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Harvey Mackay
Column
For the week
of October 25, 2010
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Do You Know
What Your Employees Know?
Your company can have the most
sophisticated equipment, the sleekest facilities, the best location
and in-demand products, but none of it works without the human
touch.
Your workforce is your most
valuable asset! The knowledge and skills they bring to work with
them every day represent the fuel that drives the engine of business.
Want to keep the motor running? Leverage that knowledge so that
everyone in the company can benefit from their co-workers' experience.
As a manager, you need to encourage
an atmosphere where employees are secure enough in their jobs
that they are comfortable sharing their expertise and mentoring
their co-workers. Most folks can identify with the fear that
they are training their next boss rather than helping them develop
their skills. |
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Knowledge is personal. Employees
who are trained on the company's dime will retain that knowledge
even if they leave your organization. Wouldn't it be so much
better for everyone if they felt like they had contributed to
the company's success by helping their co-workers kick it up
a notch?
Try these strategies to get
the information flowing:
Offer employee workshops.
The manager can lead
the first session, just to make sure everyone is on the same
page. Explain the purpose, and ask for suggestions. Make sure
employees understand that the goal is to help them work more
effectively, not to highlight their deficiencies. Also, include
a discussion on what the company is trying to do, how it's doing,
where it's headed and what it stands for. Don't assume all the
employees already know the answers -- or that they have the correct
information unless you gave it to them yourself. It's an important
first step.
Plan accordingly. Workshops can be scheduled at a regular
time or as-needed. If you can afford to provide lunch, try a
noon-time group. Food is a great ice-breaker. Keep the meetings
to a reasonable length. Make sure to include everyone in the
process.
Recruit your top performers
to share their expertise. It's
not hard to identify who excels at customer service or managing
data or sales. But does everyone know why they are so good at
what they do? Are there techniques they could share? How did
they get so good? Are others comfortable asking them for advice?
Encourage team-teaching.
People from different
departments need to collaborate on projects, so it makes sense
to have those teams explain how they've been successful working
together.
Aim for quality. Make sure the presentations contain
useful information and that the presenter is prepared. Be specific
about the kind of information you want when you ask an employee
to lead a workshop. Don't forget to ask what questions they receive
most often from co-workers.
Provide incentives. In a climate of tight budgets, reduced
workforces and stiff competition, internal training can be a
great substitute for costly offsite workshops and conferences.
Reward presenters, perhaps with extra pay or comp time.
Say thank you -- not just
to the presenters, but also to those who attend. Employees need to know their efforts
are appreciated. Recognizing their desire to improve their performance
often makes people try even harder.
Perhaps the best advice I can
give is that you, the manager, show up for every session. Your
presence lets presenters and participants alike know the value
of these meetings. Be an active participant, too. Ask questions
and share experiences. Just don't take over.
You can decide whether to make
the workshops mandatory for your employees, but you need to attend
every possible session. You will learn not only how your employees
work alone and together, but also gain some real insights into
their personalities.
Here's an added bonus: You have
a terrific opportunity to present problems that you need help
with, and demonstrate to your staff that you value their opinions.
Think of them as your "inside consultants," people
who have good working knowledge of your business and a vested
interest in making it work. I've never shied away from using
consultants, and the fact that they are already on the payroll
doesn't diminish their worth.
If you believe, as I do, that
your employees truly are your most valuable asset, you will do
whatever you can to help them do their jobs as well as possible.
As Ben Franklin said, "An
investment in knowledge pays the best interest."
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Mackay's Moral: |
Knowledge shared is knowledge squared. |
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The Author  |
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Harvey Mackay is a nationally
syndicated columnist for United Feature Syndicate. His weekly
articles appear in 52 newspapers around the country, including
the Chicago Sun Times, Rocky Mountain News, Orange County Register,
Minneapolis Star Tribune and Arizona Republic.
http://www.mackay.com/
Copyright, Harvey Mackay. All rights reserved. |
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