Getting More from Your Employees

"Average isn't good enough any more. Not in this competitive environment. Not in this lagging economy. If you accept average performance from your employees, you're doing your company a huge disservice" (Silverstein, 2008). So how do you get more from your employees?

An article provided by Entrepreneur.com tells about the 20-60-20 percent rule. "It goes like this: rate the performance of nearly any employee group, and you'll find the population divides itself into three categories: 20 percent are strong performers, 60 percent are average performers, 20 percent are weak performers" (Silverstein, 2008). The article goes to state that management should start by addressing the weak performers. After all, they are doing the most damage to your business. If you don't address your weak performers other employees will notice. "It tells them that there are no consequences for performance. Remember, your employees are well aware of one anothers behavior, even if management pretends not to notice. This fosters a culture of apathy and negativity that drags everyone down" (Silverstein, 2008).

There are a few simple things that a company can do to improve performance. Creating job descriptions and performance are a way to start. Creating job descriptions help employee know what is expected of them and job descriptions give you standard to measure against. Determining why someone is performing their job well can give you insight on changes that might need to take place. For example, do they not receive the training they need? Are they poorly suited for their job and need to moved into another position? If these suggestions don't help then it may be time to terminate the employee. Doing so will "send ripples throughout your organization, shaking up other non-performers and prodding average employees to aim higher. As a bonus, you'll boost morale among your top performers, because it shows that you're paying attention and that you value good work" (Silverstein, 2008).

"Leaders must motivate people and they must empower people to accomplish what is necessary to achieve a vision" (Dainton & Zelley, 2005, p. 133). This article is significant because it provides tips to improve leadership skills. This article shows us the importance of internal communications. Employees need to know what is expected of them and need proper training to be productive and effective. This article also shows us that terminating weak performers is not only beneficial to a company's overall performance but can also motivate employees.

Dainton, M., & Zelley, E. (2005). Applying communication theory for professional life: A practical introduction. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.

Silverstein, R. (2008, July 18). Getting more from your employees . Retrieved October 16, 2008, from Entreprenuer.com Web site: http://www.entrepreneur.com/sales/salescolumnistraysilverstein/article195770.html