| "I wish I could get my employees to (do something, | | | | service clerks), give them your business card. Tell them |
| show some initiative, make a decision, etc.)!" Have you | | | | that they have just passed their first interview with |
| ever had this thought? This statement or something | | | | your company! Everywhere you go, everything you do, |
| quite close, is what I hear so often from business | | | | look for that quality person. It's much better than putting |
| owners. If you would like to do more, with fewer | | | | a cattle call advertisement in the local paper or waiting |
| employees, or get more from the persons you | | | | for a loser to walk through your door and giving them |
| currently employ--read on. | | | | the job because you're too lazy to search for the |
| If you are short on time, I'll give you the concept in a | | | | employee you truly want. |
| nutshell. Similar to Dorothy, in The Wizard Of Oz, she | | | | Now that you've found that ideal person, you must |
| simply had to click her heals and would be back in | | | | properly train them. You must start training the first |
| Kansas. You too, need only to listen to your | | | | day. Gene Geromel, professor of Management of |
| employees and act on what you hear. Do this and | | | | Human Resources at Spring Arbor College says, "The |
| you'll be amazed at the results. | | | | first few days, even hours of one's work often sets |
| Yes, listen, your employees will tell you just how to | | | | the stage for the employee's attitude for years to |
| create a climate that will empower them to be much | | | | come. When you lay a poor foundation for new |
| more productive, especially in these uncertain times. | | | | employees, you are taking a risk." |
| This is the platinum rule of employee motivation--it | | | | When you consider the time, effort, energy and cost |
| applies universally, regardless of age. To maximize | | | | of training an employee, it's obvious that retaining is |
| your listening effectiveness, consider the following: | | | | preferable to retraining. To keep any employee, |
| 1. Reduce your talking. | | | | especially the younger ones, you must show them that |
| 2. Measure your listening. There is a reason that two | | | | you are concerned about them as an employee and a |
| ears and only one mouth are original equipment. | | | | fellow human being. This takes us back to the listening |
| 3. Learn to ask discovery questions: Explain to me... Tell | | | | and acting on what you hear. A quick method to |
| me more, why, how... What do you mean by... What is | | | | turning off an employee is to frequently ask them |
| your opinion about? | | | | what they think and then ignoring what was said! |
| 4. When an employee speaks, deeply listen. The mark | | | | I believe employee recognitions are quite important. |
| of a professional sales person is a closed mouth | | | | Yet, let me caution you about incentives, spiffs, and |
| whenever the prospect speaks. Why? To get | | | | commission. Harvey Mackay said in his book, Swim |
| information that will assist them in the sale--you too | | | | With The Sharks, not to give a turkey at Christmas if |
| need information. | | | | you do not intend to continue the practice. I too learned |
| 5. As you carefully listen to what they say, watch their | | | | what I call the Donut Lesson. When I sold to retailers, |
| body language for subtle clues to additional meanings. | | | | regularly gave product clinics to boost sales. Usually I'd |
| 6. Pre-plan your discussion about incorrect as well as | | | | bring donuts along as a peace offering to the |
| correct performance, always end on a positive. I | | | | employees, as not all were excited about mandatory |
| suggest you become intimately familiar with The One | | | | attendance. Over the years the employees of my |
| Minute Manager by Blanchard and Johnson. | | | | retail customers began to expect the donuts and the |
| 7. Question what you hear. Be sure to understand | | | | value to me for bringing them began to diminish. |
| what is really being said--use the feedback method. | | | | Heaven forbid the few times I didn't bring my peace |
| This is where you repeat what you heard or thought | | | | offering--it was difficult to keep their attention. |
| you heard and ask if the information is correct. | | | | My suggestion based on years of working with |
| Do the above and your chances of reducing the | | | | business owners and a national survey, which I |
| employee revolving door syndrome will be greatly | | | | conducted, is to make the recognitions and/or |
| increased. As it is important to listen it is equally | | | | incentives customized specifically to the employee. |
| important to understand how time and experience | | | | Most of the ideas I've shared with you are actually |
| molds people. | | | | quite simple, you might be thinking, "I could of thought of |
| In a previous life, when I was in the sunglass business, I | | | | those ideas," or you already have. I believe the secret |
| worked for an owner who was motivated only by | | | | is to move into action on these ideas. While it is not |
| money and thought everyone else had the same | | | | always easy, it is simple. To do these things you must |
