AchieveGlobal's blog

Addressing the “Problem” in “Problem Employee”

By Sharon Daniels

Figuring out what to do when you realize that an employee is exhibiting problem behavior can be anything but easy. But armed with the knowledge of how to take control of the situation, managers can help to avoid any further major upsets within the organization.

When an employee develops what can be seen as a chronic attitude issue, or isn’t delivering at expected levels of productivity, this can negatively affect that person’s team, raise safety concerns in certain environments, and ultimately impact the image and success of the organization.

In a recent article in Black Enterprise, I noted how easy it can be for leaders to seek what seems like a simple solution to this sort of situation: firing the employee. With today’s talent pool stocked with candidates who may seem far more worthy, getting rid of the “bad apple” employee may be a temptation that seems difficult to resist.

Before leaders take this step, they need to consider two major issues:

1. It costs a company far more to recruit a new employee than to help an existing employee make changes.
2. Firing an employee without due cause or proper notice can place a company in legal jeopardy.

Ideally, before resorting to firing, a company and its leaders should commit to addressing the situation with a controlled and positive approach.

These steps can help leaders deal with employees who seem to be emerging as problems for their organizations:

1. Commit to finding a solution, instead of entering the situation with a mission to fire the employee.
2. Research the situation thoroughly from all angles to figure out the real issues at play.
3. Speak with the employee to:
   • Establish a partnership with the person and a common commitment to find a solution
   • Allow him/her the opportunity to share his/her perspectives
   • Express concern over how the behavior affects the company
   • Ensure that the employee is not in denial
4. Build a workable plan that:
   • Includes practical milestones that the employee should achieve
   • Assesses any need for training or retraining
   • Agrees on a timeframe for the changes

As with any crisis, a manager who handles a problem employee effectively, with a positive outcome for the wider organization, gains the invaluable respect of workers and peers alike.

Sharon Daniels is CEO of AchieveGlobal in Tampa, Florida

How to Swim – and Not Sink – When You’re Promoted

By Sharon Daniels

Imagine that you’re a flight attendant, and your airline is offering you a promotion. Great news, right? Except the promotion is to the position of Pilot, and the company isn’t offering you any training – not even flight simulation.

Fortunately, this is a hypothetical situation. Yet, in the world of business, this sort of unsupported promotion happens more often than we might like to admit.

In a recent article in Fortune Magazine, contributor Anne Fisher shared some startling statistics, including:

• On average, 90% of newly appointed managers had received no leadership training or coaching
• About 60% learn their jobs through trial and error
• About a third of recent appointees said they wish they’d never been promoted

These statistics are alarming, to say the least. And the truth is, that with a healthy measure of communication, these situations are completely avoidable.

To learn what coaches would recommend to someone in this very position, Anne Fisher contacted a few of us in the industry to get our advice. Asked how I would advise in this scenario, I recommended that newly appointed managers should:

• Understand exactly what their priorities should be
• Not assume they know what’s expected of them
• Ask leaders to spell out their goals
• Provide leaders with progress reports as they work toward those goals
• Ask leaders for confirmation that they’re heading in the right direction
• Keep the dialog open from Day 1

When you’re promoted to a new position, it’s the company’s way of expressing its confidence in you. By following these guidelines, you are more likely to be equipped to live up to that expressed confidence.

Sharon Daniels is CEO of AchieveGlobal in Tampa, Florida

Defining Moments – Defined by People

By Sharon Daniels

This is the final post on AchieveGlobal’s study on sales effectiveness, and our reports, “Owning the Customer Experience: A new view of sales effectiveness today,” and, “A Survey of Sales Effectiveness: Global Research on What Drives Sales Success.”

In my last post, I reflected that “Owning the Customer Experience” is all about building “moment-by-moment” snapshots that make up a photo album of relationship success. Key to each snapshot of defining moments are two fundamental components:

1. Having the right people
2. Equipping them with the right skills

Finding and keeping the right people goes far beyond just the salespeople. It includes everyone who has customer interactions – from service personnel to marketing, installation, delivery, product engineers, leaders and even front desk personnel. From top to bottom, throughout the team, it’s essential to put the right people in place and equip them with the appropriate skills.

In our recent study, we surveyed sales professionals and identified six phases that are key to sales success:

1. Preparing to sell
2. Developing business
3. Establishing relationships
4. Presenting a solution
5. Closing the sale
6. Following up after the sale

We also found that high performing sales professionals see specific traits as key to their success, including:

• Possessing an understanding of the products or services being sold
• Having in-depth knowledge of the customer’s industry
• Identifying new opportunities in existing accounts
• Conducting in-depth research of prospect organizations
• Ensuring the organization delivers as promised
• Exhibiting sales tenacity

Organizations seeking sales success must ensure that their sales team is equipped to manage these activities and practice these behaviors, by providing them with sales training and coaching along with invaluable support activities and tools.

 

Sharon Daniels is CEO of AchieveGlobal in Tampa, Florida