Devices, apps and connectivity in the workplace are all at an inflection point. The adoption of smartphones means technophobia has given way to heavy tech use in all aspects of our work—with massive changes underway in how we communicate, collaborate, coach and manage.
We all want to motivate employees to reach their potential. But how do we know what works best—positive motivation or negative? Feedback or reinforcement?
Like the famous story of the mice who’d like to put a bell on a prowling cat—evolving a performance management system can feel like a great idea that is hard to put into practice. In order to successfully implement change, three conditions must be present: a pressing desire for change—or dissatisfaction with the status quo, a vision for the future, and a process or plan for change.
In sales we make buying decisions with our emotions, and then use logic and facts to justify those decisions. That’s why stories and analogies are essential components of any selling process. Stories help us engage with our prospects more effectively and put them into the right frame of mind to hear what we have to say.
As humans, we have a very complicated relationship with feedback. Especially at work.
Even studies and surveys feel contradictory: We know we need critical input. We know it works. But we also know it creates high levels of stress for everyone—and that it can easily backfire.
So how can you set up a feedback system that actually works? Scholars say the solution is encouraging employees to proactively request the feedback they need. Employee-driven feedback gives workers autonomy that decreases stress and increases effectiveness for everyone.
Coaching employees can be an intensely rewarding experience. But, if you don’t know how to set limits or spot trouble, it can also turn into a soul-sucking nightmare.
Here’s some advice we’ve collected over the years on how you can practice some basic self-preservation, avoid being pulled into the void, and still function as a fantastic and effective coach for employees.