns | | | | c) do your people love their work? |
| | | | |
| 9. Inadequate human resource development and | | | | d) are people waiting in line to join your |
| training | | | | organization or do many of your employees |
| | | | have their resumes on the street? |
| 10. Negative motivational climate | | | | |
| | | | e) do people trust and respect each other |
| 11. Poorly communicated corporate direction | | | | or is mistrust rampant? |
| and goals | | | | |
| | | | f) do your people take ownership of |
| 12. Not in touch with reality | | | | department and corporate outcomes or do they |
| | | | showup, do their job and go home?Your answers |
| 13. Inconsistent feedback mechanisms | | | | to these questions will give you a reasonably |
| | | | accurate assessment as to whether you need to |
| 14. Corporate Culture.Let's look at a few of | | | | modify your management style or if you are on |
| these briefly.Arrogance. This is the general | | | | the right track.Communication patterns.Do |
| attitude that the organization is invincible | | | | your people have to be in the right place at |
| regardless of its abuses of customers, | | | | the right time to know what is going on in |
| employees, the environment, vendors or | | | | your organization? Are all your employees |
| competitors.Ignorance. This is often related | | | | kept informed in a timely manner on key |
| to arrogance, but it goes even deeper. It is | | | | corporate decisions that affect them? Is |
| being out of touch with the realities that | | | | there excessive redundancy anywhere in the |
| exist within the organization as well as | | | | organization? Are there mini kingdoms where |
| those outside the organization. It includes | | | | people have circled the wagons and edit |
| but is not limited to: a lack of effective | | | | information before it leaves or enters a |
| understanding and/or use of technology, a | | | | department? Do you have excess employee |
| lack of awareness of customer attitudes or | | | | turnover? Are stress levels throughout the |
| perceptions, a lack of interest in employee | | | | organization increasing? Is your corporate |
| position needs, desires, concerns or | | | | culture defined by, "you better get it in |
| problems, a lack of understanding of | | | | writing?" These are just a few of the |
| marketing or consumer shifts or trends, a | | | | symptoms of poor communication. I recommend |
| lack of awareness of competitor activities, | | | | the following ideas for your consideration:a) |
| objectives or agendas, and a lack of empathy | | | | remove any layers or blocks between |
| for supplier issues, problems, needs, or | | | | employees and/or departments that may |
| desires.Isolation. This is the approach of | | | | bepreventing "real world" information getting |
| keeping employees, customers and suppliers at | | | | to the people that need it. |
| a safe distance so that your perceptions, | | | | |
| opinions, philosophy and /or opinions are not | | | | b) bypass your direct reports, and talk |
| challenged.Clouded Perceptions. This is | | | | with support staff to test the integrity of |
| being unwilling to see past the visible and | | | | the messages that are getting through to your |
| the evident to the underlying causes, | | | | organization or department. |
| symptoms or contributors.Ego. This is the | | | | |
| desire to be right, control, manipulate, hold | | | | c) ensure that there are no duel or mixed |
| on to rather than delegate power, authority | | | | messages that are penetrating the |
| and responsibility beyond your office door or | | | | organization. |
| trusted inner circle. It is having an open | | | | |
| door policy, but a closed mind when people | | | | d) correct destructive rumors that may be |
| walk through it.Management Style. This is | | | | creating incorrect perceptions. |
| the style in which management staff interact | | | | |
| on a routine basis with other managers, | | | | e) encourage the upward flow of unedited |
| support staff, customers and | | | | information. |
| suppliers.Communication patterns. This is | | | | |
| the manner in which information flows | | | | f) listen and read between the lines of |
| throughout the organization. From top down, | | | | all communication. |
| bottom up, department to department, inside | | | | |
| the organization to outside and how | | | | g) listen for the emotion and feeling |
| outside-in information is distributed.Human | | | | behind conversations. |
| resource development. Simply stated, this is | | | | |
| the overall philosophy about how much of your | | | | h) weigh truth on truth scales and |
| corporate resources should be invested in the | | | | sincerity on sincerity scales.Human resource |
| skill development and attitude management of | | | | development.The investment you make in your |
| your people.Lack of clear communicated | | | | people's skills and attitudes will come back |
| direction. One of the greatest obstacles to | | | | again and again to your bottom line. It may |
| effective employee performance is when your | | | | not always be evident directly but it will |
| employees haven't a clue as to who you are | | | | show up in improved loyalty, morale, ability |
| trying to become, where you are going and | | | | and overall performance. Training is an |
| why.Poor feedback mechanisms. One of the | | | | investment in a secure future not a cost. |
| biggest weaknesses of managers today is the | | | | There is never a bad time to train and |
| ability to give both positive and negative | | | | educate people. Training should be on-going |
