Author: Scott Schulte

HR Strategy | By Scott Schulte,

Got Strategy?

Do you hate planning? Would you rather just jump in and DO SOMETHING?

If so, you’re not alone. There are plenty of people who would agree with you. Yes, doing things is important. But so is the strategy behind what you’re doing. And this is where strategic planning will give you the edge.

Whether you’re running the business or the HR department, taking the time to form the strategy behind your actions will help clarify WHY you need these things to happen. In turn, this will help determine exactly WHAT it is you should be doing, and HOW you will go about it.

Why start with WHY?

There’s a reason Simon Sinek’s TED talk How Great Leaders Inspire Action has been viewed over 37 million times. If you don’t know why your company exists or why you’re in business, how can you possibly know what drives your decisions and behaviors? Or what needs to happen next?

When done right, strategic planning will help you:

  • Define what you are working toward
  • Identify the resources you need to make those things happen
  • Use your time, energy, manpower, and technology efficiently
  • Measure results, track progress, and change direction as needed
  • Effectively communicate all of this information
  • Keep your team motivated, engaged and committed to the work

A focus on doing might keep you busy, but a focus on strategy will keep you effective.

No matter what you’re trying to achieve, taking the time to figure out where you are, where you want to be, and what you need to do to get there just makes sense.

When you take a vacation, do you just randomly hop in the car and start driving? Of course not! You’re going to put some effort into picking a destination, based on what your goals are. Is it strictly relaxation? Are you vising someone? Do you want to learn about a new city or country? Are you simply looking for the cheapest option?

Your vacation goals will affect the way you plan and execute your trip. And because you want the best results, you’ll plan carefully.

Don’t leave it to chance

When it comes to figuring out how to make things happen in your business, strategic planning becomes even more important.

Imagine if you let each person in your organization determine the best way to achieve the company vision. You’d end up with as many business strategies as you have team members!

The vision has to come from the top. And spread.

You may have the best strategic planner or team in the world, but if the organizational vision and WHY isn’t clearly communicated, it won’t filter down to those who are responsible for helping making it a reality. Not only will staff not understand their motivation, they won’t be able to see how they fit in or take ownership in achieving the vision.

Empower your team to work toward shared goals and good things will happen.

Need a better ROI on your corporate employee benefits? At Sonus Benefits, we’re not interested in just finding you a policy for this year. We provide strategic employee benefits and human resource management services to help you build a better future. Our goal is to take your business where you want it to go.

Leadership + Management | By Scott Schulte,

Better Communication = Better Employee Benefits

Employee communication is challenging. It takes time, effort and collaboration to create a clear, unified message. And that’s just the beginning of the process.

Once you’ve crafted your message, you have to figure out how to make sure everyone sees it, hears it, and understands it.

This is true across the board, including when it comes to employee benefits.

Can communication affect benefits?

You bet it can. Many companies spend a tremendous amount of money on health benefits, only to spend very little time communicating about them. With some very real consequences. This lack of information transfer can actually increase the cost and decrease the value of your plan and affect your bottom line.

As a business, you want to provide employee benefits that are cost effective and a great incentive to recruit and retain top talent. But if employees don’t know how to use their benefits, they can’t use them wisely. And if they don’t understand what they are being offered, they can’t fully appreciate the value.

Both of these things run counter to what you are trying to accomplish.

Make benefits communication a priority

It’s tempting to put most of your focus into shopping for and securing the policy. But having a policy in place doesn’t help you out much if no one knows how it works. And skimping on communication will only lead to employee confusion and HR headaches.

No one has a bunch of empty time blocks floating around on the calendar. Many days, it feels like a struggle just to check off the basics. But slowing down and taking the time to build better communication practices can actually help you move faster. How? By helping you avoid the all too common side effects of poor employee benefits communication.

When you fail to communicate clearly, you can very easily end up with:

  • Managers repeatedly needing to explain plan details and enrollment processes
  • Employees seeking management time to ask questions and clarify procedures
  • Co-workers frequently discussing their frustrations and confusion
  • Loss of trust due to lack of transparency and clarity
  • Lower levels of employee engagement

If this sounds less than ideal, don’t worry. There are ways you can start improving employee communication today. Here’s one quick idea:

Hold regular team meetings to share company goals and updates, benefits information, client success stories, employee kudos, etc.

