Inspiring Responsibility in the Workplace

Getting FOUR employees to do the work of ONE is one of the easiest management jobs available, and one of the most common.

No!  That was not a typo…..Personal productivity is one of the most mismanaged areas within most organizations.  Not because employees want to work at less than their capabilities, because THEY ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE RESULTS….YOU ARE!

If you have employees that are working at 20% of their personal capacity, and you have accepted that as standard, then you are hiring at that standard.  Because you are accepting less, less is happening…YOU ARE AFFECTING YOUR CASH FLOW!

Here is a quick Responsibility Audit.  Let’s see how you do. 

1)       Customers openly brag about your companym  
2)       Company annual income growth of 20%+            
3)       Weekly suggestions for improved profit                 
4)       Your employee is more important than a customer 
5)       People are standing in line to work for you          

Two or more “no” answers mean you have a problem with employees taking responsibility.

SO WHAT IS HAPPENING?

Is it the way we lead?  Is it the way we deal with shortcomings?  On the other hand, do we treat our employees like children?

Through all of our years of experience in working with all types of businesses and organizations, we have come to recognize a consistency of cause and effect with regard to employees not taking responsibility.

HIGHLY RESPONSIBLE TEAM

What does it take to change the overall culture of a business or organization into a highly responsible team?  One with all members pulling their own weight, actively helping others?  An organization with automatic deadwood control!

ARE YOU WILLING?  CAN YOU GET OUT OF THE BOX?

It is natural for employees to take responsibility, so what happens that changes this natural inclination?  What has been happening within our organizations to cause such change?  How can you get your people to take responsibility?

YOU CAN’T BEAT THE RESULTS!

In a recent four-year study conducted by John Kotter and John Heskett, they found nine to ten firms in each of 20 industries outperformed other firms by a large margin, when a strong  corporate culture was created based on responsibility and strong shared values.

• Revenue grew five times faster.
• Stock prices rose 12 times faster.
• Profit was 750 percent higher.
• Job creation was 7 times higher.

FAILURE MENTALITY!

There is no such thing as failure, only incomplete successes.  Nothing is ever 100% one-way or the other.  What part didn’t work?  Keep what was successful and use it again!  This will create an environment where everyone is excited about helping.  When was the last time an employee had an idea, brought it to management, and was shot down?  Was that a reward for trying? 

LET THEM GROW!

Think about someone you went to high school with and haven’t seen since.  What are they like in your mind?  Probably just like they were when you last saw them.  Go to your next class reunion and be shocked…they grew up!

What happens if your employee makes a mistake and learns from it?  They just became more valuable.  What do you remember?  What they did or what they have become?

ATTITUDE!

A well noted Human Resource Vice President in industry for over 30 years said, “No one ever got fired because of having improper skills, most are fired because of a poor attitude.”

What happens when a leader has a poor attitude?  Do they get the best there is from their employees?  How much more does it cost to get a job done because of poor management attitude?  After all, who wants to be responsible for someone who doesn’t care?

SO WHAT DO YOU WANT?

Success requires people to lead in a way that creates responsible outcomes.  Where are you in your business, startup, expansion, growth, maturity?  What kind of a culture are you creating in your company?  Does it promote loyalty?  What about growth and profit?  Is it a company you would enjoy doing business? 

Awareness of the issues and skills needed can change your employees’ productivity into ONE employee doing the work of FOUR.  When a company is willing to retool their skills, and know what skills to use effectively, it will change from confrontational and stagnated into bright and lively success stories.

Are you ready to create a highly responsible productive team of employees?  Do you know who to call for the answers?    
 To learn more about Bill McGrane and his life transforming seminars Making It Happen and Move Into Your greatness, motivational speeches, coaching and products, to help you believe in yourself, live with balance and bring others into their greatness please visit our web site at www.mcgrane.com or contact us at 859-384-6333 or email us at mcgrane@mcgrane.com

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