Small Business: 7 Tips To Help Create Positive Consequences to Improving Staff Performance - By: Leon Noone

Summary. Have you ever introduced some new staff initiative or benefit only to find it didn't work well? Perhaps it failed completely. Were you surprised? Perhaps you simply failed to consider the real consequences.

1 Recognize Two Perspectives. The key to using consequences to improve staff performance is to recognise this: the consequences as perceived by the employee are what matters. And they can be very different to the consequences perceived by the manager.

2 Accept That Your Perspective Isn't Theirs. You're a manager. You own or run the company. The way you see the world in general and your business in particular is different to the way employees see it. What may be desirable, attractive and positive consequences to you might be the opposite to employees.

3 Understand Your Own Bias. Statements such as "They're only interested in money", "They always resist change" or "They all hate paperwork" are wild generalizations. They usually reflect the bias of the speaker or at least an historical myth. Take time to think about how you see your employees and consider how your perspective affects the way you treat them and its consequences.

4 Consequences Aren't Static. Employees' views of consequences depend on issues such as personal values, circumstances and lots of other factors. Threatening an employee with dismissal will be least effective when jobs are plentiful. Offering flash prizes won't be attractive to successful salespersons.

5 Find Out What's Important To Them. Never assume. Ask. To start with, staff may simply parrot your own opinions back to you. Persist. Question staff about their reaction to things you want to do that will affect them. Find staff whom you trust to give you "straight" answers. Seek their input about the likely consequences of implementing your ideas,

6 Tell People In Advance. As long ago as World War II, the government funded "Training Within Industry" task force recommended: "Tell people in advance about changes that will affect them". It still holds true. The two key words are "in advance". This means you can review and revise the intended changes too. If necessary, you can also find out what you need to do to gain employees' unqualified support.

7 Always Monitor Consequences. Monitoring progress, effectiveness and results is common enough in business. We rarely monitor consequences. Yet the reason why at least some apparently sound changes don't work is because of negative consequences you – or perhaps nobody – foresaw. Even initiatives that seem very successful may create negative consequences that are not apparent at first.

Conclusion. Consequences are a key element in improving employee performance. But they're not as straightforward as they first appear. The actual reactions of employees are those that matter. Sometimes they're quite unexpected. And they're often different to what managers expect. The correct and positive use of employee conceived consequences will benefit your business greatly.

Have you ever introduced some new staff initiative or benefit only to find it didn't work well? Perhaps it failed completely. Were you surprised? Perhaps you simply failed to consider the real consequences.

If you've enjoyed this article, you might like to read my FREE, 42 page Special Report, "5 Proven Methods For Improving Employee Performance On The Job". It's yours to keep. You'll also get a free bonus eBook about setting Performance Standards for employees. Just go to http://www.leonnoone.com and they're yours. I work with small-medium business managers to improve on job staff performance without using training.