Q. How do you work with employees on their performance?
Understand and recognize that once you give somebody the power to make a decision on their own, it’s not necessarily going to be what you would have done in that same circumstance.
If they do something different than you … you have to step back and say, ‘OK, did they do it better than I would have done?’ If they do, then you have to recognize that: ‘You know, you actually did this better than I would have handled it.’
Was their situation, was their response, just different but adequate or as good as yours? Then, you say, ‘Well, here’s another way that you might have done it. I don’t know if the results would have been any different, but it gives you some flexibility the next time you look at it.’
Then, they might have screwed it up. You have to say, ‘OK, I understand you had good intentions. Here’s what the consequences of your actions were, and here are the actions that I would have wanted.’ Not making them feel bad that they made a decision, but try to teach them the processes of making a decision.
Q. How do you reward employee performance?
When I’m trying to get people to perform to the best of their ability, I have to communicate to them in short-term benefits to them.
We have bonus plans, so that it translates into money in their pocket for the better service that they do. We have a monthly bonus breakfast meeting where we pass out awards and give recognition.
But you also have to feel in control of your destiny.
If a service guy goes out and he does a little extra work, which costs us a little extra money on the service because he deems that it’s right, he doesn’t have to worry that he’s going to come back in and get yelled at for doing that. He feels in control of the service. We do surveys to make sure the customer is happy. They get bonuses on successful completion of services and good comments, so they get short-term monetary benefits.
Every system we have in place in that department is designed to support that.
How to reach: Unique Home Solutions, (317) 337-9300 or www.uniquewindowanddoor.com