| motivation. This simply is not true. Yes, we all need | | | | break out of your comfort zone and change your |
| money but there are many more needs that must be | | | | business paradigm. Your new paradigm will be that of |
| met by a job. | | | | a partnering with your employees rather than the old |
| Dr. Morris Massey spent nearly 20 years at the | | | | ineffective paradigm of being an authoritarian boss. |
| University of Colorado as a professor of marketing. | | | | Here are some ideas that will assist you in developing |
| He developed a model of human behavior that I | | | | your partnering paradigm with your own employees:o |
| believe will shed some light on the subject. His model | | | | Understand what makes your employees tick.o Learn |
| takes a unique approach to how values, prejudices | | | | what motivates your associates into action.o Be open |
| and ways of reacting to change are "programmed" | | | | to their ideas.o Allow your employees and yourself to |
| into persons of different age groups. The population is | | | | learn and profit from errors.o Be open in conflict, |
| divided into four groups: | | | | accept the responsibility that your associates may be |
| 1. THE OLAGERS, the traditionalists, they were raised | | | | correct, may have a better idea and discontinue |
| any time before World War II. They remember the | | | | defending your position when proven wrong. A |
| Great Depression and were influenced by the results. | | | | colleague of mine, Patricia Fripp says it best: "Prove |
| 2. THE SCHIZOES, the in-betweeners, they were | | | | me wrong and I'll spend no time defending my former |
| raised in the 1940s and very early 1950s. They are not | | | | position."o Accept the fact that teenagers and young |
| quite sure if they are Olagers or Nuagers and it drives | | | | adults have trust issues with their seniors.o Live by the |
| them crazy. | | | | Law of Reality. One receives from the universe in |
| 3. THE NUAGERS, the rejectionists, (where I and | | | | direct proportion to what one gives. Eastern civilizations |
| many baby boomers fit) grew up between the mid | | | | call it Karma, in the west we refer to the Bible |
| 1950s and early 1960s. | | | | passage, as you sow, so shall you reap.o Teach your |
| 4. THE SYNTECHS, the synthesizers and technicians, | | | | new employees the value, to their life, of learning selling |
| they were raised after 1965. | | | | skills. Help them to understand how they will profit |
| Let's look at the Syntechs (today called GenXers | | | | through life if they know how to communicate |
| & GenYers) because many of today's entry level | | | | well--after all selling is helping via communicating. |
| workers and lower-level management were raised | | | | The psychology of employee motivation is simply |
| after 1965. They have grown up hearing one thing | | | | listening and understanding, I'm pleased that you didn't |
| from the Olagers, their grandparents and the opposite | | | | simply click your heals as Dorothy in Oz could have |
| from the Nuagers, usually their parents. To make | | | | and read on for greater understanding. One last |
| matters worse, they get all kinds of mixed messages | | | | thought with which to leave you. |
| from the Schizoes. The Syntechs have grown up with | | | | If you drove a 7 Series BMW and pulled into the your |
| technology--my oldest son, for example used a | | | | local dealership for a tune up or more importantly a |
| computer before I did and my younger son has | | | | major repair and noticed that the mechanic had only a |
| always used a computer. They were also raised on | | | | screwdriver and pair of pliers in his or her toolbox, |
| the 30 second television commercial solving even the | | | | would you stick around? Would you let that mechanic |
| most complex problem quicker than getting the water | | | | work on your pride and joy? No way! You'd be out of |
| temperature correct for a shower. | | | | there so quick it would make the mechanic's head spin. |
| Val Surf & Sport, a small specialty retail chain in | | | | You and your employees also have toolboxes. Inside, |
| the San Fernando Valley (an area in the northwestern | | | | tools of selling and communication, as well as product |
| most part of Los Angeles County) does their best to | | | | knowledge may be found. Grow yourself and all those |
| give their sports experts time off to enjoy their sport, | | | | with which you work. Challenge yourself and the |
| says Mark Richards, owner. He says that scheduling is | | | | persons around you to daily become their best. |
| a bit tricky at times but believes that's the price he | | | | One of my favorite quotations that you might want to |
| must pay to cut down on employee turnover. Richards | | | | copy for yourself is: "There is one thing stronger than |
| knows the value of slowing down the employee | | | | all the armies in the world, and that is an idea whose |
| turnstile. | | | | time has come." - Victor Hugo. Hopefully the time has |
| When you go grocery shopping, for example and are | | | | come for you to listen. |
| impressed by the box person (now called customer | | | | |