The High-Performance Formula
The Drake Equation is as follows N=RxFpNeFeFiFcL. It predicts how many planets are like earth in the known universe. There are other formulas in science, like e=mc₂ or A=1/2BxH. You can count on their authenticity.
Here’s a simple management formula for creating a high-performance environment, where employees want to do a good job and routinely go the extra mile. You can count on it.
HP=CE(C+M+E)
High Performance = Clear Expectations x
(Competence + Motivation + Environment)
High Performance
High performance means exceeding company goals and raising the standards for results. It also means finding ways to become consistently better. Eventually, it creates new potential boundaries and redefines what is really possible. Excellent supervisors inspire people to achieve high performance and to sustain it. They also create a climate where employees want to excel. Good supervision requires paying attention to their competence, their motivation, and the environment of the workplace.
Clear Expectations
Planning begins with establishing goals. You need to get these clarified to build a foundation of positive results. It is important both for you to know what is expected of you and for your employees to know what is expected of them.
Competence
Competence refers to the employee’s job-related skills and knowledge. In any profession, the best performance continually practice and train to get better. A concert pianist puts in countless hours to play with effortless grace. Professional baseball players prepare in the winter and during the spring training for the regular season and continue to practice before games throughout the year.
To compete today, supervisors need to educate and train their employees. We agree that companies should hire competent people first, but then you need to keep them learning. This is especially important if you can’t always attract or afford the best talent. “World-class” training is usually equal to about 5% of your payroll budget. You might not have that kind of budget or a training department, but you don’t really need it. Practically speaking; if you do on-the-job training and cross-train people for different jobs, and you do monthly training on procedures, safety, communication, customer service, quality, or product information, you will increase the skill and knowledge of your team. It’s not always about teaching people new things-it’s also about fine-tuning their current skills. In Fortune magazine’s lists of the best companies to work for, the top 10 companies consistently provide an average of 50-60 hours training per employee per year.
Motivation
Motivation is the employee’s willingness and desire to do the job. Most people have this to a certain degree because they at least want a paycheck. Although they might like the job, they aren’t doing it for free. The work and the income create the motivation to do the job.
But that’s not enough today. Business is tough and competitive. We need stellar performances. How do you get people to go the extra mile routinely? Supervisors need highly productive people. How do you get them to come to work because they enjoy it? How do you get them to want to do the job better and better? What motivates people, really? Here’s a thought: Which employee will perform better-the one you consistently build up or the one you verbally beat up?
Poor supervisors have a distorted view of their role in employee motivation. As you know, the airline industry has faced challenging times. Many blame it on high gas priced and 9/11. Southwest Airlines has prospered despite this tough environment. Why? They have cultivated better relationships with employees and customers than their competitors have. Southwest employees want to come to work, and they are the most productive in the industry. Southwest hires carefully, trains for excellence, gives plenty of recognition, and creates a fun, dynamic workplace. Southwest employees are among the leaders in productivity in the airline industry.
The other airlines have poorer relationships with employees and customers. One large airline has this unspoken philosophy for employees: leave your brains at the door! Not surprisingly, this airline has been in bankruptcy, and management continually has contentious relationships with employees and the union. Less effective supervisors destroy employee commitment and the desire to excel. Their employees come to work for the paycheck. They just go through the motions on the job and they can’t wait to go home. Many start looking for a better job. Unfortunately, some supervisors are oblivious to this employee condition.
Complete the exercise on the Ten Signs of Poor Supervisory Practices.
TEN SIGNS OF POOR SUPERVISORY PRACTICES
Check the conditions you have seen in companies. Add two more from your own experience. Make a commitment to do better than this.
___1. High turnover
___2. Poor quality or customer service
___3. Poor productivity
___4. Above-average absenteeism
___5. Above-average sick days
___6. More grievances
___7. Excessive employee conflict
___8. More workers’ compensation issues
___9. Inconsistent results
___10. Few new ideas from employees
___11. Other:_______________________
___12. Other: _______________________
Environment
This issue is all about the work environment. Is it supportive or not? Excellent supervisors are supportive; others aren’t. A supportive environment involves:
- A positive atmosphere, not a negative one
- Clear goals, not vague directions
- Listening, not telling or yelling
- Recognition, not conflict
- Social activities, not isolation
- Innovation, not the same old thing
- Continuous improvement, not “my way or the highway”
- Integrity, not disreputable practices
- Fun and challenging work, not boring and routine work
All good performance begins with clear goals and plans, for both you and your employees. All supervisors need to be crystal clear on three things to succeed:
- What are the critical success factors-key goals-in my job? And what does a good job look like?
- What resources-people, equipment, money-do I have to get the job done?
- What are my plans to succeed? How will I do this well in the short term and get even better in the long term?
You start by focusing on your team goals and then drill down to individual employees and their responsibilities and expectations.
Next we will be discussing Team Goals and Planning……………….
