Do you constantly feel like people are not doing what you told them to do? Are you frustrated with the results you are getting from your staff? Do you ever wonder if you are speaking a different language than everyone else? Well….stop doing what you’re doing. I don’t even care what you are doing. It’s time to do something different. When you reach that level of frustration, you have to pause and think about an alternative approach. I’m sure you know the definition of insanity……doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. So stop the madness. Try something else. Here are some tips on how to get your staff into alignment with you and make sure you get the results you want on a daily basis.
#1 – Set a clear expectation. That means it’s clear to your staff, not just to you. How do you know? Ask them to summarize the expectations. It may sound like that would be condescending, but not if you use phrases like, “Let’s make sure we’re all on the same page……” or, “I know sometimes things are clear in my head, but not so much when they come out of my mouth, so someone run through the process as you understand it…..” This lets people know that you are open for questions or clarification before people start running off in different directions.
#2 – Make sure they have what they need. Set your people up for success. Take the time in the beginning to ask open ended questions so they have to think about how they can be successful instead of just yessing you to death. So don’t say, “Are we good?” They will probably say yes, especially if they think that’s what you want to hear or they know you are really busy. Rather ask, “What resources do you think you will need to accomplish this.” “What do you think could stand in the way of accomplishing this?” Let them know that failure is not an option, and that you are there to help.
#3 – Listen. Be prepared to make your staff succeed. That’s your job. They fail; you fail. Check in before it’s too late. Depending on the level of your staff, set reminders for yourself to have a brief touch point meeting to find out if they are experiencing any roadblocks along the way, but let them know that it’s their job to keep you updated. If things are not running according to plan, listen to what your staff has to say with a truly open mind. Help them get back on track, but let them know that the task still needs to be accomplished as discussed. If you need to make adjustments to the deadline, that’s ok, as long as it is not because the staff was not doing their job. If that’s the case, then your problem is not alignment, you need to do some performance management.
Creating alignment takes open and honest two-way communication. You may think you are very approachable, because that is your intent, but are you?
Thoughts…….. Contact me at abbe@TECResourceCenter.com