Creating a high performance staff

It is every business manager’s dream to be surrounded by high performing staff. To be able to go to work and know that instead of problems, waiting for you are fantastic solutions, happy customers and strong profits. The dream and the reality are often light years apart.
It is possible however to establish a high performance culture in a small to medium sized enterprise (SME). In fact SME’s are often better placed to achieve this than larger organisations. When the organisation is relatively small, communication lines are often stronger; the organisations goals are better understood by the workforce and client service can have a more personal feel. The key to high performance is encouraging employee buy in. Employees must understand, agree with and take responsibility for delivering on organisational objectives.
As businesses grow the performance level of its employees may drop as roles become more compartmentalised, problems are able to be passed on to others to fix, the office becomes busier and the boss becomes further removed from ground zero.
Keys to creating and maintaining high performance are:
Ö Promoting the businesses vision, mission and values in clear, understandable statements (not waffle which is rehashed from someone else’s mission statement). This means thinking about why you are in business and expressing your business ideals concisely and constantly.
Ö Practice what you preach. This is a fundamental step in achieving high performance. If management does not abide by the organisations espoused values then there is no chance that staff will.
Ö Implement a strong induction process for new employees so they can quickly settle into the organisation, understand why the organisation exists and be clear on what your expectations are for them.
Ö Think small. The days when the business consisted of just two employees were probably the days when things went smoothly. This was due to direct contact between the employee and the employer. Praise, encouragement and guidance from the top was swiftly given out. Ensure that as your business grows you maintain contact with your employees and encourage high performance.
Ö Handle poor performance immediately. Don’t put it off. Nothing damages high performance like a poor performer ‘getting away’ with performing badly.
Ö Develop your teams skills and ensure they have the right skills and knowledge to grow with your business
Ö Let employees ‘own’ their job. Micro management might achieve short term fixes but does nothing for encouraging responsibility and a solutions focus
Ö Have clear position descriptions with detailed accountabilities and a performance appraisal system which supports employee goal development
When employees are clear on what is expected of them and what the organisation believes; when they are supported in performing to the best of their ability and when they are praised for achieving results; then high performance will become part of the business’s culture.
For more tips on creating high performance visit http//:wwwincitesolutions.com.au