PERSPECTIVE / SAAC Chair
FROM–THE–FIELD Prepare Your Team for Success Managing others is not something that comes easy to me. Several years ago, I managed a team of three employees. Our team worked together effortlessly, and we got along exceptionally well. One year for the holidays, the team gave me a vase with “A Team” engraved on it which was the nickname we gave ourselves. This gift was very meaningful to me because in that moment, looking at the gift, I realized that the team as I knew it would not last forever. Sure enough, far sooner than I would have liked, one by one they each went on to different positions. Today when I look at that vase, I am proud to know that I made a difference in their lives professionally. For those of us who enjoy helping others reach their full potential, there are so many great tips in this issue regarding hiring, crucial conversations and recognizing how to work with and motivate different generations in the workforce.
Lisa Yefsky
AREA EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT ARTHUR J. GALLAGHER & CO.
SIMPLY SAYING
Identifying the right fit for a team is not as easy as just replacing the person who was in the seat before. In sports, coaches have to rebuild their team as players come and go. Identifying the right fit for a team is not as easy as just replacing the person who was in the seat before. Oftentimes when a job opening is created it is a great opportunity to see if you can reshuffle the deck, reorganize the work and provide advancement for existing staff. Nothing is more satisfying than watching a staff member grow in their career or offering them a welldeserved promotion. Crucial conversations and effective listening skills are critical to have in your mentoring toolkit. Sharpening your listening skills allows you to understand the meaning behind the words when someone is speaking. As a coach, having regularly scheduled conversations with staff to discuss performance goals and provide constructive feedback is vital to alleviate uncertainty in the organization’s expectations of the employee. If you are having regular discussions, there should never be a surprise when delivering a performance review or telling someone why they are or are not deserving of a promotion.
To have open and honest conversations, it is important to create a safe environment and encourage two-way feedback. Showing you are receptive to new ideas and opinions helps to bolster your team’s confidence. As in interviewing, it takes preparation and practice to get these crucial conversations just right. In providing feedback some employees may be very easy to manage if they are self-aware and eager for growth. Other employees may be a little more challenging. In all of these situations it is important to build a foundation of trust where the employee recognizes that you do want them to see them succeed. A reality we are all experiencing is managing different generations in the workforce. Understanding how each generation is different, what matters to them, how to communicate and motivate an employee takes thought. Helping your teammates, no matter their age, achieve success at work and increase their job satisfaction comes with a great payout for you knowing you made a difference for them.
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