Posted: July 20, 2022 | Categories: Leadership, Management, Team Building

Have you ever seen a situation where a company hires a new team member, things go well for a couple weeks, and then the new hire suddenly quits?  What happened?  You thought they were happy and doing fine.

Well, you may want to look at your onboarding process.  Studies have shown that for the first six weeks of employment we need to be intentional in making sure that we work with the new person in building trust and helping them keep engaged in their work.  This can make a big difference.

In 1977 I joined a local Rotary Club.  I wanted to be more involved in the community and enjoy some good fellowship.  At 28, I was the youngest person in that club.

As soon as I was inducted, I was paired with a mentor.  His name was Art, and he was genuinely interested in me and what skills I brought to the table.  We set up weekly conversations, and I was soon given the job of bulletin editor.  Art knew I liked to write, and he tapped in to a hot button.  After six weeks my mentoring ended, and the program had succeeded.  I was an active member of the club and felt very much at home – even though I was the youngest member of the club – by far!  I was a member for 10 years before I moved away, and during that time served in every office…including president!

One of the most persistent challenges my clients encounter today is hiring and keeping good employees.  To reduce this threat, I recommend you have a step-by-step onboarding process guided by a competent mentor who will manage the process.  Keem’em smiling!

Posted: April 13, 2022 | Categories: Leadership, Self-Improvement, Team Building

“The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing”  

-Henry Ford

I work with teams and organizations that want to be the best and stay that way. The first quality I look for in a team is the level of trust and respect they have among each other. The next quality is ownership. This quality is also critically important.

Have you ever been on a team that didn’t take ownership? If so, you probably had your fill of blame and excuses. Whether it is justified or not, there is a fear of making mistakes…and owning them!

At the risk of sounding trite, let’s acknowledge that we all make mistakes. There is no perfection this side of heaven. Since everyone on any team will make a mistake once in a while, we need to change our attitude about mistakes.

When we make an error that has created more work or has been costly in other ways, let’s admit it, quickly and emphatically. We do not blame or make excuses. Next, we decide on our corrective action using input from our team as a resource.  As it is often said, “two heads are better than one.” Finally we implement the plan. As a result, we will improve ourselves and help make the team stronger.

When we admit our mistakes and are eager to learn from them, we help do our part in building a strong team that trusts and respects each other.

Posted: March 17, 2022 | Categories: Self-Improvement, Team Building

About 20 years ago I was brought on as a consultant by the president of a moderate-sized manufacturing business. His name was Roger, and he wanted me to help him with his retirement plans. Before Roger set his exact retirement date he wanted to be sure that his son and the rest of his team could implement a smooth transition.

I asked Roger what he wanted help with. He replied, “I take a few weeks off every year to stay at my cabin up north. When I return to work, everything is in a crisis mode. As I am scrambling to get things back in control again, I begin to question the benefit of ever going away again. What I want is to come back to my plant with confidence that all will be in order. I want my return to be a pleasant experience that I look forward to.”

With that picture clearly in mind we got to work on building into the team all the skills and discipline needed to make the self-reliant team Roger was looking for. As you might guess, these areas included skills in emotional intelligence and clear communication wrapped in a blanket of trust and accountability.

About three years after we began, Roger and I were talking about the effectiveness of the training. He had just come back after a several week stay at his cabin and returned to a working environment that was relaxed and in control. No one came to Roger with a crisis. I was happy to hear this, but then I noticed Roger’s facial expression. He looked a little down. I asked him if something was wrong.

He said, “I know this is what I wanted, but I don’t feel as much a part of the group, and I am not as important.” We all love to feel important, don’t we? Roger lost some of that. I asked, “So even though this is what you wanted, you are going through a “grieving process?”

“Yes!” he said,  “You hit the nail the head!”

What Roger and I both learned: If you want something that involves a change, consider what you are leaving behind, and let your mind prepare.

Posted: March 9, 2022 | Categories: Leadership, Sales, Self-Improvement, Team Building

This past Sunday we attended our usual church service, and after the service ended we began filing out to return to our homes and enjoy the rest of our Sunday. As we were walking towards the door, my wife Joyce turned around and went back to talk to a member of the Praise Band. His name was Gary, and Joyce went over to express her sympathy. Gary’s mother-in-law had just passed away. As I was waiting for Joyce, the minutes started passing by, and before long I realized Joyce and Gary were in a long conversation. Gary’s mother-in-law was very special to him, and he wanted to talk about her. My wife is a good listener, and she is always there for people to listen to them and bring them comfort.

I must confess my initial reaction was impatience…You know…”C’mon, we haven’t got all day” default. That thought quickly passed as I reminded myself that what I was seeing was my loving wife doing what she was meant to do: Give comfort and take time to listen to those who need a sympathetic ear. I went back in the narthex and found a devotion book I could read until Joyce was finished. If the truth were known, Joyce’s conversation with Gary was probably about 10 minutes.

We want to have strong relationships with the special people in our lives. If we run a business, we want our team members to be productive and give us their best. One of the best actions we can take to achieve these objectives is to take more time to get in touch with others, and be a sincere and sympathetic listener.

Posted: February 15, 2022 | Categories: Leadership, Team Building

You would think the #1 priority in these times is sales.  In my coaching and interactions, I am noticing an area even more important:  Employee retention.

Experts struggle to accurately gauge the cost of employee turnover.  There are many repercussions.  Customer relationships can be affected, training expenses increase, and employee morale and engagement can be dampened.

Early in my career I had a job in selling.  One day I was calling upon two large companies.  In each visit I took the opportunity to talk to the receptionists.  In each conversation I asked the same question:  “What’s it like to work at _______?”  In company “A”, the response from the receptionist was ebullient.  She began raving about how much she enjoyed  working there.  She took out pictures of herself at company events having a blast.  She showed me her special recognition pin.  As my mother would say, “Who put a nickel in you?”

Then there was company “B”.  Her response to my question was quite different.  She glanced around giving a furtive look and said, “Do you really want to know?  They don’t tell us anything.  We’re just supposed to do our job and keep quiet.  We just work here.”  Ouch.  No boss would want to hear that.

So what happened to company “B”?  Was there poor communication, a lack of respect, or not much empathy?  Probably all of those and a few more.  Comparing companies “A” and “B”, which one do you think had the least turnover?  What one made the most profit?  If you guessed “A”, you are correct.

When I coach teams for improved performance, the first thing I look for is the trust level and how important each team member sees themselves.  If you want a strong team, you should too!