The Review: A Chance to Sell Your Personal Brand to Your Employer

A great place to start the process is to ask yourself “How does my personal brand benefit the company and does it fit with the company’s goals?”

Quick Tips to Sell Your Personal Brand During Your Performance Review

Conduct a self audit: Consider and document the projects you worked on, teams you worked within and the results you brought. It sounds obvious but this step will offer clarity and direction in helping your boss get an idea about the value you bring to company.

Share and demonstrate progress toward your goals: You can grow the scope of your personal brand through achieving goals. Be ready to share and demonstrate progress toward your goals, as well as discuss the short-term and longer-term goals you want to achieve.

What ever you do, do not get defensive: A good attitude is essential to your brand. Disagreements between managers and employees happen all the time but don’t let this turn relationships sour! You and your boss you should show documentation that clarifies your point. If the disagreement persists, its important to recognize the chain of command and ask for feedback about how you can improve.

Need more tips about using performance reviews to grow your personal brand? Sign up to receive our newsletters or contact us.

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For the employers, one-on-ones gives a structure for guidance and focus which leads to higher productivity. Employees have greater satisfaction as coaching allows them to share their ideas and career plans.

Helping Managers Become Better Leaders

The Sprigg performance management software helps managers become better coaches because we employee the best practices. Marshall Goldsmith, author of What Got You Here Won’t Get You There? discusses employing a six-question process for better coaching. He recommends executives conduct one-on-ones quarterly with their direct reports to focus on understanding disagreements with the company’s strategic alignment. Using the simple and fast Sprigg software, this process can be regularly applied to all levels of an organization.

So what are the six questions?

There is no perfect formula to becoming an effective coach. Indeed, it often requires flexibility, trial and error.

Nevertheless, there are some important questions you can incorporate into your performance management practices which can help offer direction and encourage collaboration.

1. Where are we going?

Employees are on the front line and often have the most current and detailed insights into your customers’ needs. Ask employees for their ideas about where the organization should be going. This is an opportunity to ensure that strategic objectives set by each member of the organization are in alignment with the corporate vision. Employees have the opportunity to come up with new ideas and share them with the executive teams.

2. Where are you going?

This question has two levels. The first one is where the specific functional teams are heading towards. What are they trying to achieve to support the company’s mission, vision, and goals?

The second level is the direct reports’ individual goals and priorities. Knowing where your employees are aiming towards can help you build your succession pipeline.

3. What is going well?

Ask your employees what they think the organization as a whole is doing well and what their teams have been doing well. Recognize their achievements and contributions to your overall goals. You may have missed out on some positive accomplishments and this is the perfect setting to learn about them.

4. What are key suggestions for improvement?

Encourage employees to provide constructive suggestions for development. You should pick the key opportunities for improvement and focus on them for the quarter. By listening to your employees’ suggestions, you can modify your own suggestions to better reflect the strategic objectives of the company.

5. How can I help?

Through taking in your employees’ needs and feedback, you can create the right support to ensure that their suggestions are being implemented effectively. You can also participate by suggesting approaches and asking whether the approach will be helpful to become more effective. Remember, they key to improvement is all about providing coaching to the right people on the right topic.

6. What suggestions do you have for me?

This important question makes the 1 on 1 a two-way dialogue. Employees are more open to the idea of being coached, when their managers are are willing to be coached by them. Managers who ask for feedback and focus on improving the key behaviours are more likely to have an increase in leadership effectiveness.

Finally, its vital to remember that, no matter what your role in the company, feedback is king! Constantly look to adapt and improve your coaching and leadership style and your company will reap the rewards!

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The study by outsourced employment provider Parasol showed that skilled professionals who have left ‘traditional employment’ to embark on a career in freelancing and contracting view lifestyle benefits as the main attraction of their new working arrangement. More than 70 percent of respondents cited lifestyle factors, such as the freedom and flexibility on offer (38 percent), the variety of working on different assignments (21 percent) and work-life balance (12 percent) as their favourite thing about being a contractor or freelancer.

Just 29 percent said earnings potential was the principal advantage. The emphasis on lifestyle factors over money was most pronounced amongst contractors and freelancers working in digital, media and creative. Just 24 percent of respondents working in these sectors answered that earnings potential was their favourite thing about contracting.

