Staying
Connected is today’s best approach for productivity and profit
in a disconnected world.
Struggles on
the job are endless. In today’s workplace, we are frequently
overscheduled. Demands for high-speed service, continuous restructuring,
plunging staff levels and larger workloads have made it difficult
to stay connected with managers and peers.
As we enter
the Knowledge Age, in which the basic economic resource for competitive
success is no longer capital but knowledge, the ability to stay
connected has become a powerful business tool.
Staying connected
means people support each other and share valuable knowledge to
perform, produce and profit.
It requires
time to interact and build meaningful relationships. How often do
you discuss progress toward employee goals? How often do employees
share new information with each other? How often do you praise an
employee?
Busy in our
own work, many of us are swimming in a fast-changing, disconnected
world.
Things were
more stable in the ‘60s and ‘70s, when change occurred
at a slower pace. If you’d told managers in 1968 that in 18
months or less they could increase productivity 20 percent to 50
percent, they would have laughed.
In a time in
which distractions and deadlines disconnect us from those even in
the next cubicle, successful businesses are focusing on a few simple
yet important guidelines to stay connected with their staff.
1.
Communications. Encourage your staff to circulate ideas,
share best practices and discuss changes in your company and your
industry.
As the shelf
life of solutions gets shorter, they need to capture new information
and spread it around to help your business continually improve and
grow. Communications breaks through the isolation that stunts growth.
Reward and
applaud collaborations – inside and outside your business.
2.
Clarity. With so much uncertainty in our work lives, every
person needs clear work goals and should know the company’s
goals.
It’s
imperative to understand personal priorities. Identify what skills
to develop and what talents each person has that can help the organization.
Reward employees
who initiate discussions to clarify their skills and goals, and
follow up on their progress.
3.
Compassionate support. Studies show most employees want
three things: full appreciation of work done, interesting work and
a feeling of being in on things.
Meeting these
needs to connect requires you and your managers to build compassionate,
supportive relationships.
The payoff
is huge – helping promote spirit in your workplace and improve
performance, productivity and profit.
SUNNY
K. LURIE, PhD. is president of Advanced Performance Inc.,
a Cleveland-based firm that helps to enhance employee performance
and build productive, profitable businesses.
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