With all the information at your fingertips, there is no idea shortage for how you can improve employee performance. Each team member is different so finding the right approach to help them be better will need to be individual, yet effective, for the majority. Your team should know you want to help them improve for their personal benefit as well as for the good of the company but money is not the only important factor. Here are five ways to improve your team’s performance.
1. Set clear goals.
Your people need to know what is expected of them. There aren’t too many things more frustrating than having to read someone’s mind concerning your future. Your team does not need to try to read into your actions, words and plans to figure out their own career objectives. This not only helps them work towards a specific goal but also helps the team understand if everyone is on the same page. If values and goals don’t align, it might be time to replace that person.
2. Address bad behavior and negative attitudes.
One person can ruin an entire team with negativity and divisive words. You may need to give formal reprimand either verbally or written. It is usually a good idea to start with a less formal, nonconfrontational approach, but it that doesn’t work, be prepared to act on a more serious level.
3. Reward improvement.
Just as you need to address bad behavior and poor performance, you also need to acknowledge the good. If your team feels appreciated, they will be more eager to complete the goals and even surpass them.
4. Provide space for criticism.
While your team may not want to complain about certain practices, they will probably have ways to improve. These constructive critiques can range from personnel issues to HR and everything in between. When you provide the platform for your team to vent, feel heard and even take steps to improve, they will believe in the company. This can translate to a greater personal stake in the day to day operations for each team member, which means they will improve their performance as they truly care more and more about the company.
5. Understand why they are underperforming.
This can be something as simple as their company-issued devices never work, so they are unable to perform at the highest level. If you can’t afford to upgrade them at this time, let them know it is understood and you are working to fix it. If they are consistently late to work, try to find out; a family or transportation issue could be the cause and you can work with them on a different start and end time or give them a window for arrival, when possible. It is rare you will have an employee who just doesn’t want to please their manager, but when that happens, try to understand why and then see how you can fix it.
Your team is a reflection of you and if you don’t like what you see, take a good look in the mirror. If you need to modify your team structure, add new employees and improve your infrastructure, contact the professionals at WSi Healthcare. We can provide you with highly qualified team members who will work to improve their own performance, as well as those around them.