The workplace environment is evolving and so do businesses need to evolve their style of operations and management, and reinvent their performance management. Forward-thinking companies see through the lenses and are beginning to see why it is expedient and important to foster performance management.
Days are gone when you used to hear an employee call their boss “Sir”, now you hear a worker call their manager “Tim”. Why? Because business is personal, and there is need for social connections. Managers don’t want to create fear or distant themselves from other workers.
Social connections can help improve performance in the workplace.
The performance of a business is founded on many elements and the pillars are workforce, technology, leadership, and innovation. Businesses need to devise strategies that will help them enhance their performance including productivity, cost-saving, efficiency, profitability, and growth.
The performance of a business is founded on many elements and the pillars are workforce, technology, leadership, and innovation. Businesses need to devise strategies that will help them enhance their performance including productivity, cost-saving, efficiency, profitability, and growth.
If you want to step up your business performance, you need to focus on building a strong connection within the workforce. You need to innovate, approach workers as a coach, build trust with employees, encourage employees to engage in their own success, and foster human connections in the workplace.
1. Build Trust With Employees
Trust is considered the heart of effective performance management. If you want to build trust with employees, you have to cultivate a culture of positivity and authenticity. Make your employees feel safe by engaging them. Encourage the employees to give feedback and be open to receiving them. Building a foundation of trust allows employees to deliver to your expectations; it builds courage in the workers.
1. Build Trust With Employees
Trust is considered the heart of effective performance management. If you want to build trust with employees, you have to cultivate a culture of positivity and authenticity. Make your employees feel safe by engaging them. Encourage the employees to give feedback and be open to receiving them. Building a foundation of trust allows employees to deliver to your expectations; it builds courage in the workers.
Many people even workers don’t like giving feedback - they fear that they will be judged by what they say and this robes away their determination.
For instance, if you are in a workplace where there is a culture of judgment and retribution, would you want to talk about challenging you are facing or things that are causing failure in performance? Probably not!
You may have a solution to a problem, but you don’t want to voice it out because you are afraid that it may managers won’t welcome it. Managers need to develop a new mindset that leans toward feedback focused on growth and development. And feedback here is two way. This way, it allows the employees to be more open as well as honest about the issues and challenges they face. It gives them will power.
For instance, if you are in a workplace where there is a culture of judgment and retribution, would you want to talk about challenging you are facing or things that are causing failure in performance? Probably not!
You may have a solution to a problem, but you don’t want to voice it out because you are afraid that it may managers won’t welcome it. Managers need to develop a new mindset that leans toward feedback focused on growth and development. And feedback here is two way. This way, it allows the employees to be more open as well as honest about the issues and challenges they face. It gives them will power.
As a manager, you also increase the chances that your employees are going to receive the feedback favorably since they appreciate it comes from a place of encouragement, trust, and honesty rather than a place of reprisal and judgment.
In the workplace, managers have the opportunity to nurture conditions for success as well as model the behaviors that encourage a culture of feedback. You need to create an environment that promotes partnership and not hierarchy in the workplace. You need to nurture an environment that builds fortitude.
When utilized properly, feedbacks can become positive, energizing, and productive interactions that employees what to engage in without feeling anxious and stressed.
2. Approach Employees as a Coach
Managers need to see themselves as coaches of employees and not “police officers” who are out to look for mistakes. This helps improve the performance of the workers over time.
In the workplace, managers have the opportunity to nurture conditions for success as well as model the behaviors that encourage a culture of feedback. You need to create an environment that promotes partnership and not hierarchy in the workplace. You need to nurture an environment that builds fortitude.
When utilized properly, feedbacks can become positive, energizing, and productive interactions that employees what to engage in without feeling anxious and stressed.
2. Approach Employees as a Coach
Managers need to see themselves as coaches of employees and not “police officers” who are out to look for mistakes. This helps improve the performance of the workers over time.
Instead of spending more time directing, evaluating, and trying to prove the contribution of workers, as a manager or business owner, try to teach or coach your employees. Coach them about teamwork and bonding. Build structures and systems that foster employees’ cohesiveness.
Let workers realize that you are there to help them and not to oversee what they are doing. You need to approach conversations of employees with curiosity and humility. While you may be the leader, you may not know everything and if you are going to take the “know-it-all” approach, it will disorientate the workforce.
Let workers realize that you are there to help them and not to oversee what they are doing. You need to approach conversations of employees with curiosity and humility. While you may be the leader, you may not know everything and if you are going to take the “know-it-all” approach, it will disorientate the workforce.
