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Smarten Up Your Greatest Assets

Aristotle. "All paid jobs absorb and degrade the mind." [Quotes of the Day]

Are your people dumber for working at your company? Some managers expect employees to leave their minds at the door to focus on over-developed business processes. When Aristotle said, "All paid jobs absorb and degrade the mind.", it sounds like he is talking about modern business.

Too often than you may care to consider, your company is limiting the creativity of your employees. A strict adherence to formal business processes turns off an individuals ability to make decisions when variables are contrary to the norm. In some areas of business this is a necessity, but for professional services this dumbing down can really hurt your business.

Skills all employees should be encouraged to develop:

• Problem solving. Your employees need to know how to solve problems for you and your customers. This skill includes critical thinking, fact finding, and other aspects of decision making that help a person come to a right answer quickly. Give professionals some flexibility in business process especially when it improves your value to customers.
• Interpersonal communications. With this skill you can reduce the friction that commonly comes with mis-communications between individuals. Focus on both verbal and written skills that help employees get their message across while receiving important points from those they interact with.
• Time management. Perhaps one of the most important traits of a powerful employees. Time management includes both chronological and priority factors that keep staff working on the work that produces the most desirable results. Focus on tasking and day-to-day personal management.
• Explanatory writing. Most business communications are written, this skill helps employees put their message in a clear easy to understand language their reader will understand. You'll find customers become more aware of what is happening with their projects and staff will be more persuasive in written proposals.
• Relationship management. This sensitive skill area helps employees focus on the unique skills of others as it combines with their own to complete a specific task. Focus on getting around politics, working with adversity, and focusing on group specific goals. You'll find improvements in productivity as well as a friendlier work environment.
• Active listening. Too often listening is missed completely in professional development. Listening skills promote understanding nonverbal signals, understanding emotional context, and gathering the speakers message. This skill helps teams work better, reducing the need for duplication in oral communications.

These skills will help on-the-job performance and enhance learning in other areas. Measure these soft skill areas as part of job evaluations. Also make available training opportunities and encourage self study with take-home programs available through the company library.

If Wal*Mart can offer first time department managers a list of recommended books they can get from the public library, you can provide guidance to help your own staff hone up these skill areas. Other training options include formal training events with outside vendors, luncheons with internal experts, formal consultative support, and computer based skills training. Some employee wellness programs offer training materials in these areas.

The initial investment may seem foreboding, but over time you'll create a more productive working environment, have greater job satisfaction, and be able to charge higher rates for billable time. Yes, you'll have some employees leave for higher salaries, and you will have to hire new people to replace them.

When you create an environment that makes employees better for have worked with your company, then you will develop long-term relationships that keeps your business one step ahead of the competition.

/ employee-relations | management-strategy /

By Justin Hitt at October 20, 2003 11:44 AM  Subscribe in a reader