Many successful organizations have learned how to use what is called a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP). This method is critical in helping employees and even supervisors develop specific goals and measures towards improved work performance.

How does it work?

A constructive dialogue between a staff member and his manager will help identify crucial areas that need immediate improvement. After that, a documented plan will be drawn to enumerate goals, key areas of improvement, measures of success, and a specific timeframe to be followed.

A PIP has been proven to help employees have clear direction of his roles and responsibilities. With the proper support from a supervisor, employees are most likely to achieve the desired areas of improvement agreed in the PIP. Learning how to develop effective PIPs is essential in learning how to supervise people more successfully.

Because an organization works as a team, when one person fails to deliver on their part, the entire business process may be badly affected. When a manager delegates a task to an employee, he hopes to get the assurance that a quality job will be completed on time. While some managers’ micro-manage their people, many leaders allow employees to take full responsibility of their work. Unfortunately, not every employee will meet leadership expectations all the time. This is where knowing how to supervise people and using PIPs come in.

Most of the time, employees need a little bit of guidance as they learn the ropes of the business and their own roles. With the right motivation from the leadership team, a detailed PIP, and a supportive work environment, potentially problematic employees can turn into champion performers. Just make sure the PIP is well prepared with measurable results, specific areas that need improvement, and specific methods to attain the desired end.

Here are a few guidelines in preparing an effective PIP:

• State key performance that does not reach expectation
• Specify the level of excellence by which work is expected to be done consistently. However, remember to be realistic when setting such standards.
• Agree on the necessary resources and support the employee will need through the entire process.
• Set a timetable. Make sure you agree with the employee on a scheduled plan that must be followed. Set regular meetings for feedback and evaluation.
• Inform the employee of possible consequences for failure to improve work standards based on the agreed plan.
• Provide all the necessary guidance as you use the PIP to jumpstart your employee to greatness.

Knowing how to supervise people is a continuous learning process. PIPs were invented to make things easier for leaders to manage groups of 10 or more employees, especially when performance metrics are hard to define or quantify. Use PIPs to make your life easier and your employees better.

© 2013 Incedo Group, LLC

Organizational leadership is the backbone of any business. The group of people leading the company sets the values, culture, and level of passion for everyone, down to the front liners and rank and file employees. Everyone in the organization looks to the example they set as the norm; if the bosses are doing it then it must be okay for staff to do the same.

A leader losses his influence in an organization every time he fails to live up to his words; his subordinates will eventually lose respect and trust in him if he can’t walk the talk. Good business leadership is not about setting goals and dictating how work will be done; good business leadership is showing your staff how to do it and helping them along the way. Talk is cheap, so start walking the talk.

Here are some tips for managers to help set a culture of leadership by example:

• “Become the change you wish to see…” There is nothing more powerful than to see the key leadership team model the work behavior they are requesting from staff. When employees see the boss setting the example following comes easy.

• Be the first to follow every rule you set. It just makes sense that staff will never obey rules that managers themselves don’t follow.

• Get your hands dirty every now and then. Don’t always be the big boss, be a worker and a part of the team, too. Employees look up to leaders who have first-hand experience of the business. If you think about it, it’s easier for people to emulate someone they see working the field, rather than someone they’re just watching from afar. This is what good business leadership is all about.

• Promote an environment where each one works to help the team achieve important goals. Be the guide employees need to perform better.

• Help your staff trust you. When you say you will do something, do it. Never make promises that you don’t really intend to keep. Keeping your word will help employees trust your leadership.

• Assure your organization of your commitment to excellence and growth. Make them feel secure to be in your team knowing that they have a committed leader.

• Leadership team must be accountable to each other. Confront each other when someone is unable to perform well. Give feedback and point out inconsistencies in actions. Knowing that you are accountable to someone motivates leaders to perform better.

So much more is expected from leaders and superiors. You can’t just give orders and rules but never really serve as role model to your staff. You need to walk the talk all the time. Good business leadership is a continuous process.

© 2013 Incedo Group, LLC

There is no question that meetings are a necessary to hone communication skills in the workplace. Managers often delegate tasks and give useful updates during meetings. In many cases, everyone in the organization is swamped with too much work that getting together is a needed opportunity to get updated with the rest of the group. Effective meetings are a reflection of the organization’s good communication skills in the workplace.

However, a lot of meetings run the risk of getting out of hand. They can go for hours on end without clear agenda and direction. When this happens, time is wasted and very little is achieved, people leave the meeting not knowing what their next steps are and wondering why the meeting was even called in the first place.

Below are some very practical tips to help organizations make the most out of every meeting.

