Employees: Assets or Liabilities? – The Right Things

Posted on November 15, 2015 by Mark R Steinke, One of Thousands of Business Coaches on Noomii.

In the first month’s article we discussed how to create the environment so your employees can be all you want them to be. In the second month’s article we discussed finding the Right People, in this article we complete the trifecta of the People Strategy by ensuring we have our people doing the Right Things.

Remember every article will have actionable, valuable information on how to ensure your employee(s) are the right ones for you, are engaged, and are performing so you can develop them as they operate your Business allowing you to Work ON your business vs. IN it.
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According to Verne Harnish, Author of Mastering the Rockefeller Habits “there are three basic decisions an executive team must make:
1. Do we have the Right People?
2. Are we doing the Right Things?
3. Are we doing those Things Right?”

We have addressed dong “Things Right” and “Right People”. This month we will address question 2 “Are we doing the “Right Things”. Here we go.

The Right Things

According to Verne Harnish in his book, “Mastering the Rockefeller Habits”, the Right Things requires bold leadership able to make a few key decision…”

Whereas the Things Right work requires capable systems, tools and processes for the Right People to operate within, the Right Things requires bold Leadership, Management and Discipline to ensure we have our employees doing the things they are good at and not the things they do not excel at.

If you consider that a business is simply “people” doing “activities” then this model supports the notion that you lead people and manage activities and you do not manage people.
Again according to Harnish, “Think of the tough love parenting approach that you love the child while being tough on “the appropriate behaviors i.e. “son, you are good, what you did was bad” vs “son, you are bad.” The approach here is two-fold. The first is their activity, the second is the correction to that activity.

Do I have this person doing the right things for the business that they are excellent at? Has this person been with me for such a long time that I have given them a role and responsibility that is not their strength? What is their strength? What role do I need for the Business? How can I put this person in a position where their strengths are utilized for the Business?

These are the bold, leadership and disciplined questions YOU the Business Owner need to answer for everyone in your organization including YOURSELF!

How to ensure my people are doing the “Right Things”?
There are a few basics that any Business owner can do which will go a long way to making sure you people are doing the “Right Things”.

First and foremost is start with the frame of mind what is best for the business is best for my employees. You see when you set up the environment as we discussed in our first article, then choose the right people to work in that environment you have already established this frame of mind.

Now act on this frame by reviewing at least annually if not twice a year as you are growing, changing and adapting your business, do I have the right people in the right roles, with the right responsibilities for the business according to their strengths?
If not, Am I allowing my brother, my best friend, my loyal employee to be in a role that is not his or her strength and how is that impacting the business? The staff? The Customers?

You will see this in areas of:
1. Customer satisfaction not being high or growing.
2. Employee morale being low.
3. People problems coming to you about this person.
4. Low productivity.
5. Lower growth rates in the business.
6. High Turnover rates of employees
7. Higher level of employee complaints.
8. Higher absenteeism with your employees
9. Company culture being eroded
10. Higher level of stress, frustration in your business

What does all this cost you? I am sure you can measure most of it in hard currency. Some of it in lost opportunity and some of it in costs of productivity.

It is time to act. However be aware, it you just address this issue without addressing the other two (“Things Right” and “Right People”) you are starting out behind the proverbial eight ball.

You must decide a people strategy of how to address all three areas of People: “Right People, Right Things and Things Right”. This is not Rocket Science. It is sound, profitable business to create the environment, hire the right ones and ensure they are doing the right things.

Determine where you are, what your goal is or end state look like, what is the chasm and then develop the plan with actions in all three areas.

Now if you need training, help or assistance setting up this up, implementing it and accountability following it I recommend you work with a Business Coach.

Remember this is very costly to your Business. Getting this right, taking the correct time and quality will provide dividends to your business.

When this happens you know you have…
“EMPLOYEES who are ASSETS and not Liabilities.”
- By: Mark R Steinke – Elite Business Coach / Area Representative
Focal Point Business Coaching of Pennsylvania
www.coachmarksteinke.com