| feedback. Negative feedback should not be | | | | and relevant. I recommend the following:a) |
| designed to punish, but modify behavior. | | | | use inside resources for technical and |
| Positive feedback is to insure that people | | | | industry training and out-source general |
| know and understand the expectations and | | | | skills and attitude training. |
| standards under which they are to | | | | |
| function.Culture. Corporate culture is the | | | | b) off the shelf training programs have |
| personality of an organization. It is the | | | | limited benefit, consider only custom |
| written and unwritten rules and expectations | | | | designed in-house programs when out-sourcing |
| of behavior, interaction, and performance. | | | | this activity. |
| It is the rites and rituals that govern | | | | |
| peoples attitudes and activities. It is the | | | | c) training must be regularly reinforced. |
| corporate paradigm that permeates every | | | | You can not change behavior for the long haul |
| strategy, action, and decision.Let's go into | | | | with a half day public or in-house seminar or |
| a little more detail on the above | | | | video. |
| items.Arrogance.To succeed in today's | | | | |
| competitive ever-changing global environment | | | | d) prior to developing a training or human |
| will require:a) a willingness to admit | | | | resource development program survey the real |
| defeat and wrong decisions. | | | | needs, issues, problems and opportunities |
| | | | that are present with the group that will |
| b) humility | | | | participate. |
| | | | |
| c) flexibility | | | | e) have clear focused objectives for any |
| | | | program and develop some form of measurement |
| d) compromise | | | | device no matter how simple or |
| | | | unsophisticated.Lack of clear communicated |
| e) a willingness to let go of people, | | | | direction.Do your people, all of them, know |
| products, policies or procedures, regardless | | | | where you are going, and do they care? One of |
| whosupported them, created them, hired them | | | | the biggest obstacles to effective employee |
| that are no longer in the best interestsof | | | | performance is a lack of awareness as to the |
| the organization as a whole. There will be | | | | direction or mission of the organization. |
| a greater emphasis on what is best forthe | | | | Your mission is your general statement of |
| health and welfare of the organization | | | | purpose. What you stand for and believe in. |
| rather than who said it, decided it,or | | | | It is your corporate identity. There is a |
| supported it. | | | | right and need to know when it comes to |
| | | | corporate information. Not every employee |
| f) adapting to change regardless of how | | | | needs to understand your financial statement, |
| uncomfortable or challenging the new | | | | the details of future growth plans or |
| environmentmay seem.Ignorance.The use of | | | | acquisitions, however, every employee has a |
| information is power. However, if you lack | | | | need and right to be privy to your general |
| current information on market trends, | | | | direction, and how they will fit into the |
| competitor strategies and activities, | | | | new picture.I recommend the following ideas |
| customer attitudes and employee perceptions | | | | for your consideration:a) if you have not |
| you will be operating in a vacuum. I | | | | written a corporate mission statement, I |
| recommend the following to ensure you are | | | | encourage you to do so. When developing it, |
| making the best possible decisions on | | | | ensure that it is consistent with who your |
| strategy, finance, marketing, manufacturing | | | | organization really is not who or what you |
| and distribution:a) use your field sales | | | | believe it to be. |
| people as an information gathering resource. | | | | |
| | | | b) once written share it with every |
| b) conduct regular employee surveys to | | | | employee to ensure both understanding and |
| discover department, product/service, | | | | acceptance. |
| employeeand procedure strengths, weaknesses, | | | | |
| and needs. These surveys should be | | | | c) put your top three goals in writing and |
| conductedconfidentially and evaluated by an | | | | see that every employee gets a copy. |
| outside resource. | | | | |
| | | | d) constantly re-evaluate to determine if |
| c) conduct regular customer audits to | | | | your activities, communication, tasks, |
| evaluate perceptions, needs, trends, | | | | objectives and agendas are consistent with |
| attitudes,problems and produce usage | | | | your mission statement.Poor feedback |
| profiles. | | | | mechanisms.Everyone wants and needs to know |
| | | | if what they are doing is correct and how |
| d) meet regularly with suppliers to | | | | they are doing it is acceptable. Negative |
| determine where the relationship could be | | | | feedback should not be designed to punish, |
| improved | | | | but modify behavior. Feedback both positive |
| | | | and negative can dramatically improve |
| e) network with other business leaders | | | | performance and results. I recommend the |
| both in and out of your industry. | | | | following:a) praise in public and private. |
| | | | |
| f) become a voracious reader of business and | | | | b) criticize in private. |
| industry publications that directly | | | | |
| orindirectly impact on your present or | | | | c) don't ignore negative behavior. It |
| future. | | | | sends the message that it is acceptable or |
| | | | tolerable. |