  • Make sure your meetings are short, specific, and a good use of time
  • Keep them moving with a variety of interesting and educational information
  • Send the agenda in advance so people can come prepared to participate
  • End each meeting by confirming what everyone should take away and what follow up is needed

Take some positive steps to improve employee communication, and see how far you can go!

Having trouble with employee communications? We can help with that. There’s so much more to employee benefits than policies and premiums. A great benefits broker will help make sure you, your employees, and your business are all healthy and productive. Get in touch with Sonus to see how we can help your organization become a local employer of choice.

Culture & Community | By Scott Schulte,

How Do You Deal With Your Elephants?

Do you have dangerous things happening in your organization? Is there something you are constantly climbing over, ducking around or just plain avoiding?

Maybe it’s an underperforming sales team, an absent leader, or a cranky customer service rep.

Is your problem painfully obvious— like an elephant in the office? Or are your workplace issues more like snakes in the grass, just waiting for the right moment to jump up and bite you?

Both are equally dangerous. And they must be dealt with.

They say the first step to fixing any problem is recognizing that it’s there. But what matters most is what you choose to do at that point. Labeling a problem and then doing everything you can to avoid it only enhances your chances of getting stomped on by that elephant. Or bitten by those snakes.

So what should you do instead?

Speak up. And be persistent.

How many times have you brought up a concern only to have it rationalized as temporary, not worth fixing, or not as bad as you think? Sometimes you might even get sent away with a little pat on the head. “Relax,” they say, “That’s not actually happening.”

Maybe you’ve heard that others have tried to fix things in the past and have gotten nowhere. This might be true, but it doesn’t necessarily mean you should keep quiet or stop trying. Sometimes a problem needs to be identified multiple times, by multiple people before it becomes a priority. You could be that person who tips the scales or addresses the problem in a way that finally hits home. Or maybe you’ll just get lucky and catch the right person on the right day.

Finding the courage to speak up can be difficult, but it’s important to point out behaviors and processes that are causing harm.

Don’t let it pile up

We get it. Your therapist says you should let the little things go. And this can be great advice! But when you’re talking about bad business practices, little things can become big things very quickly.

If your company’s policy is to look the other way and let things slide, there could be serious trouble ahead. Not just for you, but for the entire organization.

If little things are piling up, they need to be addressed.

It’s not about complaining

No one likes a tattle-tale. But everyone loves the UPS man. Why? Because he delivers the stuff you need, when you need it.

Simply pointing out weaknesses or ranting about everything that’s been bothering you since the dawn of time isn’t the method you want to use. Approach your conversation in a professional manor, and put some thought into ways to fix the problem or improve the situation before you start the conversation.

Deliver your message like the UPS man would: quickly, efficiently, and with the best intentions.

Tackle that elephant!

Running a top notch organization isn’t for the faint of heart. If you see dangerous behaviors happening in your organization, find your inner fortitude and speak up.

Identify your concerns and the effects they’re having— or could potentially have. Then offer ideas for solutions. If you’re a company leader, listen to what your staff is saying, then summon the courage to make those difficult, but much needed changes.

Create and track performance indicators to get that sales team back on track.

Re-train your cranky customer service person.

Reel that absent CEO back in— or help him write his resume.

Make this your new normal now. Before the elephant tackles you.

Got an elephant that needs tackling? At Sonus, we help clients all throughout the Midwest identify organizational challenges and put customized solutions in place. From tailored benefit programs to human resource management services, we’ve got you covered.

Leadership + Management | By Scott Schulte,

The Key to Successful Onboarding is… Pre-boarding?

When it comes to onboarding, the temptation is to think of everything that needs to be done as soon as that person walks in the door. This strategy can be overwhelming, for HR and new hires alike. Especially if the focus is on checking these things off the list as quickly as humanly possible.

