As a subscriber of Energage Company’s retention and performance management tools, Lisa Sordilla recently wrote about what ways to ‘find and retain’ top talent for both large and small organizations. In Part 1, we talked about Accidental Cultures and Intentional Cultures. Part 2 was about Intentional Cultures, here is what you must do (4 things: Align / Connect / Coach / Perform) and specifically how to do it (culture drivers). Part 3 ( today) is about how to improve your game as a Leader Coach in 3 Steps.
Three steps to improve your game as a Coach
A healthy, intentional culture is the simplest way to retain your best employees and attract more of the same. It’s the secret to being the best at the finders / keepers’ game. There are lots of ways to go about getting intentional about culture, but here are three steps we recommend:
Step 1: Know where your culture stands
You can’t figure out where you’re going if you don’t know where you are. Start by asking those who know your culture best: your employees.
Big Idea / Hint from Alysia: Get a customized employee survey
First develop a list of areas (levels of engagement; benefits; coaching from your leaders to their employees; and more) you want to find out data from your employees; then develop specific questions.
Then get with a vendor to assist you in refining your employee survey
A research-based, third-party employee engagement survey is the best way to get the insight you need; like engagement surveys from Energage.
Step 2: Know what good looks like
If you want to understand your culture and learn the right way to improve it, you need to go beyond simple benchmarks. Comparative analytics provide you with valuable culture insights and actionable intelligence.
Big Idea / Hint from Alysia: ’30 Second Coaching’ – a quick way to coach individuals ‘on the spot’. For example, as you ‘walk by ‘ a team staff member, give the individual ‘30 seconds of coaching’, by telling the individual what they are doing ‘right’.
Here are tips to follow for each generational group:
Traditionalists / Baby Boomers: Let them know they are still going in the right direction; that they still have what it takes to be great in their expertise.
Generation X: Pass on your wisdom on ‘maneuvering’ around business relationships.
Millennials: Give them positive ‘course’ corrections as they go
Generation Z: Give them positive ‘course’ corrections as they go; plus you may need to help them to network the old- fashioned way: in person.
Step 3: Up your culture game
With comparative analytics in hand, you can pinpoint what’s causing your top performers to look for new opportunities and then plan improvements to minimize loss. You can also see if the actions you’ve taken have had a positive impact.
Big Idea / Hint from Alysia: Ideas on How to Keep people
30 Days After new hire stars their job with you: Ask them individually, for example, what processes do ‘you think need to be changed slightly’ (it’s a good way to start engaging them / their ideas). If possible, down the road, show them how you implemented their ideas perhaps; they will also see your interest in them and continuous improvement of the organization.
Catalytic Coaching: 3 times a year, have a conversation with each employee on their performance (as part of your talent management process) – not tied to any additional money just feedback. Ask them: What are they doing well? What they need to work better? ‘Tools’ you will give them to make any changes, and to assist them.
Now’s the time to get intentional about culture.