Understanding Employees / Maximizing Productivity
The most efficient organizations aren't necessarily those that have the best people. Often, organizations that excel are those that get people to work together more productively, to get each member of a team to do his or her best, both individually and together in teams.
Increased productivity
Productivity is an environment in which organizations maximize the results of everybody on the team. Organizations with a track record of success in this area do a better job of helping new hires succeed. That's due to a better understanding of what people's skill sets are, as well as how their behavioral nature fits the job.
Managers often spend a lot of time trying to change people into something they have no hope of ever becoming. People do not change that much. Managers would be better off trying to figure out what their people are really good at and playing to those strengths, instead of forever trying to correct people's deficiencies.
Big mistake
Failure to understand the unique behavioral strengths and challenges of each individual is a major issue with most managers and a mistake that can easily kill morale.
The easy part is to identify skill sets. It's much harder to identify the behavioral nature that fits the job. People do things more because of their own intrinsic nature than because of any lack of expertise or intelligence.
There are plenty of examples in everyday life situations of the four basic behavioral traits that people in the workplace exhibit.
They are:
- Dominance, the so-called "control" trait (the person who pushes his way into an already full elevator)
- Extroversion, the so-called "social" trait (the person who looks to establish a new social network in the same crowded elevator)
- The "patience" trait, which has to do with rate of motion (the person who'll wait for the next elevator), and
- The "conformity" trait, prevalent in people who like structure and detail (the person who checks the officially posted load capacity of the elevator before getting on).
Behavioral nature
Once managers understand the behavioral nature of their employees, they can start to think the way their employees think. What do they need? Do they need direction? Once they figure that out, they can start thinking like a great manager
Great managers play to the strengths of their people and fill square holes with square pegs. They understand what any position needs and fill the positions with people who fit those needs, then provide guidance and encouragement to help people meet the position's specific requirements.
SESCO Management Consultants has a workplace personality assessment tool that has been utilized by many of our clients. You may contact us by phone at 423-764-4127 or by email at sesco@sescomgt.com.