Consider taking the “learn-it-all” approach and learn from the workers. You may be surprised that your employees have talents and innovations which are hidden within and which can go a long way in enhancing the performance of your business. Assume the individual closest to a particular action may know a couple of things you actually don’t. They may even have an idea of what might happen next.
Let the individuals interact and collaborate and be there to guide them. That’s the concept of co-workers – where people in an environment who see “what”, “where”, “how”, or “when” work is done – are able to provide a deeper insight into the work and performance of the employees than you the manager can.
3. Empower Your Employees – Technology and Social Connections
Equip employees with technologies and tools they need to perform their duties. Businesses need to invest in technologies that streamline processes. Think of tools like customer relationship management (CRM) – it helps employees to manage the company’s relationships as well as interactions with customers. The aim of CRM is to improve business relationships.
Let the individuals interact and collaborate and be there to guide them. That’s the concept of co-workers – where people in an environment who see “what”, “where”, “how”, or “when” work is done – are able to provide a deeper insight into the work and performance of the employees than you the manager can.
3. Empower Your Employees – Technology and Social Connections
Equip employees with technologies and tools they need to perform their duties. Businesses need to invest in technologies that streamline processes. Think of tools like customer relationship management (CRM) – it helps employees to manage the company’s relationships as well as interactions with customers. The aim of CRM is to improve business relationships.
It helps companies to connect with customers and streamline processes as well as improve profitability. Employees are empowered when they have these tools because it allows them to learn and understand the behavior and needs of the customers. The workers can meet customer needs and demands and enhance their experience with the brand.
When a worker is left to ponder on their own to discover what customers want without being given the necessary tools, it becomes a big challenge. The worker feels that they are doing too much for so little. However, when you give them the tools, they make the employee’s work easier and he or she can begin to be innovative. In the end, you have happy customers and happy employees.
Encourage workers to engage proactively in conversations regarding their real-time work as well as priorities. It helps empower them to nurture and own their growth and development which also mirrors itself in workplace performance.
Besides, businesses need to create an environment that encourages social interactions in the workplace. Building trust and encouraging social connections within the workplace not only makes the individuals feel happier, but also they develop a sense of support. They have less stress something that allows them to be more productive and healthier meaning they will unlikely take sick leaves.
There are many ways you can build social or human connections – you can give the teams a compelling purpose. Make the workers work with purpose, let them have something they can buy into so as to instill a strong sense of belonging to the company. You don’t want to create a situation where employees are dedicating their time, effort, will power, and talents to work, however, their heart maybe isn’t in that work.
Arrange for face-to-face meetings with the teams to help improve open communication. This helps build trust. Face-to-face meetings enable managers to connect with the workers, share information, and become aware of issues that might be developing. Here, the manager and the teams can resolve the issues swiftly.
When a worker is left to ponder on their own to discover what customers want without being given the necessary tools, it becomes a big challenge. The worker feels that they are doing too much for so little. However, when you give them the tools, they make the employee’s work easier and he or she can begin to be innovative. In the end, you have happy customers and happy employees.
Encourage workers to engage proactively in conversations regarding their real-time work as well as priorities. It helps empower them to nurture and own their growth and development which also mirrors itself in workplace performance.
Besides, businesses need to create an environment that encourages social interactions in the workplace. Building trust and encouraging social connections within the workplace not only makes the individuals feel happier, but also they develop a sense of support. They have less stress something that allows them to be more productive and healthier meaning they will unlikely take sick leaves.
There are many ways you can build social or human connections – you can give the teams a compelling purpose. Make the workers work with purpose, let them have something they can buy into so as to instill a strong sense of belonging to the company. You don’t want to create a situation where employees are dedicating their time, effort, will power, and talents to work, however, their heart maybe isn’t in that work.
Arrange for face-to-face meetings with the teams to help improve open communication. This helps build trust. Face-to-face meetings enable managers to connect with the workers, share information, and become aware of issues that might be developing. Here, the manager and the teams can resolve the issues swiftly.
Again, you need to create opportunities to allow team bonding. When it comes to team bonding, you can cultivate it by encouraging the employees to participate in team-building activities or socialize after a meeting.
4. Innovate Your Business
Innovation is important for business success. Today, the business world is very competitive and unless a business brings in new ideas, strategies, technologies, processes, working styles, and other innovations, it can be a huge challenge for the entity to succeed. There are no hard-lined rules when it comes to innovating.
