by Karen S. Sieczka
http://home.earthlink.net/~ksieczka/
Copyright 2005
We often see only a glimpse of an employee's
capabilities during working hours and believe this is the total
of his or her potential. Think outside the box. Cultivate and
tap into employee skills by following some simple guidelines:
Have high expectations. People rise to our expectations
of them. If you believe they will succeed and communicate this
to them, it is human nature to do everything they can to fulfill
your expectations.
Get to know employees. Take the time to get to
know people. What do they like to do in their off hours? What
organizations do they volunteer for? Hobbies or pastimes are clues
into a host of other skills an employee might have. Use them!
Set goals. People need to know what they are
shooting for. Spell out expectations in measurable, understandable
terms. Aim high but not so high success seems impossible. Break
large projects down into smaller pieces.
Give them a vision. People must believe in the
task at hand to function at the highest performance level. Illustrate
the big picture in an inspirational way. Remind them frequently
what the end result will be.
Have faith. When you assign a task, have confidence
in the person to get the job done. If you micro-manage or refuse
to delegate tasks, people to lose faith in their abilities and
may become resentful. Celebrate milestones. Celebrate each achievement
along the way. Give credit where credit is due and recognize all
contributions.
About the Author:
Karen S. Sieczka is the founder of Karen S. Sieczka
Training and Curriculum Development, http://home.earthlink.net/~ksieczka/.
She is currently writing Foundations of Leadership, a workbook
on leadership development and has developed short trainings on
employee enrichment issues. Sieczka also writes articles and tip
sheets on various subjects including aging, literacy, and crisis
communications issues. She can be reached at ksieczka@earthlink.net
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