Be Clear – Tell your team members what you want
One of the key responsibilities of a leader or manager is to communicate clearly. This season has been a learning experience for me when it comes to communicating clearly and forthrightly with the team members I manage.
Too often, months will go by without clearly stating where I would like an employee to change. This past failure on my part has led to frustration on both sides. This year, I resolved to change that for the good of my employees, my company, and myself.
The payoff became evident early on. We had a brand new team member with zero experience. He had been distributing door hangers for a about a week. I told him that as a company we try to average about 100 flyers per hour. He did well the first day but the second day ended up working out a little bit slower. At the end of the week he only put out about 75-80 an hour.
So rather than waiting weeks to “see if things change,” the next morning I sat down with him and talked with him about the job. I asked him how he was feeling about the work so far, etc. Then I did what I am usually reluctant to do. I bluntly asked him to improve his speed. His productivity surpassed my expectations. That day, he increased his productivity by over 50%, putting out 810 door hangers in 6.5 hours, averaging 124 per hour! He called me this afternoon and was obviously very proud to report his numbers.
This has occurred numerous times when I have applied what I learned and set clear expectations.
Today, when you are tempted to beat around the bush or speak in vague generalities, be clear and see the results. I would love to hear your stories in the comments below.
Photo by Unhindered by Talent
