The Tribune

Christmas is typically viewed as a season of giving and sharing. People create wish lists and become hopeful that someone, somewhere will fulfill their desires. In the spirit of the season, we share a short “wish list” for employers. Here are ten things, based on the research findings of leadership coach, Rick Conlow, that every employee wants and expects:

Clear Expectations and Goals. Give your employees a clear understanding of their roles, responsibilities and objectives. Do this both one-on-one and with the team. Always remember; this is not a one-time event. Do it periodically through the year, monthly and/or quarterly. Conducting performance reviews only once a year does not cut it today. Most performance problems come from a lack of clear expectations or goals and a lack of recognition.

Recognition and Praise. The better people feel about what they do, the more they want to do it well. Recognise them for progress, a job well done or for goals achieved. Do the same for your team as a whole. Be genuine, creative and keep learning. Positive reinforcement is one way to encourage your team members to perform at a high level consistently. Small tokens of appreciation from time to time might prove beneficial as well.

Communication. As simple as it sounds, keep people informed as a team and aware as individuals. This means you need to communicate through meetings, one-on-ones, phone conferences, e-mail, Skype and texts. Learn to do each of these appropriately. For example, e-mails and texts are not the right place for negative news. It also is not an excuse for poor communication if you are separated by distance from some members of your team. In most employee engagement surveys, leadership communication often has the poorest ratings and the most negative feedback.

Growth. People become more motivated when they can develop their skills. Be sure to learn to delegate effectively. Find ways to give your team ample opportunity to expand their capabilities in new areas. If an employee is interested and capable, help the person advance in the company.

Trust. Follow through on your commitments, be genuine and conduct business in an ethical manner. Admit mistakes. There are way too many examples in the media of ineffective and fallen leaders. You do not have to be one of them.

Responsibility. People want to be great and, if they are not, managers are usually the obstacle. Listen to your team’s ideas and get them involved in fixing problems. Coach effectively and regularly, so that all team members always know where they stand - good or bad. When they bring you a problem, hold off on trying to solve it. Ask them what have done so far. What do they think should be done? Teach them to think through and solve their own problems.

Respect. Eighty percent of employees say they do not get respect on the job. Do not have secrets, do not intentionally instill fear in people, and treat employees as adults - not like children. Be as open and as honest as you can. Build up your team; do not beat them up. You earn respect by giving respect.

Pride in the work. Most people want to do a good job. This fuels self-motivation and pride. Create a positive, upbeat working environment. Have some fun while working hard. Teach teamwork, and it will pay significant dividends for your employees and for you.

Learning. On-going training is a must to maintain current job skills but, even more important, to add to them. Fortune magazine’s annual list of the world’s best companies shows that the highest-ranking firms give employees 40 to 60 hours of training and education each year. How about your company? How about your team?

Achievement. People want to win. Work hard to align people with the right role where they can succeed. Persevere to eliminate obstacles for your team, and be an advocate for your employees’ success. Avoid changing direction indiscriminately, not dealing with poor performance or setting unrealistic goals, because these behaviours can lead to frustration and defeatist attitudes among your employees.

Consider these ten areas for motivating and engaging employees. Help your employees be successful, and you will be successful as a leader.

• NB: Ian R Ferguson is a talent management and organisational development consultant, having completed graduate studies with regional and international universities. He has served organsations, both locally and globally, providing relevant solutions to their business growth and development issues. He may be contacted at iferguson@bahamas.com.