Years ago I had an employee (we’ll call him Jack) who was on the verge of being let go from our company for performance issues.
I had just taken over leadership of the team and had inherited this employee.
I had worked with Jack for a while, and while I knew he wasn’t the best on the team, I was a little surprised at how bad he was at his job.
The worst part?
He had no idea he was failing miserably.
Jack was frustrated that he had been overlooked several times after applying for his dream job within the company, but he never understood why he hadn’t been selected. He definitely had no idea he was about to lose his job.
Many times throughout my career I’ve worked with employees like Jack: good people who would do better if given guidance and attention. Unfortunately, a lot of managers just don’t know how to help their employees grow, improve, and even get promoted in their job.
So how do you help your employees thrive in their careers? Below are a few tips that I have found that have helped me as a leader:
- Hold weekly one-on-one meetings with each employee
- Clearly and directly let people know how their performance is going each week.
- Make a plan WITH the employee to help them develop new skills or improve in areas where they’re struggling. Include any metrics that an employee may need to hit.
- Adjust metrics and give guidance as needed.
- Believe in the employee
As I did each of these things with Jack he improved. Within a few months he was hitting the target metrics he and I set together and was even performing on par with the rest of his peers.
Jack worked so hard that within a year I was happy to recommend him for his dream job within the company where he has been performing successfully for several years.
These suggestions may take some time and effort on your part, but in the end it is so worth it to see an employee grow and even achieve their dreams.
Part 4 of 4 – Leadership Series contributed by Shannon Resare. Shannon coaches working moms who want to have standout careers while being rockstar moms. More information can be found at: https://shannonresare.com