Revving Up Productivity

The past few years have been a study in doing more with less. Budgets have been cut, staffs have been reduced, and less outside support has been available. While employees have admirably picked up the slack, and most say they're happy to still be employed, many are finding themselves feeling more stressed, cynical and fatigued.

And now we need to ask them to kick it up another notch. As the economy continues to improve, we need our employees to begin rallying to a call for heightened morale and productivity. But how can we get them to give even more?Unless you're looking for massive burnout and attrition, you're going to need to create your own internal recovery-a recovery in alignment, trust, morale, meaning and motivation. Though productivity is often defined in numbers, it relies very heavily upon people and their attitudes.

Where do you begin? Here are a few areas:

Be honest about the past.

It's no secret that the last three years have been tough. Economic and global events have changed the way people think about work. Employee loyalty has fallen to record lows with surveys showing that as many as 70 percent of employees plan to seek new employment as the economy improves. Before you can drive performance in your business, you must rebuild trust and recreate alignment. When rallying the troops, don't hide from the past. Acknowledge the realities of what has occurred and the effects it has had on your organization. Honestly explain why and how decisions were made. Your candid insights will increase the trust your people have in you.

Make reorientation a priority.

In order to shift into forward-momentum and ramped up productivity, leaders will need to realign and refocus employees on positive, forward-looking results. Remind employees of your company or department's core purpose and what they are responsible for in determining the company's long term success.

Revisit, solidify and communicate a forward-looking vision.

The activities of the past year have caused a surge in the search for more meaningful, relevant work and a heightened sense of community. And that's an increase from what was already a pretty good trend making itself known in the 1990s. To re-engage employees and rebuild trust and some sense of loyalty, you may need to update your vision to a more forward thinking philosophy that offers a greater sense of purpose and a more rewarding feeling of community.

Unify and align your group around forward-looking shared goals.

Productivity starts with well-defined shared values and goals that are clearly linked to individual values and priorities. The first part of this process is to define specific, measurable performance objectives for every individual (ideally with employee input). The next step is to modify compensation programs to directly reward people for accomplishing their goals. And finally, and most importantly, your leaders and managers must be trained to clearly and skillfully communicate your vision, values and goals to every individual in the organization.

Connect individual employees with the organizational vision and shared goals.

Leaders and managers must connect departmental and individual goals with broader organizational vision and goals. The greatest productivity gains occur when everyone on a team is tightly aligned with a specific mission-and each individual clearly understands his or her role.

Have solid leadership and communication plans, and follow them consistently.

Many surveys show the direct link between good organizational communication and bottom line benefits. No matter how focused or broad your communication plans are, it's now more important than ever to ensure that you've got a purposeful communication program that is (1) based on reality and (2) is specifically suited to your group and organizational culture and goals.

Be honest, authentic and ethical.

With all the recent corporate scandals, and continued fear and uncertainty in the workplace, it's more important than ever to be honest, ethical and authentic. As the economy picks up, employees will seek employers that live these values. Make sure your organization is the kind of place where top performers want to work.

Mirror, Mirror, Across the Desk

If you are a fan of The Office, you are familiar with this season’s sycophant archetype, Andy. In a recent episode, Andy talked about why he was going to be successful and rise to the top after two offices merged. One of the aces up his sleeve was mirroring. He was planning to mirror the personality, body language and speech patterns of his new boss. Sure enough, before he even found his seat, he had found favor with his manager.

Granted, Andy is not the best character to emulate. He is over the top, obvious and insincere, but for a cartoonishly clear picture of mirroring, you can’t find a better example.

Juanita Ecker wrote for The Business Review, “When you synchronize your body language to match another's posture and gestures, that individual will feel comfortable with you and think you are like them. Since we all want to do business with people we are comfortable with, it works in our favor to adjust our posture and nonverbal signals to match the other. If the other person leans forward, you should too. If that person relaxes and leans back in the chair, do the same.” (Juanita Ecker, The Business Review, http://albany.bizjournals.com/albany/stories/2005/02/28/smallb4.html).

You can and should synchronize your speech and pace as well. If your interviewer is excited and happy, mirror that and let your personality bubble. If your interviewer is staid and professional, save the humor for later and stick to the facts about which of your skills make you an ideal candidate. Does your interviewer speak slowly? Don’t get in a rush—slow down and synchronize.

And always remember, leave your interviewer with a smile and a positive. Make sure you tell him or her that you want the job! Smile into the mirror let your positive attitude reflect on your potential future.

May I Ask a Question?

At some point in every job interview, the interviewer will want to know if you have any questions. Your answer should be yes. Remember that you are interviewing the company to find out whether or not it is the right place for you. Asking the right questions can help you decide which position is the best fit. Asking questions will also show the potential employer that you are interested in the company, and will help you seal the deal.

“One of the best questions you can ask your interviewer is what he or she likes best about the company,” says Lynne Stewart, President of Superior Search & Staffing. “It shows an interest in the interviewer personally, and everyone likes to be recognized and get to talk about him or herself. You will find out a lot about the company from the answer, too.”

Kristin Batchelor, a Recruiting Specialist says, “I like to ask, ‘What can I do in the first 30 days to advance my position or meet goals?’”

Recruiting Specialist Janet Moyle agrees and adds, “I also like to ask what types of personalities succeed in the company.”

Ron Fry has written a book called 101 Smart Questions to Ask on Your Interview. This is an excellent tool if you are having trouble deciding what queries to make.

Lynne reminds, “Ask questions about the position and the company, but leave discussion of benefits for when you are being made an offer. Asking about benefits in an interview is akin to asking what’s in the kitchen to eat. Let your interviewer broach that topic.”

Tell Me a Story

“Why should we hire you?” It is one of the most frequently asked questions in a job interview and is sometimes the hardest to answer. Before you begin, ask yourself what that question really means.

If you have made it to the interview process, your potential employer already knows that your past work history and skill set qualify you to do the work needed. What your potential employer does not know is what sets you apart from other equally skilled and qualified candidates. When your interviewer asks, “Why should we hire you?” you need to be prepared to answer the real question, “Why should we hire you rather than another candidate with the same experience and competence?”

Taylor King, Senior Vice President of Superior Search & Staffing, says, “Think about the number one quality you bring to the table; tell a story about it. Brag on yourself, but be ready to back it up with an example.”

If your best quality is your ability to organize, say so. Then tell a story about a time your organizational skills made a difference. If your best quality is your ability to build rapport, tell a story about a time you made a relationship and used that to your company’s advantage. If you are a great problem solver, tell a story about the time you saved the day when your boss called you from a taxi in Japan, lost and unable to transcend the language barrier.

Whatever your talents and experience, be ready to share, but also be ready to give the abridged version of your epic tale. Studies show that the best interview answers are 90 seconds or less in length. Most interviewers lose interest in answers that are over two minutes long.

“I tell people to have five short stories ready,” says Lynne Stewart, President of Superior Search & Staffing. “If you are in an hour long interview, being prepared with five examples of what make you the best candidate for a position will more than get you through.”