Companies Should Use Employee Recognition And Coaching In Order To Increase Sales, Says The Financial Times

It has come to light that an article in the Financial Times reports that an insurance company’s directors noticed performance variations between different teams and wished to open up untapped potential by ensuring that a team leader spent more time with the team.

A supportive, recognition and coaching-oriented style of management may be the way forward for bosses who want to unleash potential in their staff and improve their business. An article in the Financial Times, reported that an insurance company’s directors noticed performance variations between different teams and wished to open up untapped potential by ensuring that a team leader spent more time with the team, including on a one-to-one basis with members, rather than carrying out administrative tasks.

The team engaged in discussions and involved themselves in analysing how they worked, as well as coaching each other – with and feedback being provided by the team leader. The result was that performance improved, with a 5 per cent increase in sales, and the staff felt more motivated – even low-performing employees improved. Another positive point was that this exercise cost very little to implement.

 

On the other side of the pond, the Super Bowl American football championship in the United States has put the spotlight on the San Francisco 49ers’ coach, Jim Harbaugh, and his ideas for bringing out the best in his players. According to Profiles International, there are five “commandments” that Harbaugh’s coaching style is built on, and these involve being protective of a team; not dwelling on failure; viewing the team members as people; delivering praise; and setting high standards.

The factors Harbaugh implements in his process can be adopted by managers to get the best out of their teams, and bosses can go a long way towards achieving this by recognising employees’ contributions to company success, in order to make them feel valued. Giving praise in a way that allows the employees to celebrate publicly is arguably more essential than offering praise in private, and contributes to building their confidence – which will help to increase business.

Recognition and Award programmes can take many forms; however, they do not necessarily involve a cash prize. Practice Heroes, for example, awards trophies in appreciation of unsung heroes in doctors’ surgeries across the UK. In the US, one health board runs an annual award to recognise a range of qualities including loyalty, attendance and a caring attitude.

Once these methods have been identified as a way of improving business, it is a good idea to keep them going – but it is often difficult to cut out vital administration work. To maintain staff engagement in driving business forward, supplementing this approach with a motivation and award programme is ideal, and Full Circle Motivation is the first choice for any business. Their programmes are always bespoke but often include the following dynamic tool:

Motivational Maps. Our ability to function effectively with others in a team is down to a number of factors, which include personality traits, attitudes, behaviours and preferred roles. For teams to grow and thrive they need to be aware of each other’s motivational profile and be able to fuel the motivators of other team members. Motivational Maps automatically analyses individuals’ responses and generates clear and easy to understand reports, that reveals each person’s key motivators and as important, their level of motivation. Each report provides actionable advice on how to increase motivation where it matters and improve productivity.

 This is something of which Jim Harbaugh would surely approve.