New managers can be very naïve. They assume that all it takes for employees to work together effectively is to give them a clear goal upfront, express faith in their ability to collaborate, and dangle the right reward if they succeed. Sadly, it is never that easy. Just because you form a team and urge everyone to pull together to achieve a common goal for the organisation does not assure employees will buy in. Employees need to understand what they are supposed to do and why

Identify and celebrate their successes, highlight specific examples of their achievements, ensure that strong performers do not stagnate and prompt them to reflect on how they can improve on themselves within the context of their strengths are 4 tips to recognize strong performers during appraisals. 1. Identify and celebrate their successes. Thank them for their contributions and let them know that you appreciate the hard work done for the year. 2. Highlight specific examples

When there are serious performance issues, coaching is a good start towards remediation. It involves a time commitment on the part of managers, yet it will be effective in helping your underperforming employee move towards the right direction. 1. Start by identifying and helping the employee improve on his areas of weaknesses. You will need to guide the employee through setting short-term goals, monitoring his progress closely and scrutinizing his work. 2. Enlist the help of

Effective coaching is more of how you do things rather than what you do. It is about the attitude and approach that the manager needs to adopt that will make coaching effective. Here are some attributes of an effective coach. 1. Observant: Be aware of what is happening and what isn’t happening. A good coach needs to pay attention to what your employees are saying and what they are not telling you. 2. Sensitive: Care about how your employees feel and not just about how they do

Managing a team’s performance is more challenging than individual performance management. What happens if your team is not performing? Here are 5 ways for managers to fix underperforming teams: 1. Identify the factors leading to the poor performance. Talk to the team members individually, stakeholders and key executives. Ask questions that will uncover the reasons behind the underperformance.  Questions to consider include: Has performance always been substandard? Are all tea

Common Pitfalls in Employee Performance Reviews When you review and make conclusions about your employees’ performance, it is essential to be aware of common pitfalls that can lead to erroneous judgments. These mistakes can damage your credibility in the eyes of both your employees and your superiors. Some of these errors include: 1. Over-emphasis on Recent Events While recent events closer to the performance appraisal period might be fresh in your mind, it is important not t

Yes, it’s that time of the year again. As the new year approaches, many of us start reflecting on what we have achieved for the past year and prepare a list of New Year’s resolutions hoping that a fresh start of the year will provide the motivation for us to be a better person. While losing weight and quitting smoking are personal goals, managers should strive to incorporate some of these resolutions and become better managers. 3 out of 4 employees report their boss is the wo