Performance Miner™ is
in three sections this month:
In this issue:
1. The Competition is Recruiting Your Valuable Staff!
2. Life Biz
3. Personal Foundations
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1. The Competition is Recruiting Your
Valuable Staff!
If you have good employees in today's tight labor
force, your employees are getting calls from your competitors trying
to woo them away from you. Gone are the ethical days when competitors
took a hands-off policy and did not actively recruit another firm's
staff. Now they use your resources - your computers, your telephone
and yes, they talk with your employee on your dime!
You might as well face it - if your staff is any good, somebody wants
them - bad!
Some of our colleagues don't even want to send their staff to training
or professional meetings because recruiting has become so cut throat.
That is not a solution. In fact, that approach will lose people very
quickly because research has shown that professional development is an
important factor in retention.
But even professional development is not the most important factor.
The most important ingredient in retaining valuable employees is the
relationship between that employee and his/her manager. Here are some
of the factors that research has shown create a manager/staff
relationship that successfully retains employees:
1. Mutual respect - excellent staff will not work under even a
mildly verbally abusive manager.
2. A manager who leads rather than micro-manages
3. Ongoing professional development
4. A manager who has and communicates a clear direction
5. A manager who has the ability to listen as well as
communicate
6. Communication skills that make the employee feel like a
valued member of something bigger than themselves
Ongoing leadership development of all of your managers is the best
investment that can be made in your retention program. It is
infinitely more important than adding more perks and/or picnics. It is
even more important than salary increases for 98% of your employees.
You may reprint this article as long as you include the
copyright and author's name. We also appreciate your letting us know
when and where you are reprinting.
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What's New?
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On August 22, 2006 Youngblood's telephone
seminar on ways to keep your valuable staff will be held. Go
to www.youngbloodconsulting.com for more information.
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2. Life Biz
"Ask not what your country can do for you but what you
can do for your country," is a famous quote that has far reaching
application in our personal and business lives. Are you a solo player
or are you making contributions to life? Another way of saying it is -
are you in it for yourself or are you contributing?
For the next twenty four hours see what you can bring to the party -
what you can contribute and you will enjoy improved relationships and
productivity.
3. Personal Foundations
Learn to give and receive feedback
Feedback can be objective or subjective but it is always a process of
giving or receiving an evaluative response about something that has
been said or happened.
It is important to understand your own comfort level with both giving
and receiving feedback. Some of us can literally dish it out and not
take it! As a leader, you are the mirror for your employees on how to
give and receive feedback - what are you modeling for them?
Leaders must learn to comfortably give objective feedback. When they
do, employees are comfortable receiving it. Use the following
questions to guide you in improving your awareness of your comfort
with giving effective feedback:
1. Are you comfortable giving positive feedback?
2. Are you comfortable receiving feedback?
3. What about constructive feedback?
4. What would you like to improve?
You may reprint this article as long as you
include the copyright and author's name. We also appreciate your
letting us know when and where you are reprinting.
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This month's Best Practices column features
"Leadership Lessons from Youth At Risk". If you would like to read
Youngblood's Best Practices Column at www.azbiz.com -
click here. If you would
like your company featured in the column, contact
say@youngbloodconsulting.com.
Additional free articles on
www.youngbloodconsulting.com. New articles added often.
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