Performance Matters - Idea #15

Celebrate frequently and authentically.

Job satisfaction, loyalty, and performance has much to do with friendship, purpose and recognition. Celebration is evidence of all three.

How often do you celebrate with your team? How many ways do you know how to celebrate? Perhaps a chief celebration officer (CCO) is needed.

Celebration begins with something to celebrate... achievement, anniversary, opportunity, loyalty, or even just having "time to" celebrate. Celebration always acknowledges the something that is being celebrated in words written or spoken from the heart.

Celebration can be time spent together or time spent apart - try a celebration that allows employees unexpected time with family. Celebration is more about opportunities to bond than it is about money or time.

Celebration takes practice. Practice frequently. Celebration builds and defines community!

Bob

(c) copyright 2008
Performance Builders

Quotable

"To become something new, we must first become all that we can no longer be"
‑ Kevin Kelly

Performance Matters - Idea #14

Have you ever wondered why so much emphasis is placed in the work place on people improving their "weaknesses"? Why isn't more focus placed on understanding peoples strengths and then using them to their maximum potential. It comes back to what I've written about before, "Do more of what you do best and less of all of the rest."

Think how much happier and satisfied people would be if that was a core strategy of the business. Think how much more successful the business could be if that were a core business strategy!

Play to people’s strengths rather than trying to make them into someone they are not. Each person has a unique combination of gifts and experience unlike any other person. Managers need to get to know their people - what makes them tick? What is their unique knowledge, experience, skills? What stirs their passion? What do they aspire to?

For many manager's their greatest weakness is not knowing the answer to the above question for all of their people.

There are some great tools out there for helping a person or a team discover their strengths and to start the conversations that will help them better utilize them. Are you in conversation with your team? Are you engaging the tools to leverage the talent you have?

When people play to their strengths they actually increase their energy and loyalty. When they are working in their weaknesses they consume energy and and burn loyalty.

Get more out of each person by playing to their strengths.

Bob

(c) copyright 2008
Performance Builders

Performance Matters - Idea #13

Recognize that about 5 % of any team are positive leaders who are fully committed to the organization’s performance and success – they are passionate about it. They lead by example.

Another 15% are negative leaders who undermine the organization’s performance and success. These are equally passionate people who very often operate in a passive aggressive mode. They lead by words usually spoken in private.

Both groups are opinion leaders! Both groups contribute to defining the culture, attitudes, and behaviors of the team. Both represent the team / organization to the community.

The remaining 80% of a team / organization are followers who can be effectively influenced by either the positive or negative leaders.

Management’s job is to effectively keep negative leaders in check or better eliminating them from the team quickly and decisively. Who you keep on your team says much about how you and your team will be perceived. Your team culture is worth protecting. There are no excuses for keeping negative leaders on your team. You are always better without them and so is the rest of your team!

Bob

(c) Copyright 2008
Performance Builders

Quotable

"The body is limited. The mind is not. To enlarge your world, expand your mind." - Alan Cohen

Performance Matters - Idea #12

A portion of every professional’s compensation should be variable. Doing so provides professionals with feedback as to how well they are performing and contributing to the enterprize. Doing so also provides important financial management to practice managers. Variable expense can be managed to respond to changing conditions. Fixed expense means managers can only go along for the ride - even if it means damage to the practice.

Use incentive compensation to discriminate between high value and low value contributors. There are differences in the contribution of team members that deserve to be recognized. There are differences in individual contributions over time. There are differences in what the practice and its patients need as various times. Incentive compensation provides a mechanism for constant fairness, challenge, and accountability.

The matter of incentive compensation will be come ever more important in the coming years. Changes are occurring fast and will occur even faster as the clock continues to tick.

Those who will be best able to weather the impending financial challenges of change will be those who start now to reorder their priorities and their practices. Now would be a great time to start...

Bob
(c) Copyright 2008
Performance Builders

Quotable

“I had been my whole life a bell, and never knew until at that moment I was lifted and stuck…” - Anne Dillard

What talents are hidden in those around you waiting for your hand to lift them?

What talents remain unexpressed in you yourself?

What voice would they give to your opportunities and success?

Performance Matters - Idea #11

Research by The Gallop Poll has found that the greatest factor in employee loyalty and satisfaction is associated with each employee having a "best friend" at work.

Respect, nurture, and facilitate those friendships. Give them room to breath, grow, and to be celebrated.

When hiring ask yourself whether new employee candidates are likely to find a best friend amongst your team - do they share interests, values, and culture with others of your team?

Do you have a best friend at work? Whose best friend could you become?

Don't forget that the same principle applies to customers / clients / patients... are they finding a best friend in your practice? Are you also building their loyalty?

Bob

(c) Copyright 2008
Performance Builders

Quotable

“We try to change events in order to avoid changing ourselves.” - Richard Rohr

Performance Matters - Idea #10

It is important to understand that money is not the most significant job satisfaction issue for most professionals. Of course every professional wants to be compensated fairly and competitively. When that does not occur, money does talk and rightly so. But there are other matters that matter.

Such matters include appreciation, encouragement, recognition, personal and professional development opportunities, friendship, respect, a quality environment, honesty, and transparency in communications and relationships. Then there are matters of opportunity for advancement in responsibility, leadership, job title, benefits, etc.

Of particular importance is the opportunity to do more of what one is best at in order to build confidence and contribute in an energy building way. The other side of the coin is to do less of what one is not best at in order to prevent energy drain.

Consider how you can use "soft benefits" to compliment your "hard currency" compensation system. When you do, everyone wins!

Bob

(c) Copyright 2008
Performance Builders

Quotable

"A bend in the road is not the end of the road unless you fail to make the turn." - Anonymous

What bends are there is your road?

Quotable

"To become something new, we must first become all that we can no longer be"
‑ Kevin Kelly

Performance Matters - Idea #9

People react, they do not take direction. One's influence is not realized and one's leadership is not tapped until that truth is understood.

Manage the environment to provoke those reactions that will benefit the organization and its stakeholders.

Manage conversations to provoke new thoughts, new understandings, new appreciations. Conversations that are confrontational and that expose a persons vulnerabilities position people on the borders rather than at the heart of their potential.

Be thoughtful and intentional when provoking. It is rare to solicit positive contributing reactions when provocation is directed at ones fears and weaknesses rather than one's dreams and strengths.

Discover the promise and potential that lies in every person and organization. Provoke that promise for mutual good. After all, that is what good leadership, mentoring, and coaching is all about.

Bob

(c) copyright 2008
Performance Builders

Performance Matters - Idea #8

Recognize that a professional’s most valuable contribution is their discretionary effort – harness it by providing appropriate challenges, recognition, and reward for effort and performance. Align people with their passions and play to their strengths.

Bob

(c) copyright 2008
Performance Builders