How to unlock talent

The cost of employees tends to be the biggest overhead to a business, and yet sometimes we forget to invest time in our people to ensure we retain them, get the most out of them, and that they are equipped to do an effective and efficient job.

  Investing time needn’t be costly either. Here are some ideas to make sure you have an optimum team:  

1. Assess performance and capability: People performance reviews should not just be carried out at year end. Ensure you are meeting with your teams regularly to see what they are working on and how they are doing it. Give guidance on areas to work on and provide some stretch goals and opportunities to work on new things. This is only how someone can progress in capability.
2. Provide constructive and helpful feedback: Open and honest feedback really aids in helping employees grow and improve. If they are not educated on how to perhaps do things differently, they will never know there are better ways to approach something. Ensure it is constructive as otherwise you will demotivate, and don’t forget to give positive feedback on the things they have done well, it goes a long way!
3. Find out what motivates your employees: Everyone is motivated in different ways. As a line manager, this is one of the most challenging areas as you will need to adapt your style to fit each of your individual team members. Some employees like reward, not just financially, but it could be an extra day off that is important to them, some like to be recognised with internal awards, others to be trusted to be left to do a good job. Find out what is important and try to accommodate and acknowledge their motivations.
4. Build an environment where individuals collaborate: Collaboration is key in getting the most from all your employees. When people work together, they share best practice, share ideas and overall deliver more effectively and efficiently. So, try to encourage your people to work together and combine their talents in order to reach the very best outcomes for the business.
5. Make them feel invaluable to the business: Communicating to your team that they are instrumental to the overall success of the business, makes them feel part of something bigger and makes them feel valued. Sharing the overall vision and goals of the company and how their role fits within that will make them more invested in their job.
6. Enhance and invest in capability: Based on your continuous assessment of performance and capability, you may identify that there are some knowledge or skill gaps in an individual or in the team. Look to how you can upskill in these areas, by providing training. Not only will capability development ensure the team are working optimally but will also aid in motivating the them.

    So, take a moment to reflect, are you getting the most out of your employees, have you unlocked their true potential? Are they equipped to do a great job and are they motivated to stay for the long term? Just a small investment can result in your people becoming more focused, more efficient and more effective both internally and externally, creating an environment that brings out the best in people and translating in turn into better bottom-line performance. That has got to be worth it, surely?

  If you want to invest in your people and get the most out of them, contact us at: help@pureblueocean.com