Put in the time...

I talk to managers all the time who tell stories about the people that work for them. Nothing specific, just their general nature. Lots of good stuff, but sometimes lamenting that not enough of them are entirely positive or effective or reliable. My response is usually the same: you get out of them what you put in… which is something like what we learned in Sunday school as kids: that you reap what you sow. At work, this proverb often means:

 

·      Putting in the time during with on boarding to teach your employees how to perform and meet expectations.

·      Putting in the time during their first few months of work to check back with them often to see if they need further information or instruction.

·      Putting in the time to personally watch their performance to know first-hand how they’re doing.

·      Putting in the time to coach them when needed.

·      Putting in the time to catch them doing things right.

·      And putting in the time to let them know you care.

 

That way you end up with only one kind of employee: the ones you’ve invested in to give them an equal opportunity to succeed. The rest is up to them. That way, whatever the outcome, you’ll know you did all you could. Invest in giving your employees what they need to succeed today.

 

Thomas Clancy Jr. (1947 – 2013): American novelist. He is best known for his technically detailed espionage and military-science storylines set during and after the Cold War.