The Top 10 Ways to Coach Commitment from Your Employees and Staff

Originally Submitted on 4/19/2000.

In the current low-employment marketplace, retaining your employees is more crucial than ever. Replacing a key employee can be very costly; keeping your staff members is a smart way to keep your profits, your clients, and your business viable.

1. Believe in them.

You have hired the staff to do a job or jobs. They possess certain stills, knowledge, and experience...so let them do the job they were hired to do, knowing that they will do their best. Your job is to provide them with the resources (training, equipment, etc.) they need.

2. Honor their commitments.

No one is an employee in a vacuum. They have families, relationships, hobbies, education, and commitments outside of work. Learn about their outside worlds and be flexible enough to accommodate schedule variances due to these outside commitments...and your staff will pay you back with extra loyalty.

3. Know their strengths and weaknesses.

Being aware of the strengths and weaknesses of your individual employees will enable you to assign them tasks that strengthen their strengths and mitigate their weaknesses. Hire diversely so that different employees' weaknesses are offset by others' strengths. Don't ask a shy, retiring employee to make public speeches and put an extravert into a cubicle away from their peers!

4. Acknowledge their achievements.

When a staff member accomplishes a task, let them know it and praise them publicly. Thank your staff verbally and with other rewards/awards, but do it only when you mean it. A written thank you note, for small to large tasks, goes a long way in building a strong relationship and mutual respect. E-mail cards are fun, too.

5. Be grateful for their contributions.

Unless proven otherwise, assume your employees are trying their best, even when they don't quite get it right. Thank them for their efforts and coach them to do better next time.

6. Let them do the work, but don't be afraid to get in the trenches with them.

Empower them by letting them do their own jobs, even give them opportunities to stretch and grow their skills. But, when the going gets tough, or they are overwhelmed, offer assistance. And always be willing to roll up your sleeves and do the same work alongside them.

7. Let them help you.

In turn, don't try to do it all yourself. Delegate the nitty-gritty tasks, as well as some of your glamour jobs. The more of your work others can do, the more freedom and time you will have to improve your own work and balance your life!

8. Give them an opportunity to fail.

Sometimes we learn best by our own mistakes -- don't deprive your staff of this opportunity. But once a mistake or failure has occurred, don't hold it against them -- help them learn from it and move on.

9. Talk straight to them.

If there is a problem, don't dance around the issue. Let them know you have a concern, then discuss ways you can partner to develop a workable solution. The employee will be more likely to own the problem if s/he also owns the solution and has some say in the matter. Then LISTEN...without any agenda except to really hear and understand what they are saying, and maybe what they are not saying.

10. Let them grow...and sometimes let them go.

Encourage your employees to pursue professional and personal growth opportunities, participate in their trade association or professional society, and take classes or workshops to improve their skills. Give them opportunities and challenges to grow. And, if one day, an employee outgrows your organization, give them your blessing and part company as politely and professionally as possible so your former employee gives YOU a good reference, too!

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