So what if we took a different approach? What if, as business and HR professionals, we decided to slow down, back up, and do a little pre-boarding?

Make it a first class experience

It’s no secret that first class passengers get special treatment. They get on the plane before everyone else. They have their own section, their own bathroom, and the super fancy snacks. As for the rest of us? We just stare longingly at those warm towels and champagne flutes as we’re being herded back to our sad, little seats.

How do you want your new hire to feel?

Like a coveted and special addition to the group? Or like a small cog in a crowded wheel? Investing a little bit of time into onboarding will go a long way to make the transition smooth, pleasant, and productive for everyone.

Start before they walk in the door

It’s hard to get excited about a party guest if you don’t know they’re coming.

If you’re not talking about your new hire before they start, you’re missing out on an opportunity to build interest and rapport with the rest of the team. Introduce your new person before he or she actually arrives. This can be done easily in staff meetings or via email, and will set the stage for recognition and positive interactions when they finally arrive.

Not sold on the idea? Consider this example of two very different first day interactions.

First class ticket: “Hey! You must be Mike, our new IT star. We heard you were joining the team!”

From the cheap seats: “Are you part of the cleaning crew? My garbage can is overflowing.”

It’s pretty obvious which scenario is better and more welcoming to your new hire. And it’s very easy to prevent the second scene from playing out.

Want to build excitement with new hires and current staff? Promote your new employees before they even walk in the door, and let the rest of the team know how they fit into the bigger picture.

Communication is key

Just because Tim is replacing Ann doesn’t mean that position will or should stay exactly the same. Take some time to create/update the job description in a way that will allow your new staff member to contribute their greatest value to the organization.

Once you’ve hired that perfect fit, communicate the news to your team.

Be open and clear. Let key people know what things might be different moving forward and why you’re excited about the value the new person will bring. This will avoid pigeonholing of your new hire and alleviate unnecessary comparisons to the person they replaced. It will also make the rest of the team comfortable with where they fit in and how their roles may change or adjust moving forward.

Be specific

When will this person start? Where will they be working? Who will be their direct supervisor?

If you’re a large company, it’s not necessary to alert the entire company on every single new hire, but certainly those on the new person’s team will want to know.

There’s nothing worse than leaving your employees in the dark on things that affect their working environment. Give your staff the information they need to be successful. The more they know, the more valued they feel, and the more excited they will be to welcome and mentor new team members.

Make it a group effort

Successful onboarding is a team sport.

You want your new hire to feel welcomed, valued, and excited about the possibilities. This means they need exposure to more than just their immediate supervisor and occasional training videos.

Bring your employee on with a little fanfare and a lot of interaction with the team. If you’ve got the resources, assign a mentor and/or accountability partner. Plant the seeds that will help your new employees grow into their positions and into the company.

And throw in some fun while you’re at it

Finding a great new employee is exciting. Everything is fresh and everyone is ready to jump in and get a strong start.

As a Human Resources professional, you play a key role in making sure onboarding in a way that is beneficial to the new employee, your current staff, and your HR team. A little pre-boarding excitement and first-class fun will go a long way to making sure that’s what happens.

There’s so much more to employee benefits than policies and premiums. A great benefits broker will make sure you, your employees, and your business are protected. Is your agent looking out for you? At Sonus Benefits, this is what we do for St. Louis employers every day.

Employer/Broker Relationship | By Scott Schulte,

Why Innovative Benefits Brokers are Worth Their Weight in Gold

Employers need improved results more than ever before. And the demands on Human Resources Departments have never been more complex.

Let’s face it. Today’s employers are navigating some very complicated circumstances— with increasingly more at stake.

You want to take control

Every business needs to control, at least to some degree, several things related to employees and employee benefits:

  • The cost of their benefit programs
  • Time demands associated with administering and servicing the programs
  • Organizational goals related to the employee benefits strategy
  • The ROI on insurance programs
  • The ability to attract and retain talent
  • Levels of morale and employee engagement

Historically, insurance brokers have only focused on the first two items related to the cost and service of the benefits. But as the needs of employers change, so too should the services provided by insurance consultants.  

