Staff Performance – Is Super Glue Syndrome Stopping You?

Introduction

What’s Super Glue got to do with staff performance? That’s for you to decide. But most businesses have some super glue hidden among their employees.

Mr Super Glue Dies

Recently, Mr Harry Wesley Coover died at the age of 94. He was also known as “Mr Super Glue”. He discovered it in the 1940′s. At the time he was experimenting with cyanoacrylates. He saw no particular use for it at the time.

In 1958, Mr Coover realized its potential. I know it’s a terrible cliché. But the rest is history. If there’s no Super Glue in your home, you’ll find it at a friend’s or neighbour’s home. It’s a worldwide, household name.

Super Glue And Staff Performance

Is there any Super Glue hiding among your employees? Unless you’re a very small business, there probably is. Even if you have few employees, do any have potential you’re not aware of. And do you know how much better your best people could do with the right incentive.

Finding Your Staff Super Glue

1.  Have a clear business focus and a specific, narrow target market.

I know I repeat that often. But a clear focus gives staff the opportunity to “dig deep” for ideas rather than spread themselves and their ideas thinly across the surface of many markets.

2.  Encourage Suggestions For Improvement

That means more than saying “Let me know what you think” or “I welcome your input”. Do something specific to get ideas. You could give a small monthly prize for “idea of the month”. One business I know has a 5 minute “idea session” before every staff meeting. A clear business focus and target market will ensure that suggestions are appropriate.

3.  Make Yourself Available

Make sure you spend time where you’re employees work. Discuss their work with them  “on their patch” not yours. Let them know that you’re always interested in hearing what they have to say. Thirty years ago this was called “management by walking around”. It’ll help staff to develop trust in you. Just make sure that you’re being helpful. Take care that they don’t feel that you’re “checking up on them”.

4.  Create Responsibility

Make employees responsible for developing ideas beyond basic suggestions. If someone says: “Why don’t we….”  Reply “OK Sally, you look into it. Talk to Jack and Katherine, they’ll help you. Give me some notes by (date). Is that OK?” This approach requires some careful guidance from you. And be sure that you don’t overwhelm “Sally” to such an extent that her normal performance deteriorates.

5.  Create Projects

When you need something investigated, delegate the task to an employee or group of employees. Explain exactly what you want, ask them to put a plan of action together so that you can OK it before they start. Don’t expect brilliance at first. And provide guidance at all times.

6.  Create Mentors

Use the service of senior staff or other managers to oversee projects and extended responsibilities. It’ll show that you’re serious about the projects, lessen your workload and it might reveal skills that you weren’t fully aware of among senior staff and managers.

7.  Crosstrain

Everybody advocates crosstraining. Few actually do it. It has many benefits. You may find people who are “just OK” in their current job may blossom in another. Some staff will reveal great flair in on job training. The “new eye” of the crosstrainee may notice possible improvements that the “practiced eye” simply misses. And you’ll promote greater understanding between employees, teams and areas such as admin and production.

8.  Use Incentives Creatively

Offer incentives to improve performance. They could be prizes, time off, various privileges. Money isn’t the only form of incentive, Be careful not to create competition between individuals. Look for team based rewards. I know of a number of cases where staff opted to accept paid time off for reaching performance goals rather than money or gifts.

Groundrules

The things I’ve suggested are about

• Improving staff performance
• Creating better business results
• Encouraging superior team works
• Professional self development of your staff
• Creating a more flexible workforce
• Giving opportunities for staff to develop themselves professionally
• Identifying previously untapped talent and potential in our employees

They are not about

• Improving interpersonal relations
• Fault finding/witch hunting
• Dumping extra work on staff
• Identifying training needs

The Broad Purpose

You’re trying to find out who, among your staff, is capable of for making a bigger contribution. And you’re trying to show all of your staff that you’re looking for and trying to give them greater opportunity to develop themselves.

The Payoff For You

The real reward will come

• when staff came to you with ideas they’ve already researched
• when they accept that they’re responsible for their own self development
• when, because you trust your staff to perform well and constantly recommend performance improvement, you’re free to really manage your business.

Conclusion

Remember, start this process now. Sadly, Harry Wesley Coover didn’t reap the maximum financial benefit from Super Glue. He took too long to realize its potential.

What To Do Now

Choose two or three of the suggestions I’ve made and implement them. You won’t find the Super Glue in your business unless you act.