Good vs. Great
Good employees are typically identified as those who arrive to work on time, perform well in their job, have good attendance habits, and get along well with their peers. Many employers might be 100% satisfied with having a workplace full of good employees, and who can really argue with them? After all, it’s definitely better than having a company full of awful employees!
But, why settle for good when you can have GREAT? In addition to the work and attendance habits shared by their peers, great employees also demonstrate leadership, initiative, accountability, and innovation.
Great employees earn respect from their peers and management alike because their contributions often exceed the expectations established for them. They understand the goals and objectives set forth by your organization, and have the ability to lead their team toward a common goal.
Encouraging Greatness
Although it would be great to have a staff made up entirely of great employees, let’s face up to the fact that not everyone is cut out to be a leader, take risks, or step outside of their comfort zones. They can still achieve greatness, albeit maybe not as noticeably as their exemplary counterparts.
Quite often, a good employee is like a diamond in the rough, and with the right coaching and opportunities, can achieve brilliant greatness. Recognizing their individual talents and putting them to constructive and effective use builds enthusiasm and buy-in, and establishes a foundation for future accomplishments and achievements.
Rewarding Greatness
Let’s say for example, that you’ve noticed a few newer employees always gravitating to a particular person for help with their questions. Not only does this employee, who we’ll call Kay, answer their immediate questions, but she also takes the time to provide some background to explain the “why” behind the “how”, and refers them to additional resources that might be helpful as they continue building knowledge. Watching this interaction between Kay and the newer employees would indicate that Kay is knowledgeable, approachable, and wants to help the new employees succeed.
As Kay’s manager, you recognize that she has gone above and beyond expectations, and decide to reward her talents and efforts by appointing her to officially act as a mentor to the junior staff. In addition to assisting with their questions and her own job duties, Kay has also been tasked with developing written procedures, presenting training topics in the weekly staff meetings, and assisting with the new hire training process.
For Kay to be successful in this new role, it is important that the responsibilities and expectations are clearly defined, and that the resources she’ll need are readily available and accessible.
Ideally, an increase in salary or change in title would be made to support Kay’s additional responsibilities; however this may not always an immediate option, depending upon your organization’s policies and practices. Note – we’ll discuss perks and incentives in another newsletter.
Greatness Achieved
In this example, our manager recognized an employee’s talents and contributions, and channeled them into a productive new assignment that will lead Kay and her peers to achieve continued success and greatness.
Contact us!
Please contact Double C Professional Consulting Services today for more information on how we can help you lead your employees to greatness.
