If you prefer to read this online, click here,

For two weeks my eyes were glued to the television watching the spectacular efforts of the participants at the Olympics.  The competition was fierce, and we all learned that there has been cheating.  That took a long and independent investigation, and all this got me thinking about the competition that can go on in the workplace.

Competition in the Workplace

Competition in the workplace can be positive.  I think of it this way; our employees are a team.  They have a common goal to win for the team.  The individual performances are important, but as the team plays and wins, all the team players win.

Competition in the workplace can also be negative.  The individuals can be fighting all the time, which means they are not cooperating towards a common goal.  As one loses, they all lose.

The Coach

You may be the coach.  How you coach can determine whether your team wins or loses.  You win, you keep working.  You lose, and we all know what happens to coaches that lose.

What to Do?

As with any group of people there are those that may have hidden agendas, differing objectives and ways to work with others.  It is your job as the coach to sort all this out and make the decisions that turn the team into a winner.  But, we all know, the boss is short on time, has too many responsibilities and possibly, the Human Resource systems that could help are not in place.

What to do?  Call a premier Human Resources Specialist in the Wichita Falls, Texas, and area.  Call Don Swift, and Associates at 940-228-0550.  Don Swift has the experience and expertise, as a life coach in Texas, to help you identify the personalities of the players on the team and how to bring out the best in them.

The Personalities

Why is that important to understand the personalities?  In sports, every coach appreciates it is important to know the personalities of the participants to be able to work to bring out the best in them.  The same applies to the team in the workplace. Here are some of the differences:

The High Jumper

This person is always racing to jump and get the best assignments.  Because they are so aggressive, you may give the cream jobs to them, at the expense of the rest of the team.

The Handball Player

They weave, bob, and throw things at you.  It could be a snarky comment or push out of the way.  These types of people do things that are not in your best interests, and are good at doing what they do without the coach seeing what is going on.  As a coach, it is tough to ascertain the truth.  Get it wrong and you will have an adverse effect on the whole team.

The Basketball Player

They dribble around and do not have an interest in completing the game.  They pass things off to the other players hoping they will be carried.  With any team, the weakest link can bring the down the whole team.  As the coach, it may be hard for you to concentrate on the individuals to find out what is wrong.

Back to What to Do?

There is so much to do as the coach at work.  To get help, call the Human Resource Consultant in the Wichita Falls, Texas, and area who can help.  Call Don Swift and Associates to bring an expert human resources specialist, Wichita Falls, to your worksite.

Don Swift and Associates has been helping work teams become winning teams for years, and they would love to help you and your team as your Texas life coach.

Do you need to identify the personalities that are holding your team back, or learn new ways to solve conflicts?  No matter what the human resource issue in the Wichita Falls, Texas, and area, Don Swift and Associates is your contact.

Call Don Swift and Associates today at 940-228-0550 and check out their Website for all sorts of great information.  Don’t wait any longer for a winning team.  Call on Don Swift and Associates today at 940-228-0550 and let him help you go for gold as your Human Resource Specialist in Wichita Falls, Texas and area.

(Written by Wayne Drury)

If you prefer to read this online, click here.

Actively Engaged Employees

Actively engaged employees are the foundation of successful companies. According to Gallup, a majority of the workforce is missing.  Half (51%) survey as ‘not engaged,’ and another 17% are ‘actively disengaged.’” If employees aren’t engaged with their work, then they’re less likely to make an impact on customers. Engaged employees are brand representatives and take fewer sick days. They’re the backbone of successful businesses.

Every employer wants to hire and retain engaged employees, but how do we know the degree to which they are engaged? Simply measure employee engagement using a known survey tool that produces actionable reporting.

Find out how your organization can benefit from a thoughtfully crafted and administered employee survey.

Discrete Way to Voice Concerns

Using a confidential employee engagement survey makes it possible for employees to offer honest feedback to their employers. Because, most people won’t tell their boss that they wouldn’t recommend the company’s products, a supervisor doesn’t treat employees with respect.

