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Managing Employees

A good manager knows their staff by monitoring and observing job performance on an ongoing basis. When managing employees, the best managers understand the skills and capabilities of each employee to delegate the right work to the right employee at the right time. They can also recognise when an employee is ready for new tasks or assignments that require new skills.


SUCCEEDING AS A MANAGER

Generally, leaders at all levels, communicate and integrate the organisation’s vision, mission and shared values through business and strategic plans. Most have a responsibility to be active and visible in the integration of the company’s management system and ensure all employees understand their roles and responsibilities in helping the company achieve its’ goals.

Through training staff, ensuring that performance reviews are completed, setting clear financial and operational goals, a leader demonstrates their commitment to the management system and the employee.

Successfully managing employees is about making sure you have a solid business unit that performs at the optimum level to achieve the division’s goals.

So, what are some tips to help you achieve this result?  Consider the following:

  • Know and communicate the organisation’s mission and goals to your staff
  • Understand the expectations on your department
  • Monitor and help your staff to stay on track with targets/goals
  • Keep on top of and complete paperwork in a timely fashion
  • Monitor your division’s workflow by assessing priorities and anticipating risks
  • Look for better solutions and maintain what works
  • Understand your deadlines and prepare contingency plans if they are going to be delayed
  • Develop, coach and listen to your employees
  • Fit the employee to the job and promote from within as appropriate
  • Encourage employee input into work programs, schedules or new strategies
  • Provide feedback to employees, motivate them and recognise their talents/output
  • Resolve issues quickly


MOTIVATING AND RETAINING EMPLOYEES

Achieving department expectations and level of output has a lot to do with you knowing how to provide direction, support, feedback and training to help employees achieve individual performance expectations. This is primarily accomplished by regular monitoring.

Staff performance
People thrive on recognition and constructive criticism to reaffirm they are doing a good job. Many use it to improve their performance and embrace the associated rewards, be it monetary, formal acknowledgement and/or career progression.

Most organisations have an annual formal appraisal process. This is a time where the employee and their manager get together to review the employee’s performance to date. These sessions should hold no surprises. They involve a two-way discussion on past performance and cover areas for improvement, goals for the next 6-12 months and a training and development plan.

Each organisation will have their own set of processes and protocols on measuring staff performance. To get the maximum benefit out of your staff, the following tips are intended to assist you in conducting effective performance appraisals to achieve productive results!

  • State the reasons why you are conducting a performance appraisal with your employee to put them at ease
  • Ask open-ended questions around the employee’s responsibilities year-to-date. Invite your employee to self-assess past performance and highlight any areas for development.
  • Keep an open mind as new facts may be presented that you may have overlooked and could change some of the performance ratings
  • Be constructive when discussing problems or areas for development
  • Illicit the employee’s opinions on ways to improve growth and/or performance
  • Ask the employee what they need from you to help them achieve expectations
  • Get the employee to identify their goals for the next 6-12 months for commitment
  • End the appraisal with a positive and motivating tone


FURTHER SOURCES OF INFORMATION

smartmanager: helps with how to recruit, evaluate, train, remunerate and manage your staff - www.smartmanager.com.au

Australian Human Resources Institute: covers HR information sources and online publications - www.ahri.com.au

Human Resources Magazine: leading publication for the HR profession - www.humanresourcesmagazine.com.au


>>  Budgeting for your workforce incorporates a number of considerations.  See our Staff Budgeting tips to learn more.