How to turn Your Team into High Performers

One of the biggest challenges many of my clients face is having the right people.

Prior to coaching I'd often hear:

"if only I could find the right people my business would much more profitable"

"I'd have less stress"

"I spend more time managing my people than getting the work done" and more.

Gary's Story

Gary who runs a plumbing business has 5 staff. He was always complaining that they were lazy, didn't use their initiative and would take advantage of him.

We had Gary fill in our Productivity and Leadership Profile which is part of our Masterful Manager's Program. This 360 degree process allows each team member to anonymously answer questions about how they see Gary in many areas including his leadership abilities, communication, organisation etc.

The process also allows Gary to answer the same questions on how he sees himself.

It turned out that Gary thought he was a good boss because he was easy to get along with. However the feedback from his team showed that he wasn't a good leader. The guys needed clear direction...someone to follow. They required a system, guidelines to work within and regular follow-up.

They never had a team meeting to discuss what was working well and how to improve things. The only time a meeting was called was when there was a customer complaint.

The Solutions

Before I share these tips with you, be aware that it is extremely important to hire the right type of people for your business in the first place. Many employers have the 'hire and hope' mentality. After the person has been hired the employer hopes they work out.

1. Regular Performance and Incentive Reviews

Measure your team's achievements on a regular basis. Formally appraise the performance of each individual twice a year. Salary increases, bonuses and incentives should be based on these performance reviews.

2. Weekly Team Meetings

Learn how to run an effective meeting and have these weekly with your team.

Have a set time each week. Ensure the agenda allows for their input. See How to Have Successful Meetings.

3. Personal and Professional Development

Invest regularly in their development, both technical and non-technical skills. The new-found knowledge can be extremely valuable to your business. By learning and developing your people, they will also be more motivated.

4. Develop Your Own Leadership Skills

Turn yourself into a Masterful Manager. There are many skills required to be an effective manager ...delegation, organisation and communication etc.

5. Participating in specific programs such as our Masterful Manager's Intensive Coaching Program will turn you into a powerful leader that gets results and maintains a happy, productive and high performing team.

They never had a team meeting to discuss what was working well and how to improve things. The only time a meeting was called was when there was a customer complaint. All of these challenges soon disappeared when Gary continually implemented the following solutions.

The Final Word

Looking after the people in your business is vital to ensure its ongoing success...whatever 'success' means to you. A happy, skilled and motivated team if managed effectively will have a huge impact on your productivity and profits.

To continue doing the same thing and expecting a different result is the definition of insanity. So if you want to achieve different results, take action today!

Have a great week!

Lorraine Pirihi

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About Lorraine Pirihi

Lorraine Pirihi is Australia's No. 1 Productivity Coach. She's also a dynamic presenter and a leading business and life coach. Her business The Office Organiser specialises in showing small business owners and managers, how to get organised at work so they can have a life! Lorraine is also a dynamic speaker and has produced many products including "How to Survive and Thrive at Work!" To subscribe to her free ezine visit www.office-organiser.com.au

lorraine@office-organiser.com.au


And here is another random article you might be interested in...

Stock Market Speculation or Gambling. What is the Difference?

The art of speculating in one form or another has been around forever.

When it comes to speculating, there are always three things that you can be sure of â€" there will be always people willing to speculate, there will always be people who will love to play the game with the first group. Lastly history can be counted on to repeat itself.

Sure the object of speculation may change, the rules may change and the technology may change. But in the end it is always the same.

However what has happened before is 100 % sure to happen again. You can count on it. Everyone thinks always that they are so original when it always the same story again and again. Whether it is tulip bulbs, precious metals, mutual funds, lottery tickets or penny stocks human nature is human nature.

Ignorance, greed, fear and hope determine how people react and thus how prices move and markets behave. People have speculated on everything at one time or another,

For the last hindered years and certainly into the foreseeable future speculating on stock prices offers liquidity combined with legitimacy and purpose. Stock speculation, trading and investing have become an essential and vital parts of both our economy and our lives.

Trading is just another word for speculating and investing is nothing more than speculating, except that it supposedly encompasses a longer time horizon and for some odd reason implies less risk. Speculators speculate, trader's trade and investors invest to make money. Traders buy stock or any other object of speculation because they anticipate a price appreciation.

Speculation and gambling are similar, with a few important distinctions. One difference is the perception, sometimes true, that successful speculators profit due to their skill or an unseen advantage, while gamblers prosper due to chance or luck.

Remember though that it may not happen to you but in the end given enough time or chances the odds will always prevail. The casinos in Atlantic City and Las Vegas were not built with winner's money.

Another distinction is that gambling in most forms has been illegal (at least until government got involved and changed the rules in their favor) while speculation plays an essential role in our markets and thus our economy.

These important distinctions make speculating which indeed is what our investment industry purveys as an accepted occupation â€" indeed one with one prestige and gamblers not being accepted in the same light.

Whether a gambler, a trader or a speculator, in all cases the attraction is the same â€" the chance to make a lot of money in a hurry. It is the immediate gratification of the win that makes these games irresistible - an opiate of sorts.

Indeed problem gamblers have been compared to alcoholics in needing that rush which gives them such pleasure and serves amazingly to release endorphins to relax their troubled minds.

On top of that the unpredictability of the wins serves to even reinforce this addictive behavior.

Not far off of the methods of B.F. Skinner and the rats of operant conditioning fame.

Indeed some people will tell you that "it will almost always end with crying!"

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About Amy Goodmann

Amy Goodmann Senior Investment Analyst Substantial Incomes Com frxforex@yahoo.com http://www.forexforexforexforex.com http://www.substantialincomes.com