Become Boss of the Year

How would you like to become Boss of the Year to your employees?

It may be a lot easier than you might think.

A great first step is to ask each of your employees seven questions to determine what motivates them.  I learned these seven questions years ago from Mark Sanborn of Sanborn & Associates, a leadership development speaker.  Using these seven questions can be even more powerful today.

The best managers I have ever had never asked me these questions.  They believed they knew what motivated me.  (Of course, the worst ones couldn't have cared less.)

Here are the Seven Questions to Hit Your Hot Employees' Hot Button:

1)      What do you like most about your job?
In these challenging economic times, we can't always give raises or promotions.  But if you give your employees more of what they like to do (things they are probably quite good at it), they will perceive that as a reward.

2)      What do you like least about your job?
See if you can take that away.  There may be others in the department who would jump at the chance to perform that function.

3)      What would you like to do in the future?
The temptation of being the manager of a well-oiled machine is that you just want to keep it going.  But maybe Barbara has been doing her job for the last eight years and she now wants to move on to other opportunities.  Tell Barbara, "If you cooperate with me, I can help make your dreams a reality."  But first you need to find out what Barbara's ambitions are.

4)      What would you most like to learn?
Tell your employees that you will invest in them.  Clark State's Corporate Solutions can provide the training, consulting and coaching.  Contact me and we can develop a comprehensive plan for your employees' growth.

5)      When do you feel you do your best work?
It may not necessarily be important when your employees do their work as it is if they do their work.
 Some people function best in the morning, some in the afternoon, some in the evening.  Edward M. Hallowell, author of Crazy Busy, calls an employee's prime time (no matter when it occurs during the day) "Morning Burst."  But if they don't utilize the time properly by working on important rather than just urgent tasks, that time becomes "Morning Bust."

Maybe you can give your employees flexibility to work around the schedule of the rest of their lives.  As a result, as a boss, you can get unprecedented loyalty.

6)      Who do you like working with the most?
One of the sessions we offer at Clark State assesses your employees' behavioral styles.  We find, for instance, that "thinkers" love to work with other "thinkers."  (Thinkers tend to be accountants, engineers and IT professionals.)  They dislike working with "socializers," whom they may perceive to be too unorganized, illogical and always out entertaining clients on the golf course.  Of course, "socializers" may find "thinkers" to be way too detail-oriented and nit-picky.

Clark State can help you put people in your organization together to get true synergy.

7)      What's most important to you in a job?
This all-encompassing question can help you determine what are your employees' attitudes and philosophies.

Some observations other bosses asking these questions:

A)     The exercise works best if you just let your employees talk . . . and you listen.  By listening, we mean to listen not only with your ears, but also with your eyes and your heart.

B)      It doesn't matter if you don't have all the answers to any questions the employees might raise.  Their typical response will be, "Wow, you really care what I think?  Nobody has ever asked me these questions before!"

C)      The answers will blow you away.  The responses won't be anything like you think you are going to hear from your employees!

Try it!

Learning what motivates your employees and how to utilize their strengths will save you and your employees your most valuable resource . . . time.

This is just one of the techniques we discuss in "Time Refuses to be Managed:  How to Manage Yourself Instead," a no-cost Lunch and Learn presentation we will deliver to your employees at your place of business.  Yes, the lunch is free, too!

All we ask in return is a chance to meet with your senior leadership to explore the organization's consulting and training needs.

To schedule your complimentary Lunch and Learn presentation (yes, your employees will see this interesting, fast-paced hour as a reward, too), so contact Ted Janusz at (937) 429-8924 or email (janusze@clarkstate.edu).