The Value of Treating Your Performers Fairly

USA Today had a recent article that highlighted a study about the effects of a manager treating their employees fairly. The findings? The practice boosted the financial bottom line of the organization.

In our training programs on Juggling Elephants, we consistently emphasize the need to build trust with those who you are depending on to help you get things done. When people know they will be treated with the same respect as others in the organization, they tend to give a stronger effort toward accomplishing the goals of the organization.

Using a circus analogy, if you are the leader of the trapeze act, don't make the mistake of treating one performer differently than another. The person doing the flips may get the "ooohs" and "aaaahhhs," but if the person putting up the net feels underappreciated.... well, let's just say the act could be in trouble.

Who Will Save You?

Here's a question for you that we already know your answer. Don't believe us? Here goes...

In a trapeze act, who is the most important member of the team?

We would be willing to wager that you thought of one of the following answers:

• The catcher
• The person who puts up the net or rigging

How did we do? For over 6 years we have been doing Juggling Elephants training programs, and those are always the top two answers. Why? Because on some level you are putting yourself into the act and thinking-"This is who is important to me to keep me from failing!"

What if you applied that same reasoning to how you manage your time with others on a regular basis. Are you spending it with the people who have the strongest possibility of insuring that your acts are a success, or are you hanging out with certain team members because it is convenient or less threatening?

Always trying to hang out with the "star" of the show might get you in the spotlight for a moment, but unless you are absolutely positive you can perform the act on your own, you might want to build some strong relationships with those lesser known by the general audience.

What If You Lost All Your "A" Performers?

There was a rare occurrence in the world of college basketball a couple of weeks ago. The national champion team for 2012, the University of Kentucky, had every one of its starting 5 announce that they are leaving college early for the NBA. How's that for a change in the lineup? Coach John Calipari's ability to keep getting a standing ovation from the UK fans will surely be tested next year.

If you work in a "team" environment, it is our hope that you will never have to face such a daunting challenge. The scenario does highlight a more common issue that occurs in the workplace-what to do if your star performer(s) leave. To help prevent a "rebuilding year" for your office or organization, put these "plays" into action now:

• Take every opportunity to let your performers know how much you appreciate their efforts and how they contribute to the organization in a unique and vital way.
• Work hard to improve the performance of your mediocre performers and don't allow them to consistently miss meeting your (realistic) expectations. Nothing brings a team down more than the high performers seeing that mediocrity is condoned.
• Be vigilant about recognizing a "rookie's" interest in learning more about how things work in the organization. He/She may be on your starting team one day, and the better prepared they are now, the less time you will have to spend with them before sending them into the game.

Lastly, be meticulous about remembering what you have done that has created your team of champions. You can then apply those same strategies when training the next recruit...just hopefully not a whole team at one time.

Who Is Watching You?

Watch a trapeze act and you most likely will see an individual or two out of the spotlight whose job it is to keep an eye on the rigging. They are to watch the safety lines, the high wire and any other mechanical elements of the equipment that could malfunction, and cause harm to the performers or to the audience.

In a similar way, who is watching out for you? Beyond your spouse or immediate family members, who is keeping an eye out to make sure you are performing at your highest level? They are the ones who notice when you are not following your normal routine or living out your priorities as you usually do. Their role, like that of the trapeze act, is critical because they can pull us back from danger (physical, mental, or financial) before we have done some real damage to ourselves or others.

If you don't have that type of support person or persons in your life, we suggest you start finding some to be part of your team. They could make a real difference in whether your circus gets the standing ovation you really want.

The Three Rings Are All Important To Employees

Stacy Argoudelis with the Essex Companies has written a strong piece about the need to engage an employee by recognizing the "total person," or as we would say in Juggling Elephants, all 3 rings. She writes:

Today’s employee is looking for the whole package when it comes to employment. Offering competitive salaries and benefits doesn’t spell retention in all cases. Acknowledging the unique, personal sides of an employee and recognizing their need to develop a rewarding, satisfying worklife are keys to keeping a full, thriving staff.

She also highlights the benefit of a rejuvenated current employee instead of having to hire and train a new employee.

You can read the entire article by clicking here.