 I moved from working in my business to working on my business!
Jim White, Founder Savor Dallas http://www.savordallas.com |
 I found a community of business leaders who make being in business a lot more fun and less lonely.
Jeannine Sandstrom, CEO CoachWorks International, Inc. http://www.coachworks.com |
 I now have a place to be open about my business success and future challenges.
Debbie Mrazek, CEO The Sales Company Author The Field Guide to Sales http://www.the-sales-company.com |
Posts Tagged ‘supervisor’
Hi all-
Happy Memorial Day! I hope you are feeling immense gratitude if you are a stateside reader of Marketing Mojo, and for those of you around the world, this is the USA’S day to celebrate those who have died in the line of service.
While many of us feel grateful for our freedom and for the many people who do serve in jobs many of us can’t even imagine doing, this is a day to really celebrate those brave souls who protect us day in and day out.
My step dad is a retired National Guard supervisor. He has served over the years in various deployments and I know how it can feel to have a loved one away from home on a mission for our country.
I wish all of you a peaceful day today, and for those of you who have lost a loved one, know that our prayers are with you.
Hugs-
Tina
P.S. Increasing an Attitude for Gratitude – When you feel yourself getting upset or down because of something you don’t like, don’t want to do, etc. Just remember it is temporary, and then look for the good in it.
Written By Work911
The responsive manager tends to succeed by building bonds of respect and trust with those around him/her. Staff respond positively to responsive managers; they work more diligently, work to help the manager and the organization succeed, and will go the extra mile when necessary. That is because responsive managers act consistent with the principle that their jobs are to help their staff do their jobs. So, a basic inter-dependence emerges based on behaviors that show concern, respect and trust.
Responsive managers also influence those above them in the hierarchy. Because responsive managers have the ability to read and act upon the needs of their “bosses”, they are perceived as helpful and reliable, or in a simple way, very useful. This allows them to get the “ear” of people above them in the system, and further helps get things done when needed.
Contrast this with the limited influence of the Unresponsive manager. The unresponsive manager is restricted in influence because those around him/her do not respect or trust them to look out for their welfare. Influence is more limited to the use of power coming from the formal position, and fear, a motivational component that is hard to sustain over time. Unresponsive managers tend to be perceived as self-interested, or at best uninterested in the needs of those around them. They also tend to be perceived by those above them as less reliable and less useful due to their focus on empire building, organization protection, and self-interest, rather than getting done what needs to be done.
2 Key traits of a Responsive Manager
- Able to put aside personal concerns to listen to those around them. As a result, they know what is going on, and know what is both said, and said between the lines. They have the knack of appearing to know what people need even if those needs are not expressed directly.
- Acts upon knowledge, attempting to help fulfil the needs of employees, superiors, etc. Responsive managers wield influence to solve problems for those around them, often before even being asked.
Example:
An employee had been working for a government branch for about a year, having moved to the city as a new resident. In a casual conversation, the supervisor noted that the employee wasn’t looking his or her best, and asked how he\she was feeling. The employee explained that he\she hadn’t been feeling well lately, and sounded very tired and overwhelmed. The supervisor determined that the staff member didn’t have a local family doctor, asked if he\she would like the Human Resources supervisor to help arrange an appointment, and then proceeded to do so immediately. The problem turned out to be a minor one.
In this example the supervisor was able to identify that the staff member was in need of some help, despite the fact that the staff member did not state this explicitly. Note that the supervisor didn’t pressure the staff member to go to the doctor, but identified needs, checked them out, and then acted upon them. In this case, help consisted of direct, helpful action.
2 Questions to Always Consider as a Manager
1. If you are a manager or supervisor, how can you modify your own behaviors so that you become and are perceived as more responsive by
- your staff
- your boss
- your customers
2. What is your definition of a “responsive employee”? Can you identify your “favorite employees”, and how they are responsive to you?
Written by David Bellm
Most job seekers look to join quality organizations with great reputations. But ultimately it’s the quality of your direct supervisor that matters. Here are some important insights on why you should shop for a boss more than a company…
Common job search wisdom puts tremendous emphasis on picking top-flight companies with stellar potential and tremendous compensation potential. But all-too-many job seekers have followed that advice, taken up with a supposedly great company, and found that the job is almost unbearable.
How can this be? It’s a terrific company, with supposedly all the earmarks of the ideal place to work. The answer lies in the fact that the idea of seeking a great company is simplistic. You are, in fact, seeking a great boss. And sometimes such star supervisors can be found in the most mediocre organizations. Here are some things to think about when choosing a boss to work for.
Every great company has its losers
No matter how highly rated an organization is, there are always some not-so-hot people that slip through the cracks. Chances are they were hired by another similarly mediocre-performing exception in the company – people often seek their own traits when choosing potential employees. What’s more, what might make the person a bad boss might not be the criteria they were interviewed for to begin with. Many potential managers are unfortunately rated more on their operational and technical experience than any sort of people skills they possess. If nothing else, a great company’s “bad egg” might have been pretty good at the job he was hired for, and then promoted past his abilities.