• Before you set foot in a meeting, make sure to set a clear agenda. Your agenda will steer the entire meeting in the right direction. Be sure to send your agenda to everyone concerned.

• Remind each one to be ready with their reports, hand-outs, presentations, and all other materials they will use. This will help save time on having to prepare on the spot.

• Appoint someone to facilitate the meeting. Choose someone with effective communication skills in the workplace. This person will help control discussions and inject direction to the flow.

• Keep every meeting short and straight to the point. Avoid unnecessary discussions and side meetings. Remind speakers to keep their presentations at a minimum so as not to eat up so much time. Set a time frame for the meeting and stick to it.

• Have someone take the minutes of the meeting. Make sure each action point is clearly stated. Send the minutes to everyone concerned, so that they know what their commitments and next steps are. This document is critical in making sure the objectives of the meeting are achieved.

Business meetings are supposed to be a practice of communication skills in the workplace and not an opportunity to waste time. Remember time is money. The more time is wasted in disorganized meetings, the more money your business may risk losing.

© 2013 Incedo Group, LLC

A great leader is one who does not control an employee’s every move and decision; instead, he asks questions to help lead people to a solution. Through a set of question-only conversations, a manager may be able to get an employee thinking of how to go about a task or how to perform his role better. During meetings, managers may do well to gather important, relevant information from employees by just asking a series of questions that will slowly refine the way employees think. This will help front liners come up with a concrete action plan on their own, without top management dictating what should be done. By doing this, leaders are promoting healthy business communication skills in the workplace.

When a leader begins asking questions, he is acting like a coach in a team. One critical area a manager must also master, while asking questions, is the art of listening. After every question is asked, managers must listen intently to every answer so that he can ask relevant follow-up questions. If you think about it, asking and listening are two important business communication skills every leader must develop.

Empowering employees to think critically and to find solutions for their needs creates great, passionate workers. Someone who is always just told what to do and how to do it will never grow and mature in his role. He will never be 100% ready to take on bigger responsibilities.

Below are some quick tips for leaders in learning the art of asking questions.

• Prepare the set of questions ahead of the meeting time; this will help you stay focused on a given subject.

• Ask follow-up questions based on employee responses. Are there areas you want clarification? Does a certain response merit need more thinking time or research? Build your questions based on the responses you get, not on other stuff you were thinking during the meeting.

• Practice the method of asking relevant questions. Build this skill by practicing with a random subject, take sports as an example, and then list down 10-15 questions all about that topic.

• Listen intently. The entire question and answer exercise will be useless unless you listen to your employee’s answers and really absorb what he is saying. Take important notes.

• Actions speak louder than words, watch out for body language that may send more answers than the actual responses.

Learning how to ask the right questions is critical in learning business communication skills. The amount of knowledge a manager has will help lead an organization to success, and that knowledge could only be gained by listening. Stop dictating things to your employees, help them instead to find solutions to their challenges by asking the right questions.

© 2013 Incedo Group, LLC

The level of employee job satisfaction may be a critical factor in the over-all performance of a person. Employees who are not satisfied with the working environment, their boss, and peers will not be able to perform at their best, hence they are not likely ready for a promotion. In many cases, those who get promoted have a high level of employee job satisfaction, which pushes them to work harder than the rest.

However, promotions are not given just like that. Managers need to be sure the person to be promoted is truly ready for a new challenge. Failure to select the best person to be promoted may be an obstacle for the organization. As experts would say, choosing the perfect time to promote is critical.

Below are a few guidelines to help managers decide when an employee is ready for a promotion.

• Create a checklist of the essential traits and best practices you are looking for to qualify a person for promotion. Compare each item to the employees you are considering and see how they rate.
• Look for consistency. When qualifying employees for a promotion, you need to look at the consistency of his performance over the past one or two years. See if he has been a constant outstanding performer based on the visible, recorded results of his work and not on what others perceive.
• Assess the employee’s skill level. Will he be ready to take on new responsibilities? Has he demonstrated knowledge of what the new position may require?
• Evaluate how the employee adheres to company policies. A staff that cannot even follow office rules and regulations isn’t professional enough to be promoted and given bigger responsibilities.
• Observe how the employee performs under pressure. Look for the ability to overcome challenges and still deliver quality work. A new position will definitely bring in more pressure, so the chosen candidate must be able to succeed despite pressure.

One of the best morale and employee job satisfaction booster for a top performing employee is a promotion. This is the biggest affirmation that his work is valued and appreciated by the leadership. The recognition that a promotion brings can really turn a good employee to the best one you’ll have. In addition, by promoting an employee, managers are also sending the message to other staff that if they work hard, they too will be rewarded and recognized.