A simple policy won’t cut it

A great employee benefits consultant will be intimately familiar with:

  • The finances of your benefits program
  • Who your employees and their families are and the needs they have as a group
  • The choices you made in selecting the plan design as it relates to the needs of your employees, the values of your organization, and your financial considerations
  • Benchmarking ideas of how you compare to others in your market

If you’re working with someone innovative, your insurance agent should be one of the first people offering ideas and advice on how to help you take control over many aspects of your employee management programs. But brokers like this can be hard to find.

So how do you tell a basic broker from an innovative one?

Just the basics

Typical, basic brokers are more like middlemen. They tend to focus simply on insurance products and the reactive service they provide to businesses who need group benefits.

Want to know if you’re dealing with one? See if you recognize some of these common sales pitches:

“We have great relationships with carriers. Let us give you a free insurance quote and see if we can beat your price.”

“Nobody provides better service than we do. We’ll be like an extension of your HR department.”

“Look at all of the ‘free stuff’ we’ll give you if you become a client!”

A broker who focuses on product and price will deliver just that. They’re much more interested in selling you something than in solving your HR and business problems. Organizational improvement stuff takes time, effort, and lots of listening. Delivering once-a-year policy quotes and waiting for commission checks is WAY easier.

The full meal deal

Innovative brokers are business consultants who use their expertise to help employers create strategies for better alignment between HR and company goals.

Yes, these brokers are committed to providing the right insurance solutions at the right price, but they also understand that insurance is just one part of the answer their clients really need.

Instead of showing up with a standard sales pitch and a spreadsheet, innovative brokers will show up with a bunch of questions to get at the heart of what you really need. These folks are genuinely interested in your business, and intensely focused on uncovering what things may be holding you back.

Best of all? Instead of hitting you with an insurance product and price scenario, they’ll come back with custom solutions to address your most pressing HR and organizational issues. In some cases, they’ll identify and fix problems you didn’t even know you had.

Choose carefully

When deciding who you want to work with, think about the conversations you’ve had with your current and/or potential broker.

If the time spent talking with them is all about carriers, products, prices and spreadsheets, you’re dealing with a basic broker.

If the time spent talking with them centers around you, your HR and company goals, your employees, and your strategy, you just may have found yourself an innovative broker. Test it out by asking yourself these questions:

  • Has this person explained how he or she will help me improve these things?
  • Have they made a clear distinction between the insurance carrier and their own advising services?
  • Are they bringing up fresh ideas and solutions I never knew were available?

Yes? Awesome!

But before you sign on the dotted line, make sure it’s not just innovative talk. Follow all the way through the process.

  • Have your key needs and issues been identified, prioritized and addressed?
  • Are you confident this person knows how to help you make these things happen?
  • Have logical, helpful solutions been presented?
  • Is there a plan/timeline for implementation?

If not, you may be dealing with an insurance salesperson disguised as an innovative broker. This is a big difference.

When you find that employee benefits broker who develops a strategy to help you drive better overall business results, and then builds a plan of action to make sure those results are predictable and manageable, you can stop looking.

You’ve found gold.

 

At Sonus Benefits, we build cost effective, long-lasting benefits strategies to keep your business and your employees in optimum health. Located in Kirkwood, MO, we help clients throughout the greater St. Louis area identify and manage complex employee benefits challenges. If you would like help managing your employee programs, we may be the insurance consultant and business partner you need.

 

HR Strategy | By Scott Schulte,

Can Emotional Intelligence Enhance Workplace Performance and Results?

Emotional intelligence is defined as the capacity to be aware of, control, and express one’s emotions, and to handle interpersonal relationships judiciously and empathetically.

HR and C-suite professionals are often confused about the role emotional intelligence plays in the workplace. Does it affect the bottom line? Can it be measured? Is it something employees have naturally, or can you train for it?

Answering these questions could be extremely helpful to forming company policy, including hiring practices, employee assessment, onboarding, training, policy, and more.

But first things first.

Does emotional intelligence really matter?

