| Managing people can sometimes be very | | | | expectations of success along the following |
| rewarding and sometimes frustrating. If we | | | | lines. |
| look back we may find the rewarding times | | | | |
| were when people met, or exceeded, our | | | | At the end of 1 month: |
| expectations. Sometimes they did this without | | | | |
| even knowing what they were! | | | | Allocated receipts and credits to accounts |
| | | | accurately |
| If we look at the frustrating times we may | | | | |
| find a variety of causes - many probably | | | | Successfully applied the credit management |
| relate to the flip of the same thing - not | | | | procedures to key customers |
| meeting our expectations. | | | | |
| | | | At the end of 3 months you may expect the new |
| A key part of leadership is about painting a | | | | employee to have successfully: |
| picture of the future and then taking people | | | | |
| there. This doesn't have to be a grand earth | | | | Applied all Credit Management processes and |
| shattering view of the future. It can just be | | | | policies to all customers |
| about the next step. | | | | |
| | | | Met Credit Management KPIs and targets for at |
| It may be the way a department should be | | | | least one month |
| operating or how your business should be | | | | |
| interacting with a key customer. What the new | | | | At the end of 9 months you would expect the |
| ordering process will look like or how the | | | | new employee to have successfully: |
| filing system will work. | | | | |
| | | | Accurately prepared monthly credit management |
| Describing what you want to see as the | | | | reports, tables and graphs on KPIs for at |
| outcome of an individual's work is an | | | | least 3 consecutive months |
| excellent way to set the scene. But how often | | | | |
| do we take the time to do this? | | | | Brought all accounts within trading terms |
| | | | |
| You can even start it with "My expectations | | | | Once these expectations are set it is up to |
| of this job are that it will achieve ---" | | | | the manager and the employee to talk |
| | | | regularly about progress towards them. |
| With new employees this should start at | | | | Frequent discussions about expectations are |
| recruitment. Try this technique, it can be | | | | going to either lead to success or at least |
| very powerful. | | | | very early warnings that some corrective |
| | | | action has to be taken. |
| Look ahead and clarify what you will expect | | | | |
| the candidate to have achieved to be labelled | | | | What happens after the first year of |
| a success - at the end of three periods, | | | | recruitment? |
| short, medium and long term. Depending on the | | | | |
| nature of the job, the periods may be, say, | | | | We strongly advocate each person having a job |
| one, three and nine months. | | | | description with clear Key Result Areas and |
| | | | Measures. This determines "what" people do. |
| Recruiting is one of the most important | | | | |
| things managers do and if there is no clear | | | | However, often more important is the "how" of |
| idea of what success looks like it makes it | | | | people's performance. These guidelines come |
| so much harder. | | | | from the core competencies of a business. |
| | | | These are the organization's values in |
| We tend to set goals (if we do it at all) in | | | | action. |
| periods of one year. Of course by the time a | | | | |
| year is up it is usually too late to bring | | | | Core competencies can be described as "an |
| people back on track if they have started off | | | | enabling combination of skills, knowledge, |
| badly. | | | | aptitude, motivation and inherent ability" |
| | | | They are observed through the behaviours of |
| Our experience usually lets us know if | | | | people. |
| someone has started well so why don't we | | | | |
| share what this looks like with the new | | | | For example a core competency in a business |
| recruit before they start. | | | | may be "Teamwork" and this may be defined in |
| | | | terms of working cooperatively with team |
| Here is an example of what this may look like | | | | members and working towards shared goals. |
| for a new Sales Manager. | | | | Some of the behaviours demonstrating this |
| | | | competency may include sharing information |
| The first month may include: | | | | with others and offering assistance to fellow |
| | | | team members during high work load periods. |
| Met and got to know each of their staff | | | | |
| | | | All these elements come together to clarify |
| Understood features and benefits of each of | | | | your expectations of what employees need to |
| the products and services they are selling. | | | | deliver and how you expect them to do it. |
| | | | |
| The three month period may include: | | | | In addition to the normal performance |
| | | | management process of setting goals and |
| Met and understood the needs of each of the | | | | providing feedback, using the early |
| key customers | | | | recruitment expectations of success and then |
| | | | reemphasising these based on the job |
| Developed key strategies to improve sales | | | | description and core competencies can be a |
| | | | very effective tool for raising the awareness |
| After nine months you may expect: | | | | of employees about your picture of success. |
| | | | |
| Sales strategies implemented | | | | The job descriptions and core competencies |
| | | | describe the things you expect on a regular |
| Sales to key customers increasing | | | | basis and the goals are the additional |
| | | | expectations you agree together. |
| If this sort of progress is planned you may | | | | |
| reasonably expect the one year goal of | | | | With regular clarification of these |
| increased sales to be met. This approach is | | | | expectations, feedback on progress and |
| far better than recruiting and then only | | | | recognition for achievements, you'll be |
| setting the annual sales targets. | | | | meeting employees' key needs at the same time |
| | | | as increasing the chances of them meeting |
| This technique is applicable at all levels. | | | | yours. |
| The position of Accounts Clerk may have | | | | |