The survey suggests that a slightly higher proportion of contractors working in engineering and manufacturing, IT and technology and pharmaceuticals and life sciences are motivated by money. Between 30 percent and 32 percent of contractors working in each of these sectors said earnings potential was the biggest draw for them. Parasol managing director Derek Kelly said: “These results will make interesting reading for business owners and HR professionals keen to retain their best employees. “In many cases, individuals are driven to embark on a contracting career by a determination to enjoy greater flexibility and an improved work-life balance.

Read full article at HRDirector

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Before you set up your company incentive program, be sure to review this checklist and get all of your information together to ensure a smooth launch and ongoing success.

1. Determine the behavior you are trying to change: Increased sales, improved morale, customer loyalty?  What do you want for an outcome?  What is the purpose of the program?
2. Place appropriate value on the desired activity: How many points do you want to associate with each activity (i.e., you will get 10 points for being recognized by a co-worker, or 15 points for selling a particular product).  Is the reward you are giving commensurate with the activity to be performed by the participants?
3. Select an appropriate prize: Is it cash, merchandise, trips, gift cards, company rewards such as PTO? What will have the most impact with your audience?
4. Verify how an incentive is earned: What do participants need to do, and how will it be checked to make sure it actually happened?
5. Determine your metric for success: What do you need to see – increased sales, less employee turnover – that will show that the program is working? What type of reports will you want to view?
6. How often will you pay out awards: Weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, annually?
7. Pilot Program: What groups should you start the incentive program with to work out the kinks and get feedback?
8. Promotion: How are you going to get the word out about the incentive program initially – and then ongoing – to ensure participation?
9. Evaluate: After running the pilot incentive program, what will you look at to retool the program for mass distribution?
10. Launch: Have you got everything in order? Is your incentive program manager fully prepared? Does the program work? Is your incentive award provider geared up and ready to deliver?

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About Jack Martin

Jack Martin, Partner at Payback Incentives, has held a variety of positions over the years in PR, advertising and marketing. In 2005, Jack’s company developed three online programs designed to improve sales, marketing and employee recognition: Payback Incentives (http://www.paybackincentives.com), an online incentive management tool that lets you run multiple programs and connects employees and customers with any award they want; Blue Sky e-Pass (http://www.blueskypass.com), the spot award program that gives employees the gift of choice; and i-Marketing (http://www.i-marketingonline.com), which lets companies control their brand while allowing local customization.

View all posts by Jack Martin →

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Most managers strive to create a workplace where their employees look forward to coming to work every day and the team works effectively and efficiently together through the day.

This article gives you some ideas as to how a manager can create an amazing work environment.

Get to know each other

Let employees get to know each other. Have potluck lunches or get everyone out of the office periodically to allow for employees to socialize on a more personalized basis. Share laughs with employees.

Get out of your office

A manager can’t create an amazing environment by not being visible and staying in their office with a closed door. Don’t isolate yourself. Walk the floor. Be available.

Think Team

Aristotle said “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts”. Try to have employees think of the big picture and put the organization’s needs ahead of their own. Focus on celebrating team accomplishments instead of identifying individual accomplishments. Reward the team for achieving goals or reaching certain targets.

Pay competitively

Pay your employees market compensation subject to budget limitations. Ensure compensation between employees is fair based on responsibilities and seniority. Tie extra perks to achievement of goals.

Create a comfortable environment

Have a safe, comfortable and esthetically pleasing environment. Tidy up. Upgrade furniture if necessary. Brighten up the environment by allowing more natural light into the work area.

Define clear expectations

Have high expectations of your team, but not too high that they are perceived to be unattainable right from the start. Set goals that can be easily measured and are easily viewed by everyone, such as posting them on whiteboards. Have the team be involved in setting the goals.

Resolve disputes quickly

Don’t let disputes or disagreements continue unchecked. Address problem areas on a timely basis. Resolve disputes behind closed doors. Handle all situations on a professional basis.

Set policies

Have policies and procedures in place to address any issues that might occur.

Build Trust

Communicate regularly in an open and positive manner. Let employees voice their disagreement with any policies, procedures, methods or decisions.

Adapt to the team

Adopt a different management style depending on each team member. Allow for flexibility in policies if necessary. Recognize differences in employee needs based on gender, religion, age and other factors that might differentiate employees.

