 |
 |
|
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
"You mean that deadline was real?" Zachary is VP of Product Development for Acme Software, Inc, and he leads a team of 45 project managers, business analysts and programmers that is notorious -- for missing delivery dates and for delivering quality-challenged products. Acme's CEO told Zachary at the end of last year that he had to improve the timeliness of his department's work, so he implemented a Performance Management Process. But three quarters into the new year, the on-time delivery rate was unchanged (at a dismal 60%) and quality issues persisted. No one person or issue was the problem - the delays were across the team and frequently beyond the control of the team. The CEO wanted heads to roll; Zachary knew that his head would likely be first. |
By merely telling the staff what to do, you manage the process but not the people. The people are the key to success. The lack of communication between Zachary and his team almost cost Zachary his job. Through personal soul searching and in-depth questioning, Zachary realized that his team really did have the answer to improved productivity. The return on investment was 432% |
|
PowerStep Small steps for today that power big change When email relationships at work become stressful, it is with good reason.
Experts say that only 7% of in-person communication occurs through the words actually spoken.
55% is from body language. 38% is through tone of voice.
Email falls woefully short because it is one-dimensional. In spite of the "reply" option, communication is often one-way. Replies to emails provide editing instead of discussion, fine-tuning instead of feedback.
Nancy communicated with her team by email as a matter of process. She always wanted feedback and input, and asked for it in every email. But she seldom received any response. James was a valued member of her team, known for his reliability and quality of work. But his emails he often seemed aloof and dispassionate.
One Monday, Nancy had prepared her usual email requesting feedback about an important new project. She really wanted to generate some enthusiasm about the project, so she decided to go see James first.
As she asked his opinion, she received concise, short answers -- as usual. Then she asked “What would you do to ensure the success of this project?”
She was amazed at his response. His face lit up, and he suggested a kick-off strategy for the project - complete with an idea to having a contest to name the project.
Suddenly Nancy saw a whole new dimension to the project -- internal promotion! And she had never seen that level of enthusiasm from James before.
This week, before you send out a group email that's business as usual, go out of your way to get feedback from another person - in person or by phone. That personal contact will allow you to hear -- and possibly see -- responses that would be lost by using email.
When you take the time to make a personal connection, it could open new dimensions in your success. | |
|
The Power of the People In their book “The Enthusiastic Employee: How Companies Profit by Giving Workers What they Want, ” David Sirota, Louis A. Mischkind and Michael Irwin Meltzer correlate superior financial performance with high employee morale. That shifts the focus on building a highly motivated, enthusiastic workforce away from a "feel good" initiative toward it's rightful place as a competitive profitability strategy. Can enthusiastic employees reall spell the difference between profit and loss? | |
 | |
 top |
previous page |
 email page |
 print
|
| |