© 2013 Incedo Group, LLC

Every leader hopes to be the best. They work hard trying to lead their team to success, to be the best role model for their employees, and be fair to each one. However, no matter how hard you try, there are still pitfalls you may find hard to avoid. Dealing with employees of varied attitudes and work habits can be a big challenge and a real test of your good business leadership skills.

Now, stop and think about how you are as a leader. Do you think you’ve done a good job managing your people? Is your team on their way to success because of your business leadership skills?

Well, if you’re quick to say “Yes!” then, you might want to think harder. Check out the items below.

Mistake #1: Not having clear goals

A manager must be able to define clear goals for the entire team. Without a clear understanding of what each other’s roles are and how they all contribute to a bigger goal and vision, employees will just work aimlessly without passion and determination.

Mistake #2: Lack of communication and feedback

Your team looks to you for guidance and affirmation so make sure you provide these through coaching sessions and group meetings. Allow them to learn and improve by giving them the guidance they need through your business leadership skills.

Mistake #3: Being overly hands-off

While no one appreciates being micromanaged, you owe it to your team to provide the guidance they need and to make sure they are on the right track. As a manager, you are expected to provide a ready hand of assistance to your team, so being too hands-off won’t be a good thing.

Mistake #4: Failure to listen

Sure, you’re the boss, but there may be great ideas from the team that you missed out. Make sure you listen to your team and really consider their ideas and suggestions. To lead a team, you need to know what they need and how you can help them work better, listening to what they have to say will help in this area.

Mistake #5: Being too negative

You need to provide the motivation your team needs to boost their morale and fire up their passion for their craft. So stop dwelling on the negative things, instead remind the team of how much potential each one has and the amazing things they have achieved.

Good business leadership doesn’t just happen.  Even if your team is performing well there are always ways to improve your skills.  Consider the five mistakes listed above and determine where you can be more effective.

© 2013 Incedo Group, LLC

Business leaders deal with difficult employees in different ways. Depending on the degree of their misbehavior, there is a corresponding action. The first few offenses are usually dealt with gentle reminders, then a note in the employee file, and if the problem persists termination may follow. Bad employee habits can drain productivity; the time that’s supposed to be spent working and meeting deadlines are put to gossip, slacking off, and coming in late. Pretty soon, the entire team will be affected, and the entire organization.

Below are some bad employee behaviors to watch out for.

1. Lying

An employee that cannot be trusted can be a major problem in the office. Misrepresentations, plagiarism, tampering with time sheets, misusing office funds and equipment, and lying about issues related to work are major issues that call for concern. Simple lies can turn into bigger ones over-night.

2. Procrastination

Employees who put things off until the last minute can impact the total efficiency and productivity of the entire organization.

3. Tardiness

Coming in late every morning, returning late during breaks, and turning in work beyond deadline are all signs of carelessness and poor work habits. Always arriving late is also a blatant display of disrespect to office policies and other members of the team.

4. Addiction to social media

Spending official work hours surfing the internet, watching videos, and downloading stuff is unacceptable. This is one of the worst traits causing difficult employees to pull productivity down. Wasting paid hours doing unofficial business can be costly to the organization.

5. Temper tantrums

Throwing a temper tantrum when work gets tough is a major sign of unprofessionalism. This is proof that an employee can’t handle stress and work under pressure.

6. Whining, complaining, gossiping

All these negative behaviors kill the enthusiasm of people in an organization. When employees spend time gossiping about others, complaining about work, and whining over the little things they cannot perform their work properly. In addition, they run the risk of affecting the people around them.

7. Negative body language

Actions speak more than words. Making faces, frowning, rolling of eyes and other non-verbal body language are usually exhibited by difficult employees and must be addressed immediately.

While some behaviors will not merit termination, there are some major bad habits that should not be left unaddressed. These misconducts may lead to bigger problems that may even put the entire organization at risk.

© 2013 Incedo Group, LLC

Employees who are happy with the work environment, satisfied with work practices, and motivated by their managers will perform their job with more passion and efficiency. In the same way that employees who have grievances and complaints about issues concerning work will fail to meet organizational expectations, simply because they will be demotivated to perform while preoccupied with their issues.

To help leaders understand how to supervise people more effectively, here’s a shortlist of the most common employee complaints in the workplace. Knowing them will give you a head start on addressing these issues:

“I am underpaid”

When the work begins to get tougher and tougher, employees will start to ask for a salary raise. Employers need to compensate workers commensurate to the time and effort their work demands.

“I am micromanaged”

Employees generally appreciate being empowered by their managers to make decisions and take on bigger responsibilities. No one likes to be treated like a kid in the workplace.

“There is favoritism”

When organizations make the slightest hint that they favor a few employees over others, it can spark huge complaints. We all want to be treated fairly in every aspect of our professional work.