Emotional Intelligence may be considered part of the softer side of business, but that doesn’t mean its effects should be minimized.

Emotional intelligence plays significant a role in team dynamics, company culture, work environment, communication, performance management and more. Once you start looking for it, you’ll see it showing up literally everywhere. And although it can be extremely hard to quantify the effects, there’s no doubt that emotional intelligence can contribute to (or prohibit) your organizational success.

Employees with high levels of emotional intelligence tend to be more self-aware and exercise better self-control, especially when it comes to feelings like anger and disappointment. They are also better able to influence their co-workers, and more flexible and adaptive when it comes to change. These qualities can be extremely beneficial in a dynamic work environment.

On the other hand, employees with poor emotional intelligence can have an extremely negative impact on your workplace. Signs of low emotional intelligence include not being able to read social cues, not recognizing which information is relevant or irrelevant, being unable to accept feedback graciously, constantly laying blame on others, exhibiting passive-aggressive behaviors, and lacking empathy.

When a manager or leader has low emotional intelligence, he or she can come off as being rude, aloof, out of touch, or simply not listening.

Imagine the effects that can have on teamwork and employee morale.

Still not convinced?

Research has shown that there is a highly significant relationship between emotional intelligence, organizational productivity, and occupational performance.

Research from the UK found that that the emotional intelligence of restaurant managers significantly impacted annual profit growth. Restaurants run by managers with high emotional intelligence showed an annual profit growth of 22% versus an annual average growth of 15% for that same period. The research also revealed that more emotionally intelligent managers experienced significantly less stress, were healthier and enjoyed their work more when compared with less emotionally intelligent managers.

In study after study, high emotional intelligence in for managers and leaders has a direct and measurable effect on overall company productivity and profits.

But it’s not just about leaders. A survey of retail sales buyers found that apparel sales reps were valued primarily for their empathy, with buyers reporting that they wanted reps who could listen well and really understand what they wanted and what their concerns were.

When it comes to the workplace, it’s becoming more and more obvious that emotional intelligence is moving from the “nice-to-have” to the “must-have” category.

Can emotional intelligence be measured?

For a long time, the only way to spot those with high emotional intelligence was to go with your gut. But this isn’t exactly something you can build into a hiring assessment or training exercise.

Fortunately, this has begun to change. Now there are lots of tools and resources to assess and measure emotional intelligence.

If you find that emotional intelligence is jumping up on your priority list, you can quickly test yourself or work with someone like TalentSmart to conduct company-wide emotional intelligence assessments.

Once you know what you’re working with, you can decide what needs to happen next.

Can you train for it?

Are people born with emotional intelligence or is it something you can acquire? As with most human traits, it’s probably a little of both.

Some people might have more or less emotional intelligence innately, but learning and experience can build on that foundation.

Many companies offer courses and seminars in emotional intelligence. The important thing to keep in mind is that emotional intelligence cannot be gained overnight, nor can it be taught by simply reading a book or listening to a lecture. Good corporate training will provide a mix of theory, group discussion, role-playing, feedback, and assessment.

What next?

Emotional intelligence has become an increasingly more important facet of organizational development. That said, it is not clear how well it has taken hold when it comes to corporate policy.

Most HR professionals we speak with at Sonus have heard of emotional intelligence, and some have shown interest in finding employees who have an abundance of it. But few organizations have made assessing or training for it part of their hiring and onboarding practices.

Why not get on the front end of this curve?

Start building a workforce that lends itself to better results by filling your organization with emotionally intelligent leaders and employees. Your team (and your bottom line) will thank you.

 

Running into challenges with employee engagement, turnover, and retention? At Sonus Benefits, we’ve got ideas to help you address these issues and more. Get in touch with Sonus to find out what working with a true employee benefits consultant feels like.

Culture & Community | By Scott Schulte,

Is Busy Hurting Your Business?

We all have things we’d like to do but just can’t seem to get around to. Some of them are vague ideas. Some of them have made it all the way on the To Do list. And then there are those pesky other items: The things we know we should already be doing—but aren’t.

