Workplace 101: A Profiles Global Business Blog

How Talent Management Tools Help Managers

If a stranger asked you to rank your management team on a scale of one to ten in areas like communication, delegation, etc,  what would you say? Most people would rank them unrealistically high for fear that their answers would get back to their boss. How many of you can say that you would answer truthfully and honestly?

Despite all the training and coaching that management personnel can put employees through, a true manager also knows that they themselves are not perfect, and that they can always improve on their management skills. Most of us work with a variety of people, and all people require different levels and amounts of coaching and mentoring from their superiors.

Sometimes it feels like we live in a world of bigger is better. It’s tempting to want to bolster your company or yourself by naming off as many accomplishments as possible. The desire to highlight your success naturally leads you to think about it in concrete terms of how much and how many, but performance management rests on more than a numbers game. Tracking employee performance can be a test of quality, not quantity.

Profiles International is excited to announce its upcoming client summit, Imagine 2012, held Sept. 18-20 at the Rosewood Crescent Hotel in Dallas, Texas. During this event, Profiles International’s clients from all over the country will come together for three days of informative sessions and certification training. Attendees also have the opportunity to network, collaborate, and build relationships that will foster best practices, evaluate industry trends, and brainstorm new ways to get the most out of what they do every day.

Succession planning is often misunderstood or undervalued in the workplace. A research poll from SHRM found that only 23 percent of organizations have a formal succession plan and 38 percent have some informal planning in place. These numbers are low compared to just how important succession planning is to an organization’s success. The research also found that larger organizations (with 2,500 employees or more) are much more likely to have succession plans.

Much like playing a game of chess, effective leaders need to be strategic. Now you might be asking yourself, what exactly does it take to be a strategic leader? Well, a recent article from Inc.com written by Paul Schoemaker presents the Six Habits of True Strategic Thinkers. These habits include:

“Sales without Customer Service is like stuffing money into a pocket full of holes” – David Tooman, Customer Service Expert

This quote perfectly illustrates just how important customer focus is to the success of America’s Most Productive sales organizations. 

According to our latest study, America’s Most Productive Companies: Large Sales Force Analysis, the top three reasons sales close are: nurtured relationships, support and service after the sale, and product quality. And these three factors alone account for 50 percent of why sales close.

You have concerns about something at work. Who would you be more inclined to speak to about it, your supervisor, manager, vice-president or CEO?

The topic of giving feedback can be quite a sensitive one, as the issue may be about how your boss is conducting himself. No one likes to tell the person that pays their salary that they are doing something wrong. However, a true leader and fair boss will appreciate your feedback considering it is fair and true.

Leaders receive less feedback the higher they go in an organization. By giving feedback to your boss, you are giving a powerful gift. However, because he may not receive much feedback, he may not know how to react. Even if he does not react (or reacts negatively) he needs to hear it and will most likely come to appreciate it once he has had time to reflect!

Feedback from employees is priceless. Do you think companies like Facebook and Google would have had such outstanding success without feedback from their staff? Giving feedback to your boss in an appropriate manner is beneficial for all parties involved.

Here are some dos and don'ts for giving feedback to your boss:

You have a new management position opening up in your organization and you are responsible for selecting someone to fill that position. On your team, you have a pool of determined hard working candidates that have been working hard for years to deserve such a position. They are high performers and you have assessed that they would fit such a position. Clearly it’s a win-win, right? Wrong!

If a stranger asks you to rank your management team on a scale of one to ten in areas such as communication, delegation, etc, what would you say? Most people would rank them unrealistically high for fear that their answers would get back to their boss. How many of you can say that you would answer 100 percent truthfully in your own opinion?

Despite all the trainings and coaching that management personnel can put employees through, a true manager also knows that they themselves are not perfect and they can always improve their management skills. Most of us work with a variety of people, and all people require different levels and amounts of coaching and mentoring from their superiors. 

Everybody cares about what others think of them, it's human nature. But what if you could find out exactly how you were perceived as a manager in your organization? Think how you could use that information to motivate and engage your employees better.

Mergers taking place between two companies can be a scary time for all involved. Employees fear the unknown, managers gain an increase in staff and workload, and leaders worry about the change in their company culture. Employee assessments and determined leaders can create the perfect cocktail for a successful merger.