“No one listens to me”

Employees want to be heard. They want to be able to speak out their ideas and suggestions and know that the leadership team listens and values what they think about issues that concern the business.

“I am overworked”

As business demands increase with growth, many employees find themselves over-burdened with work. Some organizations are undermanned and staff is forced to meet higher quotas in shorter deadlines.

“I don’t have enough benefits”

Employee benefits are very important to keep staff motivated. In most cases, organizations invest very little in providing the proper benefits to their workers.

“The work environment is not conducive”

Not all organizations invest well in workspaces that are conducive to efficient work and productivity. This can be a big factor to demotivate staff.

It is necessary for organizational leaders to know how to supervise people and deal with complaints the right way. It is natural for workers to complain and have objections every now and then, you can’t please everyone. Some may totally agree with your business process while others might totally hate it. What’s important is that as a leader, you listen to your employees and take steps and decisions that will benefit the majority. Learning good business leadership and how to supervise people may take a lot of trial and error, but don’t worry, you’ll get there.

© 2013 Incedo Group, LLC

You may have also heard people say there is a leader in all of us. This may be true. Everyone has the capacity to lead; we all have some leadership skills ingrained in us from school and at home. Now it’s up to us to build on these potentials. There are training courses that help equip people to become better in leading and managing.

Leadership is not reserved for special people; anyone with the passion and desire to be a leader can be one. The skills can be learned and developed, and your potentials can be harnessed through continuous experience. In the same way, existing managers and supervisors need to keep learning new ways of effective leadership and people management. There is always something new to learn and there’s always room for improvement.

Below are some of the best and most essential leadership skills to master if you are to become a great leader:

• Honesty

This is the foundation of great leadership. Leaders are a reflection of the entire team. An honest leader will influence the same values to the team.

• Sense of humor

A leader must learn how to take it easy at times and find something funny in every situation. Don’t take everything seriously, laugh at hurdles, and always have a good sense of humor to lighten up the entire team.

• Confidence

The moment you lose your confidence as a leader, the entire team will go crashing down. Your team looks up to you for direction and morale, and if you fail to give that to them then you’re team is in big trouble. Also, remember to keep calm even in the face of panic and assure your team that you are still under control.

• Commitment

Leadership takes a great deal of commitment. You don’t just back out when it gets tough, you should be committed to see your team through to the end of a task or project. The amount of commitment you have will reflect on the quality of work you deliver.

• Positivity

By carrying a positive attitude all the time, you will be able to keep everyone in your team motivated. Never dwell on the negative things but highlight the positives and build culture of optimism.

• Learn to inspire

One of the best leadership skills to master is to know how to inspire your team. Bring out the best in everyone and encourage him or her to try even harder knowing that they have so much potential.

© 2013 Incedo Group, LLC

To maximize staff potential and productivity, exercising open communication within a team is essential. This is the reason why organizations and departments hold regular team meetings and assessments to hear employee feedback and reactions about projects, leadership, policies, and other workplace issues that affect them.

Good leadership welcomes comments and suggestions from their employees and encourages a healthy practice of open communication skills in the workplace.

The challenge, however, for managers and leaders like you is being able to read and interpret your employee’s non-verbal communication and body language. You don’t need to be a mentalist to read people’s body language, but you do need to have some idea of human behavior to understand and feel what employees need, based on their non-verbal actions. Not every employee will be open enough to speak out his or her mind, so learning how to interpret body language is a must-have skill. This may not be easy. Different people react differently, and do different things that have totally different meanings depending on their own backgrounds. Knowing this will help managers and leaders interact with staff and make better business decisions.

You can’t change the attitude and behavior of employees. Their habits and attitudes have all been ingrained from years of personal experiences. What a manager is called to do is to harness the skills and potential in every staff, and to create an environment where they can perform at their best. By having some understanding of human behavior and being sensitive to body language, you’ll be able to manage employees better and even help them improve their communication skills in the workplace.

By helping staff to improve their communication skills in the workplace, including non-verbal communication, you are helping them to push their limits. You are encouraging better teamwork and camaraderie. You may not be able to change attitudes and personalities of the staff but by having open communication, you will be able to improve their demonstrated abilities.

It is a huge challenge for managers and leaders to run an entire team of people who come from different upbringing, life experiences, and social backgrounds. People react differently and display all sorts of non-verbal body language that may mean a lot in a business setting. Though you may never totally understand their non-verbal language, practicing open communication among everyone in the organization will go a long, long way. There is no doubt that having effective communication skills in the workplace is an essential building block in running a successful organization.

© 2013 Incedo Group, LLC