The list of excuses for not doing things can be as long as the list of things that need to be done. But there’s one roadblock we’ve all run into… lack of time.

“I’m too busy!”

Ask a friend or coworker how they are. Chances are good that the answer is “busy!”

It seems like we could all use an increase in the number of hours in the day. But because that’s not an option, we put things off. Instead of doing them now, we let them slide down the priority list. Or maybe even ignore them all together.

Here’s the thing. The excuse of being too busy can quickly disappear when a particular to-do item becomes an urgent priority.

  • That dentist appointment you haven’t scheduled becomes much more of a priority when you can no longer chew your food.
  • Those gym workouts you always plan to start “next week” become much more of a priority when your doctor says you have high blood pressure.
  • The rattle in your car you’ve been ignoring will become your top priority when smoke starts pouring out from under the hood.

Unfortunately, the do-it-later mentality doesn’t just play out in our personal lives. It shows up in our work lives as well.

What are you avoiding?

  • Is finding the right employee benefits plan your next toothache?
  • Is filling that open position feeling like an extra 20 pounds?
  • Is that noise you keep ignoring the sound of unhappy employees?

What is that thing (or handful of things) that’s been nagging you? You know, the important stuff you’d like to do for your business or your team— if only you could make more time in the day?

Once you’ve identified these items, take a deep breath, then move them to the top of your list. And commit to doing them.

Your time is valuable. How will you spend it?

Think about how you spent your precious limited amount of time last week. Did you get to the big, important stuff or did the little stuff take over?

What would you feel like today if you had replaced some of those time-sucking tasks with one or two big items that would help move you closer to your goals?

Would doing these things actually save you time or make your life easier in the long run?

How would it feel to not have those things hanging over your head?

You may not think you have time to tackle the things you’ve been putting off, but the beautiful thing is that you can make time for things that matter. Block off a few hours on your calendar. Make an appointment with yourself or better yet, schedule time with someone who can help you accomplish one of your goals.

Big things happen a little bit at a time. Carve out those little bits each day and see where they take you.

 

Need a better ROI on your corporate employee benefits? At Sonus Benefits, we’re not interested in just finding you a policy for this year. We provide strategic employee benefits and human resource management services to help you build a better future. Our goal is to take your business where you want it to go.

HR Strategy | By Scott Schulte,

4 Keys to Better Employee Communication

Effective communication is difficult, even in the best of circumstances. Throw in diverse workforces, remote teams, and the sheer number of communication platforms available and it can seem almost impossible.

If you’re feeling like your messages aren’t getting through, you’re not alone. Here are some key reasons why things are so complicated, and a few strategies to help.

Generational Differences

Your workforce may include 20-somethings just starting out, 60-somethings planning for retirement, and every possible combination in between.

Communication preferences are as varied as your team, and with rapidly changing technology, it can be hard to keep up with who wants what. Reaching your audience requires diversity in your message and a range of communication styles.

Key takeaway: Different populations absorb and react to information differently. One generation’s email is another generation’s text.

Multiple Learning Styles and Backgrounds

Because we all learn differently, we all need to be communicated with in different ways. Some people learn best by seeing, some by listening, and some through interaction. When it comes to communication techniques, one size does not fit all.

Diversity plays a key role here as well. Many companies are now embracing groups that may have previously felt left out, which is great! But this requires putting some extra thought into your communication approaches. You’ll want to be sensitive to group dynamics, and very careful with the words you choose and the messages you send.

Key takeaway: No one way of communicating is best for everyone in your group. You’ll need a variety of messaging tactics— and a healthy dose of sensitivity. Choose your words and methods carefully.

Competition for Attention

We are constantly being bombarded with messages: e-mail, phone calls, texting, video, social media, and maybe even a stray piece of mail every now and then. Admit it. It’s tiring just reading this list!

Getting your message through the clutter is becoming harder and harder. You’ll have to find new ways to make your message stand out. More importantly, you’ll need to make it directly relevant to your audience in order to make the shortlist of communications that actually get some attention.