Most employees only have the nerve to do such a thing if the next phrase happened to be, “I quit!” Imagine instead, that you want to keep your job. Therefore, it’s tough to conjure a situation in which you’d be willing to say such things to your superior for fear of losing your livelihood.

One important advantage of anonymous surveys is the collection of honest and smart feedback about topics otherwise uncomfortable from employee to employer. If you want actionable data about the state of your organization, employees need their privacy protected.

Effective Communication

Surveys facilitate ongoing communication therefore improving employee engagement. The best employee surveys provide feedback on actionable issues so you provide improvement over time.

Interestingly, the simple act of conducting an employee satisfaction survey oftentimes increases employee engagement. Therefore, conducting an employee survey shows that you’re invested in communicating with your staff. Employees feel valued, leading to a happier, more engaged workforce which in turn, goes the extra mile.

Provides Insights

Using an employee survey as a tool to gauge your employees’ true opinions towards your company’s benefit program is essential.

Learning what types of benefits employees appreciate most — as well as the types of benefits they would like to have —helps you restructure your employee compensation package.  By so doing, you retain existing employees and attract more long-term employees. Always include questions about your benefit packages in your employee survey.

Learn About Working Conditions from an Insider

Managers within an organization work hard to create ideal working conditions.  Despite that fact, you won’t really know whether your efforts are working until you receive unbiased feedback from your workers. Make sure the survey tool you consider has a section about workplace conditions.

Surveys, Determine Organizational Weaknesses

Understand that an employee survey is a diagnostic instrument indicating the strengths and weaknesses of the company. With their knowledge of daily work process, employees provide useful information about day-to-day operations and how to improve them. In addition to considering your organization’s employee feedback, compare the results with industry benchmark reports.

Use an employee engagement and satisfaction survey as the first step toward increasing engagement at your organization. First, measure; then improve.

Regards,

Don Swift

P.S. If you find this newsletter helpful, please consider sharing it with your friends, family, and colleagues. If you need assistance, call 940-228-0550. You can visit my website for more information at www.donswiftandassociates.com.

If you prefer to read this online,  click here.

Money

Money works for a while as a motivator.  But, it does not breed success day in and day out.  And what we need as business owners is, to have our employees motivated every day.  That is what helped me be successful in my business, and it will work for you.

To get help with finding ways to motivate my employees without money, I sat down with Don Swift, HR Consultant in Wichita Falls, Texas to discuss the issue.

Who is Don Swift?

Don Swift is a human resource professional in Wichita Falls, Texas.  He services companies and organizations in the Texoma area, going as far south as Houston and Dallas/Fort Worth.  He has more than 25 years of practical and professional experience in human resource issues, including being a registered life coach in Texas.

Hundreds of companies have called on Don Swift for HR development, mediation, training, and to take on HR for a flat fee with their businesses.  And I have too.

The Don Swift List for Motivation Without Money

Don Swift outlined seven things any business owner or manager can do to motivate without money:

1. Supportive Leadership

Leadership is a critical factor that employees look to.  They want clear and concise instructions, support, and want a boss they can trust.  That does not mean you should be their friend, but you need to be friendly.

Work in close collaboration with your employees, build trust and let them know how much you appreciate their great job to make everyone satisfied.

2. Empower Your Employees

Employees want to know that they are valued.  That their values, their thoughts and expressions are worth something.  In many cases, the employees know the jobs better than the rest. So, why wouldn’t you empower them by giving them the benefit of trust?

3. Do You Have a Positive Environment?

Do your employees feel at ease coming to the office?  There was just an announcement where one government agency had to pay out about $100 million to solve a class action suit as a result of sexual harassment.  It affected less than 5% of the employees, most of who left.

(Written by Wayne Drury)

P.S. If you find this newsletter helpful, please consider sharing it with your friends, family, and colleagues. If you need assistance, call 940-228-0550. You can visit my website for more information at www.donswiftandassociates.com.