The economist Thomas Sowell says, “We always hear about the haves and the have-nots. Why don’t we hear about the doers and the do-nots?”
He’s got a point. Chances are … you have some nonperforming employees on your team. What are you doing with them?
As a leader, your challenge is to get all your employees to do superior work. And thankfully it’s quite possible. I’ve worked with hundreds of leaders and dozens of organizations who’ve done exactly that. It’s just a matter of doing the right things.
Start by getting your employees to think like leaders. In other words, get them to see and think beyond their jobs. Get them to see the bigger picture.
One of my clients at a financial services organization does that. As soon as he hires someone, Don Gant starts talking to them about management. He says some of his employees will make it to management, and they’ll make it quicker if he coaches them. But even if they don’t make it, Don says his employees are easier to deal with because they’re at least thinking like management.
You could try the daily five-minute Q and A or question and answer. Meet with each of your employees for five minutes every day for a month. Ask them what they accomplished yesterday, and ask them what they have planned for today. They’ll get used to planning their work, and they’ll become more productive.