Key takeaway: Make your messages direct, relevant and clear. Use subject lines to your advantage. Let your employees know how you plan to communicate with them and then follow through.

Lack of Time

Businesses are leaner than ever, and we’re all trying to do more with less. Sometimes much less. Perhaps ridiculously less. The reality is that we are rarely able to slow down enough to communicate effectively. To get your desired message to the right people, you have to make it a priority.

Key takeaway: Design your communication strategy so everyone knows what to expect. Then, take the time to communicate thoughtfully and with purpose.

Better communication is possible

Recognizing your unique challenges and making sure your communications are purposeful, strategic, and well-designed will take an investment of time. But it will pay off in the long run.

If you don’t have to constantly repeat, recap, and follow up on your messages or deal with constant mishaps and misunderstandings, you just might end up with a few spare minutes in your day.

And that’s something we can all get behind.

 

Running into challenges with employee communications? We’ve got answers. At Sonus Benefits, we help clients all over the Midwest identify organizational challenges and put customized solutions in place. Our goal is to take your business where you want it to go.

Culture & Community | By Scott Schulte,

Want to Win at Business? Bring Out the Best in Your Team.

There’s a reason there are so many sports analogies in business. It’s all about competition. You’re competing for market share, you’re competing for attention, and you’re competing for the best and brightest talent.

Many of your most innovative and hard-working employees also thrive on competition. They don’t just want to do a good job. They want to be the best they can possibly be. And they want to help your company win.

It’s no secret that many businesses head straight for the athletic department when recruiting on college campuses. Why? Because they’re looking for people with that competitive spirit. But you don’t necessarily have to hire a natural athlete to get top rated talent.

Sometimes, it’s about knowing how to bring out the best in everyone on your team.

Be the Coach

Many of us have had coaches that changed our lives for the better. They taught us to love the game, the challenges, and the team. They nurtured our talents and made us feel successful. They fostered loyalty, camaraderie, and respect. They treated tough losses as opportunities to learn, grow, and improve. Yes, they celebrated winning, but also rewarded fair play, determination, and effort.

Some of us have also had coaches who made us wish we had never tried out for the team. No play was ever big enough. No effort was ever good enough. Teammates were pitted against each other, and the only thing that mattered was winning— at all costs. Even when you did win, there was no celebrating. It was all about focusing on the things that went wrong and preparing for the next battle.

If you want to cultivate hard-working, loyal employees, you can’t leave them feeling constantly defeated. You’ve got to nurture your talent in ways that make them want to keep playing, keep improving, and keep being part of the team.  

Playing the long game

Successful coaches know that raw talent alone doesn’t make a great player. Neither does sheer effort. The best players are the ones who know the game inside and out. Not only do they have skills and determination, they also understand the strategy behind what moves will work and why.

If you’re not sharing your organizational vision with your team, you’re missing out on an opportunity to give your team that critical behind-the-scenes knowledge. You’re also setting yourself up for a steady stream of confusion and lackluster results. Everyone will be running in different directions. Or worse yet, stuck at the starting line.

Want to keep your team motivated and on track?

Give them the why behind what they’re doing. Share your company mission, goals, and strategy, and let them know where and how they fit in.

Recognize individual strengths and who fits best in each position. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking everyone needs to be good at everything. Your catcher is not also going to be a great pitcher. Let him do what he does best. Then groom a pitcher to compliment his talents.

Keep in mind that every team has a different dynamic, with different strengths and weaknesses. As much natural talent as your new hires have, they won’t know any of those nuances when they first join the team. Take the time to teach and mentor each new employee until they feel confident in their role.

At the end of the day, your organization’s success lies in the hands of its leaders.

If you want to build a fantastic company culture and an even better team, be that inspirational coach that made you want to be a better player. And a better person.

 

Running into challenges with employee performance, turnover, and retention? At Sonus Benefits, we’ve got ideas to help you address these issues and more. Get in touch with Sonus to see how we can help your organization become a local employer of choice.

Culture & Community | By Scott Schulte,

Why Employees Fail— And What You Can Do About It.

