The Echo 3 Principle stresses the importance of doing things the right way to lead to the right results. Seems like a no-brainer, right? Well, actually it is often overlooked. The employee who achieves the “right results” is often allowed tremendous flexibility with methods. The boss will overlook those occasional infractions because, well, they achieve results. Keep in mind that accepting certain behaviors or methods that SHOULD be unacceptable, is building a lousy culture for your organization.
What about the “Right Way Wrong Results” employee? Have you ever dealt with someone like this? This is the person who is kind, caring, and follows all the rules. Everyone likes them. However, they are ineffective. They don’t achieve needed results. The boss may overlook this problem as well because the person is just “so nice.”
Here’s an idea. Take a look at your performance appraisal process. Make some changes so that “right way” and “right results” are clearly outlined. If you want a high performance values based culture, both must be defined and both must be important. The employees you reward and promote, your superstars, should be only those who achieve the right results the right way.
One of the most frustrating aspects of being a manager is dealing with an under performing employee. Often it seems like the easiest thing to do is ignore the situation and have someone else pick up the slack. After all, you’re busy and don’t have the time or patience to deal with these annoying problems. It’s the old problem solving choices of fight or flight. Ignore the problem until you completely lose your patience, then deal with it ineffectively. The bad news is that this problem avoidance tactic is building a culture of low performance and mediocrity in your organization.
Most businesses have their superstar employees. Those are the people who will pick up that slack and do whatever it takes to get the job done right. They are the people who help you reward the low performer for his or her lack of motivation. The low performer can spend time chatting with friends or searching the web knowing that there will be little or no repercussions. The superstar picked up the slack and at the end of the day the tasks were completed and the boss is happy. How long will it take before other’s notice that it’s okay to not work really hard? How long will it take before that superstar employee gets tired of picking up the slack and unexpectedly quits? The easy way out of ignoring the problem is actually not an easy way out at all.
If you have one of these under performing employees, first decide whether they aren’t doing the job because they CAN’T or because they WON’T. Under the category of “can’t” you may have problems such as unclear expectations, insufficient resources, or a lack of knowledge or skill in completing the job at hand. Under the category of “won’t” you may have problems such as being inadvertently rewarded for low performance, or different priorities, or a lack of agreement on how things should be done. As a manager you have to understand why they aren’t meeting expectations before you can resolve the problem. Determining whether you are dealing with “can’t” or “won’t” is a good first step.
Wouldn’t it be great if all employees just came to work excited and motivated to reach important goals? One of the basic building blocks to reaching that highly motivated workforce is to deal with performance problems early. There are only a handful of employees who are naturally motivated no matter the environment. There is another handful that are naturally unmotivated no matter the environment. The vast majority is in the middle and can go either way depending on the culture that you, as the manager, build. What is considered normal and acceptable behavior in your department or business today? What culture are you building?
This article was inspired by a lengthy debate I had with my co-founder, Laura Sita. She won.
JOB ADVERTISEMENT
Title: Team Member
Duties: Must be able to type 90 words per minute, answer all in-coming phone calls, manage large filing system, act as time management coach for our CEO, serve as a member of the Executive Committee for Marketing Strategy, and any other talent you can bring to the table.
Just for a moment, toss aside your preconceived notions of typical job titles, job descriptions, and hierarchical boxes on the organization chart. It is not that far-fetched to think that an organization might have the exact list of needs as described in the job description above. Yet we probably would not advertise a job such as this because, well, it just doesn’t fit a standard job title. What box would this job fit into? Would it be low on the totem pole due to the typing and filing? Would it be right next to the CEO as an assistant? Would it get buried somewhere in the middle of the marketing department?
While you might not advertise a job exactly as listed above, this particular set of duties could easily evolve in the right organizational culture. First we must be willing to accept the notion that there are superstar talents hidden within employees at all levels of the organization. These talents go untapped simply because they do not fit within the person’s assigned role. It would make more sense to be flexible and remember that job descriptions are not written in stone. They should not prevent talents and skills from shining through.
Imagine a person who has just one very strong talent. Perhaps it is coaching. Talking to his prior supervisors reveals many complaints: doesn't understand marketing tactics, disorganized, doesn't understand technology, etc. These shortcomings will keep this talented coach from rising in the hierarchy of the organization. His single superstar talent doesn’t fit the needs of a complete box on the organization chart. Never mind that this person gets people to move forward with innovative ideas. Never mind that he puts enthusiasm into the team and creates success through his unique coaching ability. We are willing to pay for a laundry list of mediocre talents but not for someone with a single superstar talent simply because it doesn’t fit all of the needs of a standard job title.
Too often, job titles, standard job descriptions, and our own preconceived notions are obstacles that get in the way of the free flow of communication and ideas. With these obstacles in place you may never know that the best winning sales strategy lies in the imagination of your graphic artist. You may never know that your annual conference could be twice the success if you tapped into the event planning talents of your accountant. We are in an age of creativity and innovation. Successful companies are finding out that rigid bureaucracies, three levels of approvals, and ignoring ideas that don’t come from the right box are not on the path to sustainable success. Our old approach creates waste; talents untapped and opportunities lost. We can no longer turn away talent because it doesn’t fit our mold.
