You don’t lead by hitting people over the head–that’s assault, not leadership.
~Dwight Eisenhower
The first day a new employee arrives at your office is often mixed with excitement and uncertainty. And you both want the same result — success. But this will only happen if you use your effective leadership skills to initiate the groundwork for developing their unique talents. Starting out on the right foot will give your employee the blueprint they need to be a top contributor and you the reassurance they are following the right path.
Here are five of the most effective ways to start achieving success beginning with their first day:
Make Your Expectations Clear and Detailed
Nothing will make your employee happier than knowing where you stand. Remember, they are working at your company to help you! But in order to achieve your goals they need to know what success looks like in your eyes. During that first meeting be clear about their role in the company, what you are trying to achieve and when it all needs to be accomplished. Don’t be vague. Set clear standards from the beginning and give your employee specific examples they can follow. It will take time to put in this extra effort but you’ll be laying a solid foundation to get the results you really want. In my leadership seminars, one of the most common takeaways is managers realizing they need to set more quantifiable standards for their employees.
Provide a Way to Give and Receive Feedback
Feedback is crucial to ensure the quality of the work you receive. As you are working with your new hire tell them what works well and how they can improve. As the boss, you have the advantage of knowing when something hasn’t worked before and how to quickly resolve those issues. Also, when your employee has questions or concerns tell them how to approach you. Do you have an open door policy? Or do you prefer getting all of their questions in a single email. Determine what process works best for you and clearly communicate your preferences so they can be implemented. It’s one of the secrets to practicing effective leadership.
Managing Conflict in the Workplace
Conflicts come with every project and how you handle it will determine how smoothly things are resolved. Encourage your employees to solve smaller conflicts on their own and be supportive when they need additional leadership from you. When managing conflict in the workplace, actively listen to their concerns and urge their input for a resolution to the situation. If other people are providing the conflict, arrange for a group meeting to discuss the various issues and find common ground. Most importantly, show your employee they have your full support for resolving difficult situations and also troubleshooting any future issues. It’s one of the keys to successfully managing conflict in the workplace.
How to Appreciate and Encourage Employees
Effective leadership means not only pointing out the problems but also the successes. A thoughtful thank you goes a long way to show that you appreciate your employee’s efforts. Being specific about what you liked about their work will inspire the same results later. Additionally, acknowledge when they overcome difficult situations so they can see that you empathize with their struggles. Any opportunity you have to publicly acknowledge their success or give them a special award will also encourage others on your team to achieve similar results. Over time give employees the opportunity to lead and encourage others by becoming a group leader on future projects.
Motivating and Inspiring Employees Toward Top Results
Every employee has a special skill or ability they enjoy doing. It is usually some task they would like to do even if they weren’t getting paid! It takes effective leadership skills to determine what these abilities are and to assign them to the right person. If you have the choice to give an accounting task to someone who likes doing math problems in their spare time, why not encourage them to crunch some numbers for you? Maybe they would like to get their degree and pursue this type of work in the future. Finding the balance between what is beneficial for your company and the future aspirations of your employee will help both of you achieve success.
Engaging these strategies will help assure the first day with your new employee will be one of many that encourage a solid working relationship that can build and develop in the future!
About Colleen Seward Ryan, Leadership Expert, Keynote Speaker
CREDENTIALS: Colleen Seward Ryan is an international workplace and employee management expert, award-winning corporate trainer, and motivational keynote speaker. A media veteran, she has appeared on numerous radio shows across the country and has written more than 40+ articles on diverse workplace issues. She has delivered more than 1,100 entertaining programs in 48 states and five countries.
She is the author of 10 published audio programs and two books including SECRETS YOUR BOSS ISN’T TELLING YOU.
Colleen can assist your organization with successful leadership development through her keynotes, seminars, and workshops. Be sure to visit www.BounceBackHigher.com for details or call (623)340-7690 in Aiken, South Carolina.