When it comes down to it, there are three basic reasons employees fail. Fortunately (or unfortunately) all of these things are within your control. Once you recognize the issues, you can work toward solutions.

When it comes down to it, there are three basic reasons employees fail.

  1. They’re at the wrong company
  2. They’re in the wrong position
  3. You’re not giving them what they need to succeed

Fortunately (or unfortunately) all of these things are within your control. Once you recognize the issues, you can work toward solutions.

Wrong bus

The concept is simple, but oh-so-true. You’ve got to have the right people on the bus in order to get where you want to go.

When someone is on the wrong bus, it’s usually pretty obvious. They aren’t a good fit culturally. They aren’t interested in where the organization is going or how they can help move it in the right direction. They don’t enjoy their work— or their work mates. None of this is good for the individual in question or the team as a whole.

If you let someone on your bus who clearly doesn’t belong, it’s time to gently help them off.

Right bus, wrong seat

This scenario is a little harder to diagnose. Sometimes, you’ve got an employee on staff who tries hard and is well-liked, but who is constantly struggling to meet their job goals and objectives.

It’s possible you’ve made a fantastic cultural hire only to put that person in the wrong role.

Examples of this include:

  • Hiring people for positions they didn’t apply for
    • “We really liked her when she interviewed for the accounting position, so we offered her the opening in HR.”
  • Promoting high performers into jobs they aren’t suited for
    • “He’s such a good salesperson, we made him the team manager.”
  • Adding new responsibilities that don’t play to individual skill sets
    • “Her main focus is marketing, but we needed help in IT.”

Never assume that people and positions are interchangeable. They aren’t. The absolute right person in the absolute wrong position will be an absolute disaster.

Even your very best employees can fail if you put them in a position to do so.

It’s not them. It’s you.

Of course you’re going to have the occasional hiring fail, but if you are constantly struggling with underperforming teams or employees, the problem may be on your end.

Here are some common leadership mistakes that can cause good employees to fail:

Lack of direction – If your employees aren’t clear about what they need to do, how can they possibly perform to standard? Assigning tasks in a haphazard manner will get you haphazard results.

Poor communication – Checking in the day before a project is due is too little, too late. Especially if you neglected to share said due date in the first place.

Communicate clearly and openly before and throughout a project to make sure everyone is on the same page. Once the project is complete, communicate some more. Talk about what worked and what didn’t. Answer questions and make notes about ideas for next time.

Bad management – If you’re responsible for managing a project and it goes awry, you need only look in the mirror to find out why.

  • Create an atmosphere of communication, trust, and confidence, and people will naturally succeed.
  • Rely on micromanagement, fear and distrust, and you will see projects get done, but only to minimal standards. You will have effectively squashed all creativity, innovation, and project ownership.
  • Manage like a magician, appearing out of nowhere to assign projects, leaving the details hidden in your bag of tricks, and constantly looking for applause, and you will see results disappear in a puff of smoke— along with the respect of your team.

Lack of teamwork – If your organization operates in silos (or silence!) you’re setting yourself up for failure from the get-go. Teams need to work together, talk together, succeed together and celebrate together. If you’re not actively encouraging and facilitating these things, you are your own worst enemy.

But how will I know if my employees are struggling?

Sometimes, it can feel like you’ve been blindsided when a key project or employee doesn’t come through. But there are usually some telltale signals that things aren’t working, if you know where to look.

Here are some signs your employees are in the dark:

  • Missed deadlines
  • Procrastination
  • Mistakes
  • Silence
  • Resignation letters

Okay. That last one was a joke. But the cost of underperforming employees isn’t.

If this is an issue in your company, it’s time to take a good look at your HR and management processes to see what’s going on. Look for patterns of behavior among teams and projects, and commit to carving out time with top leadership to talk about what’s going on. Your employees— and your business— are depending on you.

At Sonus Benefits, we help clients all throughout the Midwest identify organizational challenges and put customized solutions in place. From tailored benefit programs to human resource management services, we’ve got you covered. If you’re looking for a corporate employee benefits consultant who is a true business partner, and not just a once a year policy peddler, Sonus is here for you.