Feedback: Letting them know where they stand

Unless you?re an unusual person, you likely are reluctant to address issues with your people, especially those that tend to be unpleasant. Since you are busy anyway, it?s easy to put off the need to confer with a person about problems that you hope will solve themselves. They usually won?t. Or you may rationalize your reluctance by waiting until the person?s performance review?which may delay appropriate action for a quarter, six months or even a year. Untreated wounds fester.

Problems, whether interpersonal or operational, rarely resolve themselves and the longer they go ignored the worse they usually become. However, here are three steps that will assist you in making a chore a positive experience for all concerned.

Step One. Be certain that you have a clear understanding of the issue or problem and that you can support your point of view. If you only express an opinion without evidence you are less likely to gain commitment necessary for the person to change undesirable behavior, improve communications, enhance a skill, etc.

Step Two. Schedule a time to confer with the person in private in order to avoid appearing threatening and creating an adversarial atmosphere. Assure the person that you are seeking a win/win solution that will enhance his or her ability to progress in the organization. Express understanding and compassion.

Step Three. At the end of this session, schedule a follow-up time to allow the person to respond with personal ideas about how best to gain concurrence in order to meet his or her needs and to achieve your expectations. This will allow you to dialogue openly and directly on a continuing basis. However, if the issue is not resolved, you will be able to document your action from a positive perspective.

Rewarding performance as a source of motivation?using common sense

Do you know anyone who doesn?t appreciate being appreciated? Your people may know you appreciate them, but unless you take the time and initiative to tell them, you are missing a real opportunity to motivate positive behavior and increase productivity. Your spouse may ?know? that you love him or her, but (s)he still needs to hear it now and then. Your team has the same need.

Two issues tend to drive our failure to communicate justly deserved praise.
First, we may be inclined to think our expressions to be of little value and second, we may simply forget to do it. We can deal with the first tendency by remembering the platinum rule: Treat people as they would wish to be treated. If you happen to be one who feels little need for recognition, don?t assume that to be true for others.

Address the second issue, by establishing regular times, such as staff meetings, in which you recognize the good work of people in front of their colleagues. Keep in mind that private expressions are great energy and ego boosters. Nothing formal is required. Just a simple statement like, ?Hey, I just wanted to tell you again how much I appreciated your getting that report out on time and with first rate quality. Your action will go along way toward helping us achieve our quarterly goals?

Getting the best from your people doesn?t require a degree in psychology, only a little common sense. Get in the habit, you?ll reap great benefits.

Increase Productivity: Reduce workplace stress

As RIFs have reduced headcount and caused more work to be done by fewer people, the result has been increased stress and frustration. Now, since 9-11, the stress factor has taken on new significance; our nation, once deemed safe from outside dangers, has now been proven vulnerable. The result?fear added to the existing stress creates a situation sure to cause lower levels of performance and productivity.

Recently, I heard ?terrorism? defined as, ?An attempt by any force to cause people to be fearful.? Given this definition, there are many sources of terrorism, such as the media by whom we are bombarded daily and other fundamental institutions that consider it their province to tell us what we must do and what will happen to us if we don?t.

Fear causes people to think irrationally and often to act without thinking. Many of the mistakes that are made in the workplace are the direct result of anxiety and feelings of having little or no control over one?s circumstances.

As a leader you can be mindful of these issues and do your best to create a secure environment. Become willing to listen when people need to express their anguish about the uncertain nature of employment relationships and related sources of concern. If you have people traveling, let them have sufficient time to deal with the new security restrictions and if you recognize that people are fearful, don?t hesitate to let them know of your interest and understanding.

A little genuine concern can do much to assuage anxiety and improve performance.