06 Sep How Do You Boost Employee Performance?
As business owners, we’re almost wired to assume that more money, a more prestigious title, or even more praise are enough for an employee to want to perform at their best. However, the reality is, there are often many more factors at play that can explain their lack of performance and what you should do about it.
Can they do the job that you want them to do? Oftentimes, we delegate tasks or assign roles to employees without giving them the proper tools and training they need to execute. For example, if someone hired me today to run a nuclear power plant, I am in no position to be able to execute. I don’t have the training, the expertise, or know how to use the tools at my disposal to get the job done. It isn’t that I am not capable, I just wouldn’t have the basic skills I need to be successful. So, it is important to truly reflect and consider if the employee has the support or resources they need to perform. If the answer is no, get them training and see if things improve.
Are they willing to do the job? Now we are addressing employees that have the resources to perform but choose not to. Perhaps they think the role is “beneath” them, or they otherwise are demotivated to want to perform. For example, I can walk a dog, but I am not willing to do it for a living as my sole source of income. I have interests and talents in other areas that bring me more fulfillment that I am willing to do. Figure out if the position is truly aligned with their interests or strengths. If it isn’t then re-assigning them to a role that is more in line with what they enjoy doing could be a viable option.
Are they excited to do the work? To grow your business, you want highly motivated and talented people on your teams who are able to execute and always on a high level. This type of peak performance is very hard to achieve unless you are dedicated and excited about your work. I have had employees who were more than capable, had amazing credentials and experience, but were not motivated by the work they were doing and it showed – in a big way. Your energy, your employees’ energy, and your team’s’ energy feed off of each other. You want excited people in your business to help drive each other to want to do more and see the business succeed.
At the end of the day, if you’ve offered training, moved an employee to a new position, and otherwise did everything you could to help improve their performance, and they still cannot execute, then it is time to cut ties. Underperforming, demotivated and incapable employees are huge anchors on your business and will inevitably slow you down. It is okay to cut ties if it is in the best interest of your business.
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