Blogs on Human Resource and Organizational Success

Bill Gates commented on performance, saying, “In business, the idea of measuring what you are doing, picking the measurements that count like customer satisfaction and performance… you thrive on that.” His comment about measurements, customer satisfaction, and performance incorporates three concepts that must act together for a positive result. The performance management cycle is seasonal or annual checks on employee performance. The system has regards for no category of employee and seeks to make amends and to drive every workforce unitedly towards a planned goal. The primary target of this formality is to generate or discover strategies that work. This is why the strategy takes place mostly on an annual basis to rate employee performance and see what could be done to enhance performance. Ultimately, the idea of the performance management cycle keeps employees on course to deliver desired outputs. This is the case because employees generally fear receiving the least possible rating in any organization. The idea connects with the corporate core values of employees and attempts to match such values with the expectations of the organization. The cycle is coupled with advantages such as work effectiveness, job flexibility, staff commitment, and high competition among staff. It involves four stages, which include. Planning Monitoring Reviewing Rewarding Planning: Planning is the first stage of the performance management cycle, and it deals with setting simple, achievable goals. Here, there could be minor but effective activities such as a description of the job at hand, outlining clear goals, and informing staff members of the expectations of the organization for the year. This phase should include understanding and incorporating the guiding principles of the organization.  Further, management should identify performance objectives and strategies that have an employee focus.   While planning, let the plan agree with John Quincy Adams’ statement that, “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” Make plans that motivate an employee and that are flexible. Be part of the plans and try to carry every individual along. In order to have a simpler performance management model, consider implementing the S-M-A-R-T technique. This is a technique for goal-setting.  Goals or objectives should be: S : Specific – Be specific with the goal and ensure it is a clear goal for easy understanding in the organization. M : Measurable – All plans must be measurable and easy to comply with. A : Achievable – Do not plan on actions that are not easily achievable by the organization. Simply, be realistic with the plans. R : Relevant – All plans must be relevant and able to leave positive effects on organizational growth. T : Time-Bound – Do not make plans to borders away from achievable time. One of the most essential processes in this phase is the last portion of it.  Both the manager and employee (and sometimes HR) should agree and confirm the plans before implementing them.  This ensures an understanding by all involved. Monitoring: The second phase of the performance management cycle involves keeping tabs on the ongoing activities and businesses of the organization. Check up on the progress and employee performances in place towards achieving an organizational goal. Meet occasionally to discuss difficulties and proffer solutions. It is ideal to hear staff suggestions as they sometimes know what is best for the company since they are more involved in the production aspect. In this phase, a manager should provide ongoing coaching, counseling, mentoring, and guidance.  They should also promote employee training and development opportunities in order to manage underperformance and disciplinary issues better.   Performance monitoring and development should be ongoing processes, that if encompassed with effective goal-setting, can build a bridge to employee success. Reviewing: Review activities to identify how much of the goals have been met so far. In essence, here we determine the accountability effectiveness measures.  Ideally, a review should result in taking measures to enhance the current situation. Further, it is essential to determine that the additional measures help to meet goals. Giving due attention to staff is critical. The staff could likely be declining as a result of specific new company policies, innovation, working environment, or poor employer-employee relationships. In order to uncover the cause, question such staff, and do not reprimand the staff in the process. Be encouraging to convince such staff to become more committed to the job. It is important to refer to previously developed plans to see if goals have been met.  Determining rating results is important at this stage.  At this stage, managers should provide feedback on the rating results and performance objectives.  The keyword is feedback! Rewarding: The fourth and final state of the performance management cycle is the rewards, remuneration, and recognition phase.  This is an encouragement of an employee’s performance for the season. Dale Carnegie (Leadership Training Guru) opines that “People work for money but go the extra mile for recognition, praise, and rewards.” Apart from money, workers also need recognition and deserving praises. What this means is that an employee who feels unrecognized will not remain committed. To encourage that desire to work more and dedicate more, a reward should be considered. Such rewards could come in many forms and may include gifts, promotion, increased salary, reduced work hours, and extended liberties. Rewards should not initially be tied to ratings or plans.  Ratings should be used to evaluate performance.  Meeting goals and objectives may ultimately be tied to monetary rewards such as bonuses or merit increases.  Other rewards may include promotions, special recognition, or meeting requirements for certification. This stage is also characterized by implementing performance improvement initiatives as or if necessary.  If the employee did not meet desired goals and objectives, they should not necessarily be rewarded, but should also receive the appropriate follow-up to ‘reward’ their performance. This is sometimes done with performance improvement plans. 

