I was presenting a workshop recently and the subject of how to handle employee problems surfaced. One of the attendees seemed to have encountered every employee issue known to man. Every time I said something or made a recommendation to someone's inquiry he would say "Oh yeah, well what about this! He would then go on to explain some weird scenario of circumstances that may only occur once in a million years. I could almost bet that this was an attempt to stump the teacher and impress his friends, but I played along for his entertainment and the amusement of everyone else in the room. I've been facilitating meetings and training sessions for about twenty five years, so I have already seen everything.
One of the questions he did bring up was something that I believe occurs in just about every business, and I was glad he brought it up. He asked; "I know it's important to sit and have a review with your employees at least once a year or more. You try and make it sound like it is so easy, I don't know about everyone else in this room, but I hate it. In fact I hate doing it so much that I can't sleep the night before the reviews. What would you recommend to make this process easier and less stressful?"
To me this was the best question of the day and I was very glad that he had the guts to bring it up! My response: First, remember this is a review, a review is simply a formal meeting to discuss everything everyone already knows.
If you look up the word review in the dictionary it says "the process of going over something again". So if this is the process of going over something again, why should it be difficult or stressful? I believe an employee needs to know when they are not performing well as soon as the poor performance is noticed. If you were coaching a baseball team, would you mention a critical mistake a player was making immediately or would you wait until the end of the season to discuss it? The same applies at work.
So if the formal review is a discussion of everything you have already discussed, and everyone in the room is already aware of what is happening, there shouldn't be any stress! It's just a formality!
Let your team know what they are doing right and what they are doing wrong, all the time. Remember you are the coach, they are the team. If we all do our job and do it well, we win more often! So don't be a wimp, tell people regularly what you think and how they are doing, everyone will be happier!
Strategic Alliance and Recommendation Announcement
For the last ten years I've received request after request an who I recommend for this and who I recommend for that. After much research and time spent reviewing products I have so far decided that there are two products that hit the highly recommended by Frank list and they are:
Ascente - Looking for a complete package to manage your business? The Service Management Software by Compusource Partnered with software giants IBM, Microsoft and Open Systems allows Compusource's Ascente to be extremely powerful, yet very simple to use. It was developed with Microsoft Visual Basic to run on the latest Microsoft Windows operating system using SQL databases and works seamlessly with Traverse, a leading service contractor accounting software package. And because of Ascente's flexible design and configuration, it can be used as plumbing software, construction software, HVAC software, electrical and security software. Call me personally for more information or a free demo. 888-538-5383.
EAI Flat Rate Program for HVAC & Plumbing - This program is by far the easiest to use out of any flat rate program available anywhere. If you don't need all the bells and whistles and just want a flat rate program that doesn't put you in the poor house, this is it! I especially liked the idea that you do not have to pay monthly or annual fees for updates and if you make a change, it costs you nothing and you could print as many books as you want on your own printer. Fantastic customer support. The best part of all the price, $1299. Call Jamie at 513-619-4808 for a free demo. Please tell him Frank referred you.
As I evaluate what's out there and find the best of the best, I'll let you know. Why? Because I want you to be successful, and if you're successful, I will be too!