Give credit, take blame

Give credit to others for successes and take responsibility for errors, mistakes and oversights.

Encourage breaks

Make sure that people are taking breaks or vacation when needed. Recognize when an employee may be getting stressed and needs time off.

Give feedback

Give immediate feedback – good or bad – as it happens. Don’t wait for annual performance appraisals. Highlight an employee’s strengths and work with them to improve their weaknesses. Don’t sugar coat problems – address problem issues quickly before they can grow into bigger problems. Give your employees work that they enjoy doing.

Encourage ideas

Make sure that employees have the opportunity to make suggestions to improve the workplace or the team. Have regular meetings to encourage brainstorming.

Conclusion

There are many ways to create an amazing work environment. Following some of the tips noted above will help, but it is also a long term process and not something that can be quickly turned on.

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This article was first published on July 12th 2013 in Sprigg’s partner magazine, HRreview.

To learn about editorial opportunities within the new North America version of HRreview, contact: marketing@sprigghr.com

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Last week we looked at Harry – a recent hire who is struggling to collaborate, listen and communicate effectively, despite his hard work and enthusiasm. Technology, such as an online performance management system, may hold the solution.

Once organizations overcome the myths that surround online performance management they’re often enthusiastic about the cost savings and perhaps the equitable ratings it produces. Employee development may be an after thought. In fact development plans are often rarely created in any type of system; however, with the right tools in place, an online system can greatly improve leadership and development.

A formal, individual development plan is an aspect of the performance management cycle and is typically created after a formal performance review. In some systems, particularly paper based or overwhelmingly complex ones, the development plan is an after thought and there is little motivation to complete a plan. An online system improves the odds of creating a plan through:

• The use of email notifications (keeps everything in real time and on time)
• Improved usability (easy to understand interface)
• Reinforcement (visible button, feedback from coach/manager)
• Requirements

The basis of employee engagement and development must be a positive relationship with his or her coach. Technology can ensure mutual accountability and an ongoing conversation as part of the requirement to create and then review goals, progress updates, reviews, and development plans. Required tasks, prompted by the system, ensure an ongoing conversation as both employee and manager work to keep the lines of communication open.

Leadership skills are naturally reinforced with a properly designed online system through the following mechanisms:

• Tips and Training Guidelines (displayed in a simple, eye catching format and always accessible)
• E-learning modules
• Online Tutorials
• Existing Models Online (brought online to reinforce)
• Reinforcement of Your Leadership Philosophy

An effective online platform guides users through a variety of helpful training resources, tools and frameworks.  A customizable site enables the organization to maintain an alignment of priorities – including leadership.

Online tools may offer a variety of development planning features– but should contain some or all of the following elements:

• An objective or objectives
• A calendar or identified timeline
• An action plan
• Links to competencies
• Leader approval on the final plan
• A progress tracker
• Links to a Learning Management System (LMS)

In summary, while the efficiencies of an online system may be indisputable, one of the less known benefits they may provide is a reinforced leadership focus and a drive towards employee development. From notifications, improved relationship management and training tips to focused, formal development plans, technology keeps employees like Harry on the right path.

Learn more about Sprigg by visiting our website – www.sprigghr.com

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Sprigg Software announces the arrival of Performance Plus – a powerful team performance assessment tool shown to identify and resolve specific team performance gaps. Integration of the tool will complement the suite of Sprigg online performance management products currently being used by a wide range of clients.

“We recognize that individual performance is only half of the performance equation,” remarked Sprigg President Jilaine Parkes. “An organization’s success is not only tied to the strength of its individuals, but also to the strength of its teams.” She added that the Sprigg development team was elated to find a product that could be so easily integrate into the existing Sprigg product.

Performance Plus, created by Kinect – www.2kinect.com, is a complete team development system, providing: powerful team assessment via a specially designed survey function; easy to interpret, real time analysis of strengths and weaknesses; as well as targeted solutions unique to each team’s performance gaps. The team assessment tool has been psychometrically tested and validated as highly reliable.

“I can’t wait to show our present and future clients how valuable this tool can be,” commented Parkes, adding that prior to making Performance Plus available, many of the workshops and training materials necessary to assess team fitness could be costly and time consuming for organizations to implement. Performance Plus will be an optional feature within Sprigg, accessible at the click of a button.

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