{"id":692,"date":"2018-01-08T15:00:34","date_gmt":"2018-01-08T15:00:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sonusbenefits.com\/?p=692"},"modified":"2018-01-08T15:01:45","modified_gmt":"2018-01-08T15:01:45","slug":"why-employees-fail-what-you-can-do-about-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sonusbenefits.com\/why-employees-fail-what-you-can-do-about-it\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Employees Fail\u2014 And What You Can Do About It."},"content":{"rendered":"

When it comes down to it, there are three basic reasons employees fail.\u00a0Fortunately (or unfortunately) all of these things are within your control. Once you recognize the issues, you can work toward solutions.<\/span><\/p>\n

When it comes down to it, there are three basic reasons employees fail.<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. They\u2019re at the wrong company<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. They\u2019re in the wrong position<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. You\u2019re not giving them what they need to succeed<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Fortunately (or unfortunately) all of these things are within your control. Once you recognize the issues, you can work toward solutions.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Wrong bus<\/b><\/p>\n

    The concept is simple, but oh-so-true. You\u2019ve got to have the right people on the bus in order to get where you want to go.<\/span><\/p>\n

    When someone is on the wrong bus, it\u2019s usually pretty obvious. They aren\u2019t a good fit culturally. They aren\u2019t interested in where the organization is going or how they can help move it in the right direction. They don\u2019t enjoy their work\u2014 or their work mates. None of this is good for the individual in question or the team as a whole.<\/span><\/p>\n

    If you let someone on your bus who clearly doesn\u2019t belong, it\u2019s time to gently help them off.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Right bus, wrong seat<\/b><\/p>\n

    This scenario is a little harder to diagnose. Sometimes, you\u2019ve got an employee on staff who tries hard and is well-liked, but who is constantly struggling to meet their job goals and objectives.<\/span><\/p>\n

    It\u2019s possible you\u2019ve made a fantastic cultural hire only to put that person in the wrong role.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Examples of this include:<\/span><\/p>\n

      \n
    • Hiring people for positions they didn\u2019t apply for<\/span>\n
        \n
      • \u201cWe really liked her when she interviewed for the accounting position, so we offered her the opening in HR.\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
      • Promoting high performers into jobs they aren\u2019t suited for<\/span>\n
          \n
        • \u201cHe\u2019s such a good salesperson, we made him the team manager.\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
        • Adding new responsibilities that don\u2019t play to individual skill sets<\/span>\n
            \n
          • \u201cHer main focus is marketing, but we needed help in IT.\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

            Never assume that people and positions are interchangeable. They aren\u2019t. The absolute right person in the absolute wrong position will be an absolute disaster.<\/span><\/p>\n

            Even your very best employees can fail if you put them in a position to do so.<\/span><\/p>\n

            It\u2019s not them. It\u2019s you.<\/b><\/p>\n

            Of course you\u2019re 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.<\/span><\/p>\n

            Here are some common leadership mistakes that can cause good employees to fail:<\/span><\/p>\n

            Lack of direction<\/i><\/b> \u2013 If your employees aren\u2019t 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.<\/span><\/p>\n

            Poor communication<\/i><\/b> \u2013 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.<\/span><\/p>\n

            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\u2019t. Answer questions and make notes about ideas for next time.<\/span><\/p>\n

            Bad management<\/i><\/b> \u2013 If you\u2019re responsible for managing a project and it goes awry, you need only look in the mirror to find out why.<\/span><\/p>\n

              \n
            • Create an atmosphere of communication, trust, and confidence, and people will naturally succeed.<\/span><\/li>\n
            • 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.<\/span><\/li>\n
            • 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\u2014 along with the respect of your team.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

              Lack of teamwork<\/i><\/b> \u2013 If your organization operates in silos (or silence!) you\u2019re setting yourself up for failure from the get-go. Teams need to work together, talk together, succeed together and celebrate together. If you\u2019re not actively encouraging and facilitating these things, you are your own worst enemy.<\/span><\/p>\n

              But how will I know if my employees are struggling?<\/b><\/p>\n

              Sometimes, it can feel like you\u2019ve been blindsided when a key project or employee doesn\u2019t come through. But there are usually some telltale signals that things aren\u2019t working, if you know where to look.<\/span><\/p>\n

              Here are some signs your employees are in the dark:<\/span><\/p>\n

                \n
              • Missed deadlines<\/span><\/li>\n
              • Procrastination<\/span><\/li>\n
              • Mistakes<\/span><\/li>\n
              • Silence<\/span><\/li>\n
              • Resignation letters<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                Okay. That last one was a joke. But the cost of underperforming employees isn\u2019t.<\/span><\/p>\n

                If this is an issue in your company, it\u2019s time to take a good look at your HR and management processes to see what\u2019s going on. Look for patterns of behavior among teams and projects, and commit to carving out time with top leadership to talk about what\u2019s going on. Your employees\u2014 and your business\u2014 are depending on you.<\/span><\/p>\n

                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\u2019ve got you covered. If you\u2019re 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.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

                 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                When it comes down to it, there are three basic reasons employees fail.\u00a0Fortunately (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. They\u2019re at the wrong company They\u2019re in the wrong…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":694,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","_mi_skip_tracking":false},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nWhy Employees Fail\u2014 And What You Can Do About It. - Sonus Benefits<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sonusbenefits.com\/why-employees-fail-what-you-can-do-about-it\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Why Employees Fail\u2014 And What You Can Do About It. - Sonus Benefits\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"When it comes down to it, there are three basic reasons employees fail.\u00a0Fortunately (or unfortunately) all of these things are within your control. 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