Keep Your Employees with these Key Questions

First Break all The Rules book coverHave you read this book? First, Break All the Rules, What the World’s Great Managers Do Differently is a compilation of the findings of Gallup poll researchers who interviewed over 1 million employees, 80,000 managers and 400 companies.  The book makes several great points.

One is how to determine the strength of any workplace. Ask your employees these questions:

1. Do I know what is expected of me at work?

2. Do I have the materials and equipment I need to do my work right?

3. At work, do I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day?

4. In the last seven days, have I received recognition or praise for doing good work?

5. Does my supervisor, or someone at work, seem to care about me as a person?

6. Is there someone at work who encourages my development?

7. At work, do my opinions seem to count?

8. Does the mission/purpose of my company make me feel my job is important?

9. Are my co-workers committed to doing quality work?

10. Do I have a best friend at work?

11. In the last six months, has someone at work talked to me about my progress?

12. This last year, have I had the opportunities at work to learn and grow?

These are the  core elements needed to attract, focus, and keep the most talented employees.  We explore these strategies further in our leadership resilience hub, where sustained performance under pressure is the central focus.  The first 6 questions are the most important fundamental questions that often get jumped over.  That is a critical mistake, because those 6 are foundational before any employee can even consider vision, mission, and growth.

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©2012 Snowden McFall All Rights Reserved.  No duplication or reprinting without permission and author reference

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Improve Your Communication by Not Interrupting

Listening handshakeAmericans frequently interrupt others in their conversations. It’s a bad habit for many of us, and it has to do with one
simple thing. We interrupt because we are afraid that we will not get a chance to say what we want to say.

In most cases, you can establish groundrules with your co-workers, loved ones and customers. You might consider saying something like “I want to give you my complete attention because what you’re saying is important. So I’m going to let you talk and I’ll listen, and when you’re done, I’ll give you my thoughts. Is that OK with you?”

Most people are delighted you want to give them your undivided attention! I’ve spoken to thousands of people and I often do active listening exercises in my speeches and trainings. Invariably, people say it is a huge relief to be heard.  And some realize that they really have
not been good listeners before. So now is the time to start.
Set the guidelines, listen, don’t interrupt, and watch the quality of your communication improve dramatically!

©2012 Snowden McFall All Rights Reserved.  No duplication or reprinting without permission and author reference

Get Fired Up! About Social Media

Make the Most of Your Posts

If you are one of the of people who regularly use social media to share information, here are a few tips to fire up! your social media and relieve stress from posting. (Learned some of this from Dan Zarella at Hubspot- thanks Dan.)

1. Complete the bio section on each social media platform. Include a photo, background info- anything you are willing to make public.  People trust more when they can learn about you and see your face.

2. Don’t overdo it and don’t crowd your content.  Posting 5 times within an hour is a waste.  It works much better to post once an hour during your heavily trafficked times. Find out what those are by using Tweriod.com.

3. Use keywords in your content to increase your search engine rankings.

4. Keep your article posts short and to the point without lots of flowery language and adjectives. The KISS method works best.

4. Always add value in your posts.  Make it about your followers.

 

To sign up for Snowden’s ezine newsletter on stress, happiness, marketing and motivation, go to: http://firedupnow.com/firedupemailregister.html

 ©2011 Snowden McFall All Rights Reserved. No duplication 
or reprinting without permission and author reference.