The Happy Burro

(fourth in a series titled Issues Managers Face in the Workplace)

Employee engagement is a key component of every successful organization. This engagement plays out in performance management: the interaction and connection between employee and manager.

What is one of the best ways to engage your employees? Listen to them. By ‘listen’ I mean to truly be intent on what they are saying, not just formulating a response and waiting for them to be quiet so you can put forth your views and opinions. Listen. This is one of the simplest, most powerful tools you have as a leader of people.

I recently came across an old saying in Mark Goulston’s article at FastCompany.com:

________________________

“You paid for my hands. You got my brain for free.”
________________________

I had first heard this saying years ago and used in a slightly different way. I worked in operations at a small investment firm in St. Paul and overheard one of the sales managers telling a new salesperson, “Hey, just make the calls. I’m paying for your hands, not your brain.” I like Mark’s view better.

Innovation Launched

Who knows clients best? The people that spend every day with them, or the people in “conference room 13B” who have never met a client?

Organizations die quickly without innovation. These innovative changes do not have to be revolutionary. Evolutionary works just fine. Get into the processes, procedures, and teams that are in front each day. That front line, where employees interact with clients every day, is where innovation is born. Go there. Listen.

Problems Solved

Who feels the pain from problems the most? The people that spend every day dealing with the issue, or the people in “conference room 13B” who don’t have to deal with the challenge and have no stake in the outcome?

Engage the people at every level that have knowledge of the issues. A few smart people in a room may have to make a final decision. Without input from many areas, what is the possibility of the right decision? Listen.

Balance Restored

Get to know your team. Work-life balance is a trendy term. Guess what? It transcends age, gender, race, everything! Work-life balance does not mean 50% work, 50% home. Or all work. Or a ‘flex schedule’ that allows one to meet the school bus in the afternoon. Work-life balance is all and none of these examples. Balance is as individual as each employee you have. Listen.

You paid for their hands. Now go engage their brains. After all, it’s free.

___________

Want to get caught up on this series of posts? Here are links to the first three in the series:

1. The Problem Employee
2. Setting The Agenda As Manager
3. Managers Have Choices

Stumble it!

Joe Raasch :: Jan.05.2008 :: Employee Engagement, Leadership, Performance Management ::

Trackback URI | Subscribe to the comments through RSS Feed