Many businesses do not know how to innovate and others fear it. They want to remain in the comfort zone – where everything is working as they want.
With the changing customer behavior, technology advancements, and employee demands, there is a need for every business to innovate. Today, you hear of co-working spaces – a business can take advantage of those spaces and encourage or even support their employees to occasionally join them.
4. Innovate Your Business
Innovation is important for business success. Today, the business world is very competitive and unless a business brings in new ideas, strategies, technologies, processes, working styles, and other innovations, it can be a huge challenge for the entity to succeed. There are no hard-lined rules when it comes to innovating.
Many businesses do not know how to innovate and others fear it. They want to remain in the comfort zone – where everything is working as they want.
With the changing customer behavior, technology advancements, and employee demands, there is a need for every business to innovate. Today, you hear of co-working spaces – a business can take advantage of those spaces and encourage or even support their employees to occasionally join them.
Rather than being confined in the office desk, why not take your laptop and head to a co-working space where you identity a like-minded team of people or professionals who are in your line of work.
If you are a marketer, for example, you will find other marketers in the co-working space. If you’re an accountant, you also find accountants there. Interact, share ideas, share challenges, brainstorm, and engage in talks that help sharpen your skills. You can borrow from the talent you find in the co-working space and transfer the skills to your company.
You can also innovate your business by bringing in new technology. While many small business owners may be reluctant in adopting new technology, there is every reason to do it. Think of technologies like Virtual Reality (VR), Mixed Reality (MR), Augmented Reality (AR), and Internet of Things (IoT). These technologies can help your business in different ways.
If you are a marketer, for example, you will find other marketers in the co-working space. If you’re an accountant, you also find accountants there. Interact, share ideas, share challenges, brainstorm, and engage in talks that help sharpen your skills. You can borrow from the talent you find in the co-working space and transfer the skills to your company.
You can also innovate your business by bringing in new technology. While many small business owners may be reluctant in adopting new technology, there is every reason to do it. Think of technologies like Virtual Reality (VR), Mixed Reality (MR), Augmented Reality (AR), and Internet of Things (IoT). These technologies can help your business in different ways.
For example, you can use Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality in marketing and advertising. These technologies help enhance the customer experience. For instance, if you are selling shoes, you can utilize a technology or an app that allows a customer to “wear” and see how the shoe fits even without walking into the store.
5. Take Advantage of Big Data
Today, data is propelling the growth and performance of businesses. Your business needs to garner data, analyze it, and use it to make key decisions that help enhance productivity, sales, cost reduction, and performance. For example, you can collect customers’ data on how they behave when they land on your website or when they are on the shopping cart. You can also use the data to determine what your customers were searching for when they visited your website.
Big data is the big thing for businesses. Just a few years ago, people thought that big data was for the giant companies – the fortune 100 or fortune 500, however, that’s not the case anymore.
Even SMEs need to take advantage of big data. This will help them to compete effectively with the big companies. It will help them understand their customers better and offer what they want. Besides, it helps learn what improvements they need to make on their brand and where they are failing. Also, big data allows businesses to target and find the right people or leads who can easily convert to customers.
Conclusion
The business environment is competitive and for entities to thrive and continue growing, they need to take strategies that enhance performance. Whether it is empowering employees, investing in technology, changing the working style, or encouraging human connections and collaborations in the workplace, businesses should realize that the workplace ecosystem is evolving.
5. Take Advantage of Big Data
Today, data is propelling the growth and performance of businesses. Your business needs to garner data, analyze it, and use it to make key decisions that help enhance productivity, sales, cost reduction, and performance. For example, you can collect customers’ data on how they behave when they land on your website or when they are on the shopping cart. You can also use the data to determine what your customers were searching for when they visited your website.
Big data is the big thing for businesses. Just a few years ago, people thought that big data was for the giant companies – the fortune 100 or fortune 500, however, that’s not the case anymore.
Even SMEs need to take advantage of big data. This will help them to compete effectively with the big companies. It will help them understand their customers better and offer what they want. Besides, it helps learn what improvements they need to make on their brand and where they are failing. Also, big data allows businesses to target and find the right people or leads who can easily convert to customers.
Conclusion
The business environment is competitive and for entities to thrive and continue growing, they need to take strategies that enhance performance. Whether it is empowering employees, investing in technology, changing the working style, or encouraging human connections and collaborations in the workplace, businesses should realize that the workplace ecosystem is evolving.
Also, consumer behavior is changing and business should too evolve in order to meet the customers’ demands.
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