Seek a true collaborator
Ideally, you’re looking for someone with whom you have great chemistry. Like any relationship, the signs are usually there from the beginning. Do you feel as though you genuinely like this person? Could you imagine enjoying time with this person even if you weren’t working together? Most people feel the signs of these things in their gut, but ignore such intuitive indicators. Don’t – you could be sorry later.
Ask the tough questions
Beyond your own gut feeling about a potential supervisor, ask questions that really matter. Use behavioral questions to find out the real nature of how he manages. Probe to determine how he sees his role as a supervisor. And seek information on what the person sees as his career path. It would after all, be a real letdown to team up with a great boss, only for him to hit the road and leave after a couple months.
Build a traveling team
The ideal in looking for a great boss is to find one you collaborate so well with that your careers become intertwined for mutual benefit. This is the ultimate form of synergy, in which two people form a sort of “traveling team.” In such an arrangement, when one person moves up and leaves the company, he immediately seeks to bring the other along, using the combined power of the duo’s abilities and reputation to propel both people ever higher.
When was the last time one of your employees told you he or she had an effective performance review? While this may be a rhetorical question, it’s a valid one given today’s volatile business climate and the need to receive consistent feedback on performance.
Today, a direct manager’s or supervisor’s review of an employee may, indeed, not be enough to adequately provide the employee with enough information. One of the trends occurring in business is the “skip-level” review. Also known as “360-degree feedback,” employees are reviewed by their manager or direct report’s manager, employee peers and even subordinates.
There are many benefits to this process. For the individual, perception is reality and the skip-level process helps workers understand how others perceive them. While many may tell each other day-in, day-out how they feel, getting these thoughts on paper in a stylized, confidential process is a completely different matter. The individual also benefits because feedback is essential for learning, and individuals can better manage their own performance and careers.
Maintaining a skip-level review also benefits the “team” by increasing communications among and between team members, and supports the teamwork process by involving everyone in developing the appraisal methodology. Organizations, too, benefit by promoting better career development for employees, improving customer service by having customers contribute to evaluations, and directing the training process.
A national human resources consulting firm quantified the reasons for skip-level reviews. According to a recent survey, HR managers said that 360-degree feedback is being used for management and organizational development (58 percent), performance appraisal (25 percent), supporting strategic implementation and culture change (20 percent), and team development (19 percent).
Naturally, there are a variety of methods to gather data by using paper-based forms, diskettes or other storage, through an electronic network or by interviews. Scoring can be conducted on-site or through central scoring by an external vendor.
One, burning question is the frequency of the review – how often should the review be conducted? While annual performance appraisals usually suffice, skip-level reviews may be done more often. Since employees need time to make the changes proposed on the last set of reviews – and because it takes some time for others to perceive that change has taken place – six-month intervals make sense. This time frame allows people to create change, and then get feedback on their progress so that they can develop next-level goals and action plans. However, some organizations prefer to conduct surveys of just 10 to 15 questions, focusing on a specific topic. These smaller-size reviews are done monthly in conjunction with training on that certain topic.
Next comes the matter of whom should be the reviewer(s). The method in which organizations set the criteria for this important step could make or break the review depending on a variety of circumstances. For example, the length of time the respondent knows the subject is important, as is the amount of contact. You also may want to choose reviewers who understand what the subject does, as well as some who work well with the subject and some who do not.
After the review is conducted, the subject is the only person who gets a copy of the report. The manager gets group and organizational data, but no individual information. While giving the data could increase accountability and enable the manager to quantifiably track progress, there are a variety of pitfalls to giving the manager a copy of the report. Here are a few examples:
- People will fear the process.
- Feedback comments will not be as constructive.
- Scores may be higher.
- Data can become a weapon, not a development tool.
- The manager may lack the ability to interpret the data appropriately.
- The manager may reprimand the employee for not doing well.
Another consideration in skip-level reviews is whether feedback should be linked to performance appraisals. While skip-level reviews or 360-degree feedback and performance appraisals can be complementary, they should not be linked. If 360 is linked to compensation decisions, it loses its power as a development tool. With compensation as the outcome, individuals quickly will learn how to play the game, a.k.a., “I’ll scratch your back if you scratch mine.”
If ratings are lower than expected, morale can decrease when the review is linked to performance appraisal. However, when low scores are used purely for development, the scores tend to be viewed as constructive feedback. Be sure that team members are coached on the rating scale so feedback is consistent across the board.
Introducing skip-level reviews to a potentially resistant organization isn’t insurmountable. First, start at the top and conduct a pilot. Directly address, up front, the issues that are at the source of the resistance, and focus on the benefits for the individual or group. When possible, use an external consultant to minimize fears of confidentiality and inappropriate data usage.
Are skip-level reviews ever inappropriate? In some cases, yes. For example, if the person receiving feedback is too new to the group or organization, there probably aren’t enough respondents who truly understand the full scope of the individual’s responsibilities. In addition, during a time of major change like a merger or acquisition, skip-level review may not be very effective because the staff is focused on other, more important, efforts. An environment with a high degree of mistrust is a red flag that also would inhibit the process.
Skip-level reviews or 360-degree feedback can be a cost-effective, measurable method to the appraisal process.