| g) bypass your direct reports and regularly | | | | |
| meet with support personnel to | | | | d) annual reviews are generally a waste of |
| discoverprejudices, judgments, problems and | | | | time. Most are conducted poorly. Besides, |
| opportunities that are being missed. | | | | if you have behavior that needs changing you |
| | | | don't want to wait a year to correct it. I |
| h) use your outside resources as | | | | suggest quarterly informal discussions on: |
| information centers to fill in the gaps where | | | | expectations, needs, problems and issues |
| yourprejudices or the prejudices of your | | | | either from the perspective of the supervisor |
| employees may be jaded.Isolation.You can't | | | | or the employee. |
| run your organization successfully from | | | | |
| behind your desk or locked in the boardroom. | | | | e) feedback should be immediate and |
| The job of management is to manage not hide. | | | | delivered in a manner to ensure |
| If I have heard it once I have heard it | | | | understanding,acceptance and ownership. |
| hundreds of times. "We have too many | | | | |
| meetings at the upper level of this | | | | f) ask your employees to give you a review |
| organization that are generally a waste of | | | | every time you give them one. If you think |
| time." I concede that meetings are necessary | | | | you are perfect or they don't know your |
| but evaluation, implementation, execution and | | | | weaknesses you are living in |
| directed purposeful action takes place on the | | | | fantasyland.Culture.Culture is the |
| street, on the shop floor, in the | | | | personality style of the organization. It is |
| distribution center not in the meeting room. | | | | the unwritten rules, rights and rituals that |
| I recommend the following:a) start your day | | | | act as a filter through which every decision, |
| with a "walk-about". get to know your | | | | project, task, goal and activity must pass. |
| people. Be visible andinterested. | | | | Corporate culture has its stamp on every |
| | | | person, policy and procedure. There can also |
| b) end your day with another "walk-about" | | | | be department, division and group cultures |
| for the same reason. | | | | within the overall corporate culture. The |
| | | | impact of culture on the health, success and |
| c) be accessible for people when they need | | | | longevity of an organization can not be |
| information, decisions, feedback, counsel, | | | | denied. I suggest the following:a) conduct |
| tovent, share, learn, grow, help with your | | | | an employee culture audit. This can be done |
| insight, experience, knowledge and sense | | | | either formally or informally. It can be |
| ofhistory. | | | | written or verbal. It can be confidential or |
| | | | public. |
| d) have an open door as well as an open | | | | |
| mind when people get there. | | | | b) see if your culture is consistent with |
| | | | your mission statements' premises and |
| e) learn to listen between the lines. | | | | philosophy. |
| | | | |
| f) ask lots of questions. | | | | c) is your culture changing? If so how? |
| | | | How fast? In the direction you would like? |
| g) never be too busy to coach an employee | | | | |
| who asks for help, advice or guidance.Clouded | | | | d) remember all culture is top down. It |
| perceptions.Perceptions become reality. What | | | | flows down from the senior person in the |
| is believed to be true regardless of whether | | | | group, |
| it is true or not is acted upon as if it was | | | | |
| true. When you make a decision, any | | | | department or organization. You must take |
| decision, or form a judgment with less than a | | | | full responsibility for it regardless of its |
| clear vision of what is really true, you are | | | | nature or description. |
| bound to make mistakes. Some mistakes at the | | | | |
| top cost organizations very little, while | | | | e) if you want to change your culture it |
| others have put organizations out to pasture. | | | | will take time, lots of time.Well there you |
| There is only one way to ensure that your | | | | have it. Woven in the above concepts are the |
| perceptions are in line with reality.a) | | | | seeds of improved employee and organization |
| create an organizational environment where it | | | | productivity or the seeds of destruction. I |
| is safe to share openly problems, issuesand | | | | challenge you to reflect on these ideas to |
| concerns without the fear of retribution. | | | | determine in which areas you, one of your |
| | | | executives or managers or the organization as |
| b) don't edit the information you receive | | | | a whole needs modification or improvement.Tim |
| regardless of the source. | | | | Connor, CSP is an internationally renowned |
| | | | sales, relationship, management and |
| c) remember disagreement doesn't mean | | | | leadership speaker, trainer and best selling |
| disloyalty. | | | | author. Since 1981 he has given over 3500 |
| | | | presentations in 21 countries on a variety of |
| d) encourage disagreement. | | | | sales, management and relationship topics. He |
| | | | is the best selling author of over 60 books |
| e) don't criticize, punish or discipline | | | | including; Soft Sell, Your First Year in |
| employees for bringing reality to you. | | | | Sales, Peace of Mind and The Male Gift |
| | | | Giving Survival Guide. His latest books just |
| f) some of your best employees will be the | | | | released are; 81 Management Challenges and |
| most outspoken. They may be difficult | | | | Above Ground, A Story of Life's Gifts To You. |