The Most Important Discussion You Can Have With a New Hire

Congratulations, you had 19,234 applications for the new account executive. What are you going to do next? The answer is not Disney World. To start this relationship off right, the first conversation you should have with the new employee is one that most managers do not. That discussion is, a very detailed and in depth discussion about “Why we picked you.” It sounds obvious, but this discussion would go a long way toward establishing a future relationship of clear expectations that match a vision you have for your employee contribution to the organization. It makes that vision more likely to come to fruition. Most employers assume the employee who is hired knows the answer to this question, but they don’t, not really. Your discussion should be more than, “You were the best pick. You stood out.” Or “We liked your experience and your energy.” Go deeper. Tell the employee your hopes and dreams for the position. Paint the vision and describe the mountain top you hope to have your employee ascend with you. This vision becomes an anchor your employee will not forget. Want more highly nuanced tips and advise for supervisors so they don't flub up and get your company sued out of existence for improper supervision practices? We're now in our 21st year of continuous print--the oldest, most widely read supervisor tips newsletter on the plane.. and for good reason. Subscribe to Frontline Supervisor Newsletter or get a free trial right here.

What's the Most Important Next Step After Disciplining an Employee?

What to Do When You Have Been Disciplined at Work
The first step you may never have considered. It is to help employees respond appropriately to the displinary matter and use the crisis as a way to advance their career. We all have our bad days and performance difficulties from time to time. But too many of either can lead to consequences that put your job in jeopardy. Nearly all employers have a process for addressing employee problems. To manage performance, disciplinary measures (or adverse actions) exist in nearly all organizations. When discipline affects you, it’s important to know what it means and how to respond constructively to it. Discipline is not punishment. The goal of discipline is to deter a repeat of the performance problem (quality of work, attendance, availability, conduct, or attitude problem). Some offenses, such as theft or violence, are grounds for immediate termination in many companies, with no discipline or second chances—and no available recourse. This tip sheet will help your employees know exactly what to do.

Improving Employee Communication: Yes, You May Need to Teach Them How. Don't Blame Employees, It's What We Bargained for With Our Modern Society.

Employees who fail on the job often do so because they cannot communicate well. Is there anything you can do. Many employees fail somewhere along the way...and I do mean being parented...to acquire good communication skills. You have choices: 1) Tolerate it. 2) Accept and adapt 3) Help them change and improve communication. And, one more.... 4) fire them. Which one sounds better to you? Especially if you have an otherwise skilled individual with good production value, you should accept your lot in life, and decide to teach them how to better communicate. So, you are right if you chose 3): "help your employee change and improve the communication." This is indeed, the most cost-benefiting business solution -- the proper business resource management model. You see, your employees are resources..no, not cogs in a wheel but valuable, necessary, precious tools for productivity. If you have a broken printing press, you'd fix it. You would not buy another printing press for big bucks. The same model applies with employees. The ability to communicate successfully is the most important of all the traits so invest in it--not a lot, but do invest. There is a ton of good stuff out there. Without education and training employees in effective workplace communication, sorry, but failure is more likely. A big part of successful communication is the ability to listen to others and understand their points of view, compromising as necessary to reach goals. So, here is a fantastic video, dvd, or my favorite--web course that will make a huge tent in your employees ability to communicate well. There are lots of options, but the basic powerpoint to help increase effective employee communication is only $297.00 http://workexcel.corecommerce.com/Communication-Tips-for-a-Happier-Workplace.html