The Topic That Will Not Go Away – Employee Performance
By Liz Cosline
One of the most recurring topics discussed in the business community is that of the problematic performance of the frontline employees and the frontline manager. It is no wonder that this topic is all-consuming. After all, the frontline employees interact with the customer, and project the image of the company.
Every business depends heavily on this group for its success. But for as long as I can remember, this topic is the one that never goes away.
As with any problem, identifying it accurately is the first step to finding a resolution. So, what is this entrenched and defiant issue? We've heard about uncommitted and disengaged employees and the billions of dollars in cost to the economy. We know that committed and engaged employees are the answer. We also know that the frontline manager somehow holds the key. Have you ever had a key that easily went into a lock, but would not turn it? That is where many frontline managers are right now.
Why is it that frontline managers are not succeeding in turning the key? What does it take to motivate a frontline team to excel? Frontline employees represent the highest cost for the company, but also have the potential for the highest return on investment. It would make sense then, to invest in these employees. Savvy business leaders understand this, but the "how" eludes many, in spite of billions of dollars in annual spending on manager training.
The frontline manager must engage the frontline employees so that they engage the customer. This comes about through conveying the message that the frontline employees have value. The frontline manager is the primary messenger. This is the key that many managers are not turning. The reason for this failure lies in how we train the frontline managers, training content, and what we expect them to do as managers.
The relationship between a manager and the team is one of the core elements impacting team performance. If this relationship is built on tasks, such as "be nice, be respectful, be helpful, be considerate" the team will fail to thrive. Instead, the manager must build the relationship first and foremost through a mindset of belief in the team, followed closely by performance expectation and support of employee thinking and involvement.
What is the secret to releasing the potential of the frontline manager so that they can elicit top performance from their teams? It is training them in ways that enable them to internalize and apply concepts and methodologies so that the practice of these becomes habitual, consistent, and effective.
This kind of training is not compatible with the current model which usually involves sending a manager away to a training session for a week or two. Much can be learned in such sessions, but the retention and practice rate is only 10-30%. Or, said a different way, no matter what is learned, at the most 70% of practice back at the work place will remain the same as before training.
From this scenario, there cannot be much hope for the fundamental and long-term change in frontline performance that CEO's are looking for. We must shift the focus of frontline manager training, and then support the managers in the process of fielding and applying the training. Above all, such training must be primarily focused on developing the mindset that will inspire frontline employees with the drive, the will, the wish, the want for accomplishment and then release them to accomplish this.
Liz Cosline
Ownership Coach and Team Enhancer – coaching people to the success of their goals and dreams. Emphasis on frontline management and employees.
http://songofoneunexpectedlife.info
Http://fromthefrontmanagement.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6339540
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I enjoyed this article. If you want excellence in a role, it must be rewarded. Broad-banding pay structures where call center agents (for example) who are top performers are compensated above a novice or mediocre manager are needed. Otherwise, you will continue to have high turnover. The most talented must be rewarded financially and with "meaningful" praise/recognition from the company. Otherwise, they will eventually be looking for somewhere else to work. Another way to reward excellence is an expanded role as "resident expert". in an area. For example, a top call center agent could help review/write scripts for clients, provide feedback etc. They could still use their speaking talents but have an expanded role. I also feel top performers must be placed with other top performers. You can't put them in with low performers. That drags the best people down. Gallup has data on this type of situation. In a similar vein, you don't want to take a top manager who is doing well and put this person in "a low performing situation." All this seems to do is ruin the top manager – brings em' down. Finally, top performers want to compete and have their performance measured against other top performers – and have it posted or recognized publicly! You may have to go company-wide and have the top performers compete against each other.