There are many ways to identify the talent pool within an organization. Surveys might be helpful but generally we have to witness talents first hand to truly appreciate someone’s capabilities. Providing opportunity is the key. Open up the lines of communication and create networks rather than organization charts. Invite employees from all levels and departments to offer ideas and assist with projects. Talents can also be identified by listening to your team, through interviews, and by talking to managers who pay close attention to their employees.
The talents within your company, no matter who has them, are your greatest competitive edge. Successful businesses must have continual and easy access to the talents and knowledge needed given the problem they are trying to solve or the opportunity they are trying to create. Be willing to rewrite job descriptions, to create
communication networks, and to view everyone as an equal and important part of the team.
I have worked in human resources for many years and am fully aware of the challenges this new way of thinking creates. How do we compensate people that don’t fit in a neat little box? How do we benchmark their position against the rest of the industry? Who would they report to and how would you measure success? These are not insurmountable problems, especially considering the benefits to both individuals and organizations in doing a much better job of utilizing talents in the workforce. Research has clearly tied motivation and productivity with employees being allowed and encouraged to do what they do the best. Your business will be able to adapt faster, be the first with innovative ideas, and will benefit from the improved performance of a motivated workforce.
Take a close look at your team or department or company as a whole. What talents are you ignoring simply because they aren’t paired up with another important talent? Whose ideas are you ignoring because they aren’t high enough on the organization chart? Great managers do not have all the answers; but they do know where to find those answers.
Toss aside that organization chart, ignore job titles, and search for talent. You may be surprised at what you find.
As a business owner, manager, or team leader, you are expected to stay motivated and set a positive example for those working for and with you. What happens however, when your motivation and attitude take a nose dive? It’s impossible to stay upbeat 100% of the time. We all have bad days. Missed deadlines, stress, unhappy customers, set-backs and people not pulling their weight are just a few of the problems dealt with on a regular basis. However, if you’re leading a team, you better be really good at picking yourself up, dusting off, and moving forward. You cannot stay down for long or you might just pull the business with you.
Here’s another worthwhile saying; “Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.” We are responsible for our own attitudes. One thing I find helpful is to look beyond the problems of the day and keep my eye on the bigger picture. Why did I go into business for myself anyway? If my reason was to not have to answer to anyone but myself, or to make lots of money, or to work less, I’d better think again. I need a bigger reason. I need a purpose, a passion, a drive to improve or change something. I must fully believe in my products and services. I am more likely to achieve financial success if I’m working to make some difference in the world rather than only to make money. The money will follow.
This is not to say that extrinsic motivators, like making money, are not helpful. Just take a look at Howard Schultz who grew Starbucks from four stores to the world wide company it is today. He once had a goal of building 2,000 stores by the year 2000. (He beat that goal by a long shot.) This is obviously a financial type of goal; an extrinsic goal. Yet Schultz had intrinsic motivators working as well. Schultz was quoted on many occasions as saying that his vision for Starbucks was to become a national company with values and guiding principles that employees could be proud of. He wanted Starbucks to become the most respected brand name in coffee and for the company to be admired for its corporate responsibility. Along the company’s route to success he offered employee benefits and incentives unheard of in most businesses and started many foundations to support worthwhile causes.
So, are you having a bad day? Get over it quick! The costs of a bad attitude are just too high. Read a motivational book. Spend a day relaxing and thinking and talking to someone you trust. Take a day or two to learn something new that might help you with your current setback. Then, get up, find your motivation, and keep moving forward. Think strategically and make your vision a reality one small step at a time.
I’ve listed below a few websites with helpful advice and resources for small business owners.
Is YOUR company innovative? We hear more and more about this topic because today the world changes more in a year than it used to change in 50 years. Technology, medical advances, communication, science and other areas are developing at exponential rates. It used to be that being creative and innovative helped your business stand out from the rest. Now it is the difference between surviving or getting run over.
Given our poor economy, many businesses prefer to look for quick solutions, low risk solutions, or the “low hanging fruit.” Leaders become risk averse. I read a great book related to this topic, “Blue Ocean Strategy” by Kim and Mauborgne. The authors contend that too many industries compete in over-crowded territory. The key is to find uncontested market space and make the competition irrelevant. Think about all the huge corporations today that didn’t even exist 20 years ago. Cell phones, social networking, Ipods, and a long list of other once innovative thoughts have changed the way we live and communicate. Innovation is about seeing the opportunities in a problem rather than just the obstacles. Are bookstores going out of business? Not if they think outside the box, find opportunities, and change the way they do business. “We’ve always done it this way” just doesn’t cut it anymore.
What's your strategy and goal for your business, school or association over the next 3 to five years? How do you want to be positioned in the marketplace? Are you paying attention to the trends in your industry, the met and unmet needs in your customer base?
Begin by encouraging new ideas and thoughts from all employees; then act on the best of those ideas. Hold a brainstorming session, evaluate the ideas, then put plans in place to turn the best ideas into action.
You can find Blue Ocean Strategy on www.amazon.com.
What about the “Right Way Wrong Results” employee? Have you ever dealt with someone like this? This is the person who is kind, caring, and follows all the rules. Everyone likes them. However, they are ineffective. They don’t achieve needed results. The boss may overlook this problem as well because the person is just “so nice.” 
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