The opportunity for change

For those of us who value performance, and I think today we all do more than ever, the changes our companies face are presenting a unique opportunity to improve performance. The bottom line might not measure up to a couple of years ago but the people in your organization should be maximized for performance today.

Here is a list of some low-cost performance improvement ideas that have consistently provided a return that is far beyond their costs and they are simple to develop and implement.

* Clean up policies and procedures. If the rules of your office are unclear, confusing or inefficient, performers and nonperformers alike may make poor choices. Now is the time to bring everyone together and review polices and procedures and refine processes that are creating wasted efforts or delays in servicing customers. Agree on how to implement the changes and provide enforcement that rewards the positive behaviors your looking for.

Eliminate interferences. Get rid of unproductive administrative tasks, meetings and other rituals that don't add value. Make sure your meetings have an agenda and stick to it. Create periods of uninterrupted work time for you and for your staff where they can actually ... work.

Clarify expectations. Studies show that when expectations are unclear people tend to underperform and experience more conflict with co-workers and managers. This is an opportune moment to align expectations with behaviors and outcomes. The only cost is your time and the yield should be substantial.

Training. Eliminate the nonessential. Redesign dull wasteful subject material or coordinate with a professional trainer to breathe life back into learning. Know what e-learning can be used and focus on the performance based products.

Use job aides. Create your own inexpensive procedural charts, pocket guides, checklists and decision tables to improve decision making and independence. When these are well designed and clear you can get instant improvement from novice employees. They can be expensive but poster board and markers can tell the same story.

Build in OJT. On-the-job training can be a silver bullet when it is structured and done right. You can get excellent results in short time frames and with the right people doing the work and you can save on your outside training expenses. Quick tips and tricks from the pros you already have will save real dollars in efficiencies now and down the road.

Incentives really can work. Some people don't need any incentives. They motivate themselves because they are just wired that way or they love their work. Most of us, however, need some level of recognition. Studies have shown that informal rewards and recognition are often more powerful and meaningful because they can be more timely, and more tailored to the recipient. In general, the message should be: "Your performance is valued and appreciated, and you are valued and appreciated." Whether it's money or public praise, align your incentives with consequences for not performing. When these programs are well-implemented and seen as fair by everyone, they can dramatically improve performance. Having transparent consequences for poor performance encourages doing the right thing for those who need a little help getting on board.

Motivation, confidence and mood. All within your control, all have no dollar cost and all have a huge impact on performance. Eliminate as many environmental threats as possible that exist in your culture. Inspire confidence in yourself, your company and your staff by being positive and creative. Try to minimize the factors that dampen your mood. When you're the boss, you're contagious. The cost is willpower and the payback is instant.

Have feedback systems. Not just casual "what did you think of that" programs but real systems. The simpler the better, but they must be timely to be respected and have a mechanism to let people know when they are on target or need to recalibrate. Peer reviews, surveys, and published metrics are all low cost ideas.

Implement the One-to-One. Each report gets 20 minutes a month of one-on-one time with you to discuss their performance, what's working and what is not working, and to reset expectations between you for the next 30 days. Cost? Zero. Value? Priceless.

Leave dead bodies buried. This is not the time to re-live the past, seek to blame, or preach "this is how we have always done it." Challenge individuals to do new things altogether or do old things in a new ways. Help your people get unstuck and move on or move out.

Human nature. You need to understand human nature before you try to improve yourself or others. Most people do not like change. Some people do not like to make decisions. Some people work better on their own, while others work better in teams. The are all factors that are part of human nature. You cannot change human nature, therefore you need to learn to how to adapt and to expand the comfort zone of human nature. It is far easier to work within the laws of human nature than it is to impose your will.

Steve Conine is owner of Talent Framework and the Reno office of AccuStaff. Contact him at 322-5004 or conine@accustaff-reno.com.