Manager's Training

Manager's Training
Employee Training and Development: Poor performance has many causes

"Did you hire the wrong person, or did you ruin him after you hired him?" That is a question you must consider before terminating an employee because of poor performance. Poor performers are sometimes simply lazy. More often, however, they have been improperly trained. Before you resort to termination, try one or more of the following suggestions related to employee training and development:

Give employees accurate job descriptions
Have you been clear about what you expect? Consider the possibility that your employee isn't doing what you want him to because he doesn't understand what his responsibilities are. Have a single individual responsible for all employee training and development (so no one can slip through the cracks), and be sure assigned tasks are “relevant,” not simply busy work.

Have reasonably demanding expectations
Expectations work two ways. You need to be certain that you don't expect too much; but on the other hand, you shouldn't resort to giving easier assignments if an employee can't handle the tougher ones. Don't reward slothfulness. Be willing to consider the fact that your employee’s way of doing things is better than your way. Prioritize assignments so employees know which ones need to be finished first.

Communicate when there is a problem
If you say nothing, your employee has every right to assume she is doing fine. Give positive feedback. When there is a problem, be certain you attack the "root of the problem" not the individual.

Expect a report of results
A common expression is "employees do what is inspected, not what is expected." Eliminate “hovering” by expecting employees to report to you after a task is completed.

AmCheck offers nationwide Employee Training & Development Services. Get a quote.

Soothing Stress

Soothing Stress
Workplace Stress Management Training: Stress relievers that might help you

Suppose you lost your car keys this week. That might be bad enough, but suppose you were also in the middle of a nasty divorce situation, you had a daughter who was habitually sloughing school, and you were faced with losing your best customer because deliveries were constantly behind schedule. To overcome this one needs workplace stress management training.

All of us cope with stress periodically, but scientists are warning us that chronic stress has some devastating health effects. One of the most common is depression. While the medical evidence suggests that depression is an imbalance in the brain’s biochemistry (meaning that depression is “as biologically grounded as diabetes” or cancer), scientists have yet to come up with a method of treatment that is always effective. In the meantime, lowering the level of stress hormones in our bodies seems to be one of the best methods for preventing and treating the disease.

Here are some suggestions for stress-relievers that might help you:

• Try yoga or massage.
• Stop and do nothing—give yourself thirty minutes to simply sit and think.
• In his recent book, Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers, Stanford neuroendocrinologist Robert Sapolsky suggests that a zebra’s don’t get ulcers because they don’t sit on the sofa and fret when hyenas come close. Try taking a brisk walk or jog to ease tension.
• Talk it over with someone. Even writing your concerns down in a journal or notebook may help.
• Give yourself permission to take an hour a day to do something you really enjoy. It might be something relaxing like taking a hot bath, but it may simply mean sitting down to organize that desk drawer that’s driving you crazy.
  

GRAPHICS BOX
Stress Test:
Ask yourself these questions:

1. Is this really important to me?
2. Would a reasonable person be this upset?
3. Is there anything I can do to fix the situation?
4. Would it be worth it to fix the situation?
   

If you can answer yes to all four, give yourself license to act. If you answered no to even one, you may be better off to distract yourself and focus your energies in another direction.
-Redford Williams, Duke University

AmCheck offers nationwide Employee/Workplace Stress Management Training Services. Get a quote.