5 Tips to Drive Performance

From effectiveness to efficiency, driving performance is usually on the short list of top priorities in any organization.

Here are 5 Ways to ignite employee passion and drive performance:

1. Leader as Coach: This tip isn’t accidentally at the top. Meaningful conversations, impactful feedback, and action planning are critical to enhancing individual performance. These are all inherent qualities in the leader as coach.  Coaching cultures extend far beyond the reaches of quotas and business objectives, and get to the heart of what motivates a person. Good coaching reveals an employee’s vision, values, purpose, and mission, and aligns them with those of the organization.
   
   
2. Personal Development: In the scramble to survive the economic downturn, many organizations chose Learning and Development initiatives as the first casualties in budget cuts.  But personal development and training programs affect more than just an employee’s skill level, they signal an investment in the individual.  When team members know they are more than just a body to fill a seat, that a tangible investment has been made in their future and upward mobility within an organization, it ignites engagement and performance.
   
   
3. Trusting Relationships: Trust doesn’t just build camaraderie in the office, it directly impacts an organizations bottom line. The more trustworthy an organization can be, the more transparent it will become.   Organizations that support trust and transparency amongst its employees will find no limits in how its people perform.   Employees in turn feel free to explore and innovate.  They are more inclined to work harder as they seek to advance and be more relevant.
   
   
4. Technology: Today’s work force is no stranger to technology, but many organizations are still trapped a world of paper and mimeo. While it is certainly unnecessary to upgrade computers, software, and mobile technology every year, staying current on basic fundamentals should always rank high on the priority list.  Inter-organizational messaging and shared calendars are just a couple of examples of how to harness modern capabilities without busting the budget.  The faster team members can communicate and collaborate, the faster thought can be put into action.
   
   
5. Compensation: Like it or not, compensation is still a component of driving performance. No matter the trust level, training investments, or alignment around core values, an employee’s bottom line is often the bottom line. The economic crunch has set almost universal compensation freezes, and most for good reason. However, if your best and brightest feel underappreciated when their paychecks land, it will be difficult for them to resist the urge to at least glance at greener pastures.  When dissatisfied employees are busy checking out what lies on the horizon, they are less focused on the task and opportunities at hand.