Running a business can be quite unpredictable, even if it’s just a small-scale one. However, through cross-functional training, you can manage such uncertainty by creating teams that have a broad range of skills. Basically, cross-functional training aims to form groups made of individuals with varying skills then have them work towards a common goal. In most cases, it will involve individuals from various departments like marketing, human resources, finance, etc. However, despite being practiced by a number of companies due to its benefits, there are still companies that are quite hesitant to start cross-functional training due to a number of reasons. The Biggest Benefit of Cross-Functional Training: Perhaps the biggest benefit that cross-functional training has to offer is that it promotes loyalty. In general, training has the ability to make employees feel that they’re valued by the company. After all, you as the business owner invested time and knowledge in them, with the aim of letting them learn new things and expand their knowledge and expertise. As a result, employees will appreciate the business more, and they will get the feeling that they belong in a family along with their new teammates. Ideally, this can significantly reduce the rate of resignations. Apart from that, employees who have undergone cross-functional training will be less prone to boredom compared to workers who do the same, repetitive tasks every time they log in until they leave the office. This is because cross-functional training will challenge them as they get to learn and practice new skills, and as a result, this makes them enjoy their jobs even more. Not only that, but they also become empowered to make decisions regarding where their efforts are highly needed during a particular time. They can also pass on their knowledge to each other whenever necessary, essentially making them better coworkers and allowing them to develop leadership qualities. But here’s the real question we haven’t tackled yet: does cross-functional training actually promote loyalty? The Connection Between Cross-Training and Loyalty: According to an article by Harvard Business Review, 75% of all cross-functional teams end up failing. There are a number of factors behind them, and some of them are present in all projects: serving customer needs, staying on the schedule and budget, and sticking to specifications. Most of the troubles experienced by cross-functional teams come from departmental silos. People have a tendency to be in a group with similar people who has the same thinking that they do. And just like regular teams, cross-functional teams also require someone with strong leadership traits and communication skills. So why bother anyway when it has a higher chance of failing? It’s because cross-functional communication is a form of art. As long as leaders can get it right with their time management and leadership skills, they can expect significant improvements in revenues, product appeal, and even brand loyalty. As long as leaders build trust with their team members, cross-functional training will have a higher likelihood of succeeding. Achieving Positive Results: As mentioned earlier, one of the reasons why most cross-functional teams end up failing is due to departmental silos. For example, designers don’t do well when paired with engineers, and so on. One solution to this problem is to encourage your project managers to lead by example. This could include demonstrating active listening skills, meeting deadlines, and upholding promises. As team leaders, they should set the bar for their members. On the other hand, you can show trust in your project managers by giving them critiques in private then encouraging them to try new ideas. It also helps to give them permission to fail. As the head above it all, you should also possess some form of a leadership skill which can be any of the following: Servant leadership Transformational leadership Situational leadership Transactional leadership Democratic leadership During cross-functional training, you can encourage everyone to communicate more openly with each other. You can also schedule meetings to allow different teams to interact with each other, share each of their progress, and even share new ideas. By doing so, your company can benefit from such a form of training (even if it ends up failing) by just gathering people from various departments all in the same room. The Bottom Line: Everyone in a company should feel the satisfaction of pouring their effort into a business initiative while gaining the recognition they truly deserve for all the hard work they’ve done. You might think that it’s not really that necessary, but for cross-functional teams, getting the glory they rightly deserve for successfully completing the challenge of inter-departmental collaboration is a big deal, and it’s one that can certainly create a sense of loyalty for your company.

We are excited to announce that Human Resource Management Essentials You Always Wanted To Know was recently presented with the 2020 NYC Big Book Distinguished Favorite Award in the Business – General category. The NYC Big Book Awards announces its awards every year. This award is presented to independent authors and publishers; as well as big and small presses. The objective of the award is to help find the audiences these books were made for. The books for this recognition are judged on presentation, editorial quality, and audience appeal.     GRAB YOUR COPY NOW  

These days, it’s not unusual for older adults to retire, only to re-enter the workforce in their golden years. More often than not, this can be attributed to economic needs. After all, living on retirement savings and other benefits can make seniors feel the crunch, especially with rising medical expenses and a higher cost of living at present. Not only that, but some seniors also find their newfound free time boring and lonely, so they crave the stimuli of productive work. Thankfully, there are ways you can return to work as a senior. The best part: there are opportunities you can take where you won’t even need to sacrifice your freedom so you can still enjoy the flexibility that comes with retirement. Below are some of the best options. Leverage Your Expertise You’ve already put in years — decades, even — into your industry, so by the time you retire, you’re already a walking encyclopedia of expertise and have many references you can call upon. As such, it’s a good idea to make use of what you already know by re-entering your field as an independent consultant. This is one of the best things you can do post-retirement, especially if you have a special skill and/or a valuable network, as it can be very lucrative, while also offering you a chance to do what you love. Alternatively, one other great way to make use of what you already know in retirement is to go into teaching or research. This is a particularly viable option in a highly specialized industry like the sciences, and it’s a great way to remain active in the field without making it a full-time job. Consider Remote Work These days, the gig economy is thriving, and there’s no reason that you as an older adult can’t get in on it. In fact, thanks to modern technology, finding remote work is a real breeze these days. The best part is, there are many gigs you can do on your own time in the comforts of your home — all the better to keep up your retiree lifestyle. Start by looking to freelance job boards for opportunities in customer service, sales, marketing, writing, and more. Most of these job boards even have nifty apps to help you in your search. So, as a rule, make sure to highlight your strengths, skills, and experience to create a profile that really stands out. If you’re going to be working from home, you need to have a home office that allows you to maximize your productivity. If possible, try to locate your office away from high-traffic locations in your home. Make sure you have enough outlets to plug in any equipment you may need. When choosing an office chair, look for an ergonomic model, which is especially important if you suffer from joint pain. Find Out What Your Community Needs Going back to work after retirement is also the perfect opportunity to do something different and meaningful, so if you’re craving a change of pace, you’re definitely in a good place to pursue it. Indeed, there are a lot of retirement jobs that you can consider that serve your community. For instance, seniors are often a real hit as babysitters, petsitters, or housesitters because of their trustworthiness and experience in the matter. Or, if you have a particular talent or passion, like dance or arts and crafts, why not teach it part-time? Working in retail is also a feasible option that’s worth considering. There are many stores that hire senior workers, and these jobs can provide you with a great avenue to make use of your people skills. Ditto with sales jobs in various industries, such as insurance, which will undoubtedly offer you the challenge and engagement that you need. It’s a good idea to research the most senior-friendly companies in your area to see if you’re a good fit before preparing to get interviewed. Suffice it to say, life after retirement need not be a dead end. Rather, it’s a time that’s filled with opportunities that are as fun and rewarding as they are lucrative. So go ahead, update your CV, and let the job hunt commence!   GRAB YOUR COPY NOW