five tips for redesigning organizations for high performance

try one today; see what happens.

by lisa tierney

would you be interested in motivating the members of your organization to change in a way that would encourage them to take ownership of their role and show responsibility for the success of themselves, their team members, their division and the entire organization? here are some helpful tips to do just that.  i strongly encourage you to consider trying just one of the following actions today and see what happens:

1.    communicate your company’s core values often. (you do know what they are don’t you?)  post your organization’s core values everywhere you can: cafeteria/lunchroom, in your internal newsletters, on your website, at the login site of your intranet, etc.

2. positive reinforcement. each time you are sending an e-mail to a co-worker, before you hit that “send” button, scroll back to the top… first sentence.  now take a second and put something in there that’s positive or personal.

example: first sentence read: i will need that next set of monthly reports by the end of tomorrow please.

suggested insert: you’ve been doing a great job of supplying timely reporting to me and i appreciate it. (make this your first sentence)…

wouldn’t you be more inclined to joyfully send that next report over and feel better about performing well for that individual moving forward?

3. share and communicate goings-on at your organization. speak openly and honestly about prospective clients, financial reporting, concerns, issues and ideas that are being considered among higher management and ask for feedback and input regularly and often.  by sharing and communicating information about pertinent operations within the organization, the industry, and key clients, you are embracing the staff at all levels to feel more a part of the organizational unit.

4. mentor through empowerment. next time you have a meeting with a prospective client, or a speaking engagement, invite someone less-experienced or more junior at your company to attend as your guest.   unabashedly introduce them as your coach or your “boss” and give them an encouraging nod.  most prospective clients will applaud your investment in your younger staff.

5. invest in your employees. statistics prove that it costs 4 to 6 times as much to hire and train someone new. investigate and explore the possible hidden talents of your staff and ask them to identify ways in which they might want to contribute to the success of the organization. if you don’t tap into their resources by asking what else they can do or are interested in, you’ll never fully realize what they are capable of.

lisa tierney is a certified professional coach and marketing consultant at tierney coaching & consulting, inc. she is also the president of the philadelphia chapter of the association for accounting marketing. www.tierneycoaching-consulting.com

posted on november 2, 2010