Are you Contributing to the Pipe Dream?

In a perfect world, your employees would align themselves with strategic targets and not focus on their own agenda.  But we are not living in a pipe dream – we operate in reality.  Often, we fall short of getting our employees truly invested in their jobs.  We hear employees say such things as “I am just here to collect a paycheck – I don’t have to think about solutions” or your employees sit on the sidelines with a 'wait and see' attitude.  Sound familiar?

Today, I am going to touch upon how you, as a decision maker, can release control and build trust with your employees so they make better decisions and produce better results. 

1.  Provide a clear definition of success that makes conclusions clear.  Vague objectives result in a vague focus.  Keep communication simple so employees can repeat it to others.  Take time to align around what you should communicate and not just what – but WHEN to communicate it.

2.  It is crucial that you talk with and not at your employees by communicating in terms of what matters most to them. How your employees work on a daily basis is an important consideration in your communications.  What do they actually need to know to achieve the strategic goals of the company?  

3.  Whether you seek it or not – your employees’ perspective is their reality and pretending it doesn't exist – doesn't mean it doesn't.  Solicit their feedback and more important act on that feedback!  Allow your employees to grow your business!

4.  Paint a clear picture of the case of change through stories.  What will be the impact of the change and how does that affect their jobs?  Link where you are and where you are going with what you have done and what you are going to do.  Build enough momentum going forward to convince those who are sitting on the sidelines with a ‘wait and see’ attitude.

5.  Give up some measure of control by trusting your employees and allow them enough room to find their own way from point A to point B. Provide them with a loose road map and let them navigate it. When you tell your employees what to do you are taking accountability away from them.  Furthermore, if you tell them what to do and you turn out to be wrong – you have lost credibility with your employee base and it is twice as hard to win that trust back.  Be a guide and a mentor, as well as a leader!

Idea Share Tip of the Month!

Create buy-in with your employees by demonstrating and showcasing the impact of implemented ideas and how employee actions make a difference in outcomes. Create a living timeline of ideas implemented.

Sign up for the Idea Share Tip of the Week! at Frame of Mind Consulting

Frame of Mind Consulting understands the unique DNA of your organization, which is necessary to turn any organization into one capable of leveraging the full idea potential of its employees.  Would you like to drive connectivity and ownership throughout your company?  Contact me at (860) 559-7942 to set up your complimentary consultation during which you will receive some invaluable tips that you can apply to your business right away.