COULD YOUR EMPLOYEES BE LOSING THEIR WAY?
It's not something that happens all at once. Over time, many employees begin to lose site of their goals. It may happen simply as a result of diminishing feedback from superiors. Sometimes it happens because employees get so caught up "fighting fires" that they forget their true mission. More often than you can imagine it happens because management changes employees' goals, but doesn't bother to inform the rank and file. Isn't that scary?

At KEYGroup we see these problems all too often. Earlier this year we surveyed 1,727 employees about their job satisfaction and performance. When we asked these people to evaluate the statement "My company has given me clearly defined goals for my job," a startling 47 percent either disagreed or were neutral. 47 percent! You know what that means? Up to half of your employees may have NO idea what they are trying to achieve . . . and absolutely no way of knowing whether they're succeeding in their jobs.

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"Each honest calling, each walk of life, has its own elite, its own aristocracy based on excellence of performance." - James Bryant Conant

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ARE YOU SETTING UP GOAL POSTS?
If your organization doesn't have clearly defined goals how can you know whether you'll arrive at the right destination? And this isn't just an employee morale problem. This is a problem that could be bleeding your bottom line. Think about the waste of time and resources. Think about the need for rework or the cost of errors. And think about the potential negative impact on customer relations.

When employees lose their way it's time to begin thinking about a "tune-up." One of the best ways I know to do this is to install a performance management system. It may sound complex, but we break it down into four easy to apply modules. We begin with a look at the performance management process itself and follow with modules on setting performance expectations, coaching and motivation, and evaluating results. Our workshop also gives participants a chance to practice performance management strategies and receive videotaped feedback. This gives supervisors "real-world" tools to put employees back on the right track toward achieving company objectives. Visit http://www.keygroupconsulting.com/veo_leadership.php#pm to learn more.

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"Proper preparation prevents poor performance." - Pittsburgh Steeler Quarterback Charlie Batch

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GETTING THEM BACK ON TRACK
Nobody really likes the feeling of living in a vacuum. That's exactly what happens when employees have little direction and no feedback about their performance. But, give your people a clear sense of where the company is heading -- their role in the destination -- and you'll have a motivated, focused, high-performing workforce. And don't let the term "performance management" put you off. It's not really complex or mysterious. Performance management is simply about supervisors doing the right things at the right times. Things like:

* Sharing the "big picture" with employees
* Helping them set challenging, yet attainable goals
* Making sure their work is meaningful
* Measuring productivity and praising them when they do things well.

It really isn't rocket science, but it does take a dedicated, sustained effort. As the boss you can't afford to get swallowed up by administrative trivia or emergencies. You have to take the lead in making performance a priority. When your people know you care most about the quality of their work, they'll put forth the effort to make sure they don't let you down.

For more ideas on how to help employees identify and reach their goals you may want to check out two of our titles. Our eBook Motivate Your Employees and Make Your Workplace Come Alive (http://www.keygroupconsulting.com/veoproducts.htm#mot) and our booklet The KEYS to Motivating and Retaining Talent (http://www.keygroupconsulting.com/veoproducts.htm#mottal). Both of these highly readable volumes are packed with tips and ideas that can make your job as a supervisor much easier. Visit the links above for details.