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Facing any of these situations?
- A staff person refusing to do a particular job?
- Someone quitting out of frustration?
- Staff discouraged or dissatisfied?
- Major changes in your business—what you do, the way you do it, or people with whom you must work?
- People going over your head to your boss?
I used to joke that the job would be great if it weren’t for the people!
It’s easy to lose production because of misunderstandings on the job or because people don’t fully understand the vital part they play in a company’s success.
I can have the best “tools and materials” in the industry, but without the necessary individual skills and the cooperation among team members, I can never turn out the work my customers need from me.
The events taking place in our lives outside the office also have a huge impact on the way we behave at work. Family illness, marriage issues, children issues, financial issues, and so on can reduce a person’s productivity.
But you can’t construct the building or develop the software or create the marketing copy. It’s your job to supervise the individuals who can produce the results.
Results come through people!
Job-related problems don’t all surface at once, but they always occur. As a supervisor or coach, you will be held responsible for handling those challenges.
One of the key skills you must acquire is a strong foundation for creating good relationships with your co-workers.
While you could apply many principles to get more effective results, let’s concentrate on just four.
1. Let each worker know how he or she is doing
- It is critical to let people know how they measure against expectations. The “everything is all right unless I tell you so” philosophy does not work.
- The person who is doing well should be told so. It’s also important to check on the individual whose work is starting to slide. If you say, “You’ve been slipping for quite awhile,” you know the response will be, “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
2. Give credit when it’s due
- The worker needs to know when his or her efforts have contributed to an accomplishment. Recognition for good work or faithful performance makes it easier to achieve extra effort the next time it’s needed. Getting the proper credit for work well done feels terrific!
3. Tell people in advance about changes that will affect them
- It’s not always possible for you to let workers “in” on all the decisions that will affect them, but they can and should always be given a chance to have their say. If you give reasons for the changes beforehand, you will avoid many misunderstandings.
4. Make the best use of each person’s ability
- People like to feel they are working at their highest level of skill and ability. Take advantage of the special interest that people show in various kinds of work and give each person as much work and responsibility as he or she can handle.
Those four building blocks apply to all people, however you cannot treat everyone the same. Remember these caveats:
- Each of us is unique. We want to be known for our distinct personal characteristics. No one wants to be a faceless number.
- Certain things are important to you as an individual. You must remember that other people feel that way, too.
- The various influences at play in the personal life of a staff member can and do affect work performance.
Neal J. Diamond
Business Improvement Strategist
Last evening I shared a few thoughts with an exciting group of leaders – all serving at their own time and expense for a wonderful Vancouver charity. 
