TM - June 2008 - (Page 38) recruitment & retention assessment & evaluation compensation & benefits performance management learning & development succession planning No. 3: F acilitate Effective Interaction Even if talent managers promote a shared purpose among well-trained, knowledgeable employees who have unlimited resources, it is virtually impossible for individuals to achieve anything as a group without effective interaction. Ineffective employee interactions lead to inefficient coordination efforts, and in today’s workplace, nearly every significant project requires cross-functional and cross-disciplinary interaction and cooperation. Miscommunication causes poor information sharing and makes it difficult to get the right people involved at the right time to make the best decisions. Consequently, people attempt problem solving and decision making in isolation or with the wrong people. This can result in poor decision making, prolonged decision making or, even worse, no decision making at all. On the other hand, effective interaction can stimulate opportunities for collective learning for both manager and employee and greatly enhance employee job satisfaction. On an enterprise level, effective interaction creates a culture of collaboration and encourages sharing of ideas and information that is critical for innovation. Managers can facilitate healthy employee interactions in many ways. One, they can create environments in tive interaction between employees, and particularly between managers and employees. Interactive problem solving through listening and asking questions models positive interaction between managers and employees. When employees see that managers don’t make decisions or work in isolation, it gives them permission to do the same. To Reap the Benefits of One, Implement All Three When the three leadership/performance management strategies — to promote understanding, ensure knowledge and facilitate interaction — are in place, everyone thrives: the individual, teams and the organization. But unless all three are implemented effectively at the critical manager-employee level, the other two are rendered virtually ineffective. For example, a group’s goal clarity and knowledge are suboptimized without effective interaction among its members. Employees and managers must have good understanding in order to have effective interaction, but having understanding doesn’t always ensure effective interaction will take place. An organization could have the most knowledgeable and talented people in place, but without clear understanding of purpose and effective interaction, employees will become frus- If talent managers want their organizations to thrive, they must continually cultivate the people and the relationships responsible for making them grow. which people are comfortable asking challenging questions. When managers respond without defensiveness, they model a key behavior necessary for productive interaction. The best managers model effective interpersonal behavior, which starts by asking questions and listening. This is easy to say, but often difficult to do. Building strong, valuable manager-employee relationships starts with the basics: effective problem-solving and decision-making processes. For example, in meetings, do talent managers have an agenda and stick to it? Do they make sure everyone is heard and that certain individuals are not allowed to dominate the discussion? Do they make sure someone without a personal agenda facilitates the meeting? Considering these questions can encourage productivity and free up time for more personal engagement between manager and employee. An organizational climate that promotes individual learning also can facilitate effective manager-employee relationship building. Research shows some 67 percent of employees say they learn the most when working with a colleague, which emphasizes the need for effec- trated. Further, the most knowledgeable employees are in high demand in the market, and they often are the first to seek opportunities elsewhere. The lynchpin to the effectiveness of all these strategies lies in the manager-employee relationship. When this relationship isn’t successful, individual, team and organization performance all will eventually suffer. When companies refocus on this critical relationship through a renewed emphasis on basic, effective management practices, they can improve individual, team and organizational performance, increase employee satisfaction and strengthen talent management and retention efforts. When it comes to performance management, it’s an often told but wise lesson: If talent managers want their organizations to thrive, they must continually cultivate the people and the relationships responsible for making them grow. Chris Musselwhite is president and CEO of Discovery Learning Inc. and author of Dangerous Opportunity: Making Change Work. He can be reached at editor@talentmgt.com. 38 June 2008 talent management magazine www.talentmgt.com http://www.talentmgt.com
Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of TM - June 2008 TM - June 2008 Editor’s Letter Contents Human Performance Leading Edge Foundations The New Components of Compliance Candid Culture: Embracing Employee Complaints Transitioning to a New Era: C&B at Nonprofits Three Ways to Build Successful Manager-Employee Relationships Implementing Successful Learning Programs The Succession Fix Fifth Third Bank: Putting People First Zaxby’s: Making Employees’ Jobs as Palatable as Its Menu Workforce Readiness: Preparing Personnel to Meet Business Goals Kelley Blue Book: Writing the Book on Performance Management Advertisers’ Index Editorial Resources Full Potential TM - June 2008 TM - June 2008 - (Page Intro) TM - June 2008 - TM - June 2008 (Page Cover1) TM - June 2008 - TM - June 2008 (Page Cover2) TM - June 2008 - TM - June 2008 (Page 3) TM - June 2008 - Editor’s Letter (Page 4) TM - June 2008 - Editor’s Letter (Page 5) TM - June 2008 - Editor’s Letter (Page 6) TM - June 2008 - Editor’s Letter (Page 7) TM - June 2008 - Editor’s Letter (Page 8) TM - June 2008 - Contents (Page 9) TM - June 2008 - Contents (Page 10) TM - June 2008 - Contents (Page 11) TM - June 2008 - Human Performance (Page 12) TM - June 2008 - Human Performance (Page 13) TM - June 2008 - Leading Edge (Page 14) TM - June 2008 - Leading Edge (Page 15) TM - June 2008 - Foundations (Page 16) TM - June 2008 - Foundations (Page 17) TM - June 2008 - The New Components of Compliance (Page 18) TM - June 2008 - The New Components of Compliance (Page 19) TM - June 2008 - The New Components of Compliance (Page 20) TM - June 2008 - The New Components of Compliance (Page 21) TM - June 2008 - The New Components of Compliance (Page 22) TM - June 2008 - The New Components of Compliance (Page 23) TM - June 2008 - Candid Culture: Embracing Employee Complaints (Page 24) TM - June 2008 - Candid Culture: Embracing Employee Complaints (Page 25) TM - June 2008 - Candid Culture: Embracing Employee Complaints (Page 26) TM - June 2008 - Candid Culture: Embracing Employee Complaints (Page 27) TM - June 2008 - Candid Culture: Embracing Employee Complaints (Page 28) TM - June 2008 - Candid Culture: Embracing Employee Complaints (Page 29) TM - June 2008 - Transitioning to a New Era: C&B at Nonprofits (Page 30) TM - June 2008 - Transitioning to a New Era: C&B at Nonprofits (Page 31) TM - June 2008 - Transitioning to a New Era: C&B at Nonprofits (Page 32) TM - June 2008 - Transitioning to a New Era: C&B at Nonprofits (Page 33) TM - June 2008 - Transitioning to a New Era: C&B at Nonprofits (Page 34) TM - June 2008 - Transitioning to a New Era: C&B at Nonprofits (Page 35) TM - June 2008 - Three Ways to Build Successful Manager-Employee Relationships (Page 36) TM - June 2008 - Three Ways to Build Successful Manager-Employee Relationships (Page 37) TM - June 2008 - Three Ways to Build Successful Manager-Employee Relationships (Page 38) TM - June 2008 - Three Ways to Build Successful Manager-Employee Relationships (Page 39) TM - June 2008 - Implementing Successful Learning Programs (Page 40) TM - June 2008 - Implementing Successful Learning Programs (Page 41) TM - June 2008 - The Succession Fix (Page 42) TM - June 2008 - The Succession Fix (Page 43) TM - June 2008 - The Succession Fix (Page 44) TM - June 2008 - The Succession Fix (Page 45) TM - June 2008 - The Succession Fix (Page 46) TM - June 2008 - The Succession Fix (Page 47) TM - June 2008 - The Succession Fix (Page 48) TM - June 2008 - The Succession Fix (Page 49) TM - June 2008 - Fifth Third Bank: Putting People First (Page 50) TM - June 2008 - Fifth Third Bank: Putting People First (Page 51) TM - June 2008 - Zaxby’s: Making Employees’ Jobs as Palatable as Its Menu (Page 52) TM - June 2008 - Zaxby’s: Making Employees’ Jobs as Palatable as Its Menu (Page 53) TM - June 2008 - Zaxby’s: Making Employees’ Jobs as Palatable as Its Menu (Page 54) TM - June 2008 - Zaxby’s: Making Employees’ Jobs as Palatable as Its Menu (Page 55) TM - June 2008 - Workforce Readiness: Preparing Personnel to Meet Business Goals (Page 56) TM - June 2008 - Workforce Readiness: Preparing Personnel to Meet Business Goals (Page 57) TM - June 2008 - Workforce Readiness: Preparing Personnel to Meet Business Goals (Page 58) TM - June 2008 - Workforce Readiness: Preparing Personnel to Meet Business Goals (Page 59) TM - June 2008 - Kelley Blue Book: Writing the Book on Performance Management (Page 60) TM - June 2008 - Kelley Blue Book: Writing the Book on Performance Management (Page 61) TM - June 2008 - Kelley Blue Book: Writing the Book on Performance Management (Page 62) TM - June 2008 - Kelley Blue Book: Writing the Book on Performance Management (Page 63) TM - June 2008 - Kelley Blue Book: Writing the Book on Performance Management (Page 64) TM - June 2008 - Editorial Resources (Page 65) TM - June 2008 - Full Potential (Page 66) TM - June 2008 - Full Potential (Page Cover3) TM - June 2008 - Full Potential (Page Cover4)
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