What Do We Do Now?

The economic situation of 2009, with high unemployment, tight credit, and a rapidly changing regulatory climate has made selling to now tight-fisted customers that much harder.

How do managers lead their teams to not just survive these difficult times, but also increase their customer base? Below are some real world suggestions to come out ahead

Face it, we are working on mental overload. The work, government, and social environment is changing so fast that our ability to manage the possible outcomes is overwhelmed. Our customers are facing the same challenges and looking to reduce overall expenditures. This combination requires us to be indispensable to retain our customers. We figure out how to be indispensable by asking, watching, and doing. Cheap? No. 100% Free. Trade stocks for free on Zecco.com. The Free Trading Community. www.zecco.com

Asking customers about their level of satisfaction and what they really want is a great first step. Besides wanting products that are better, faster and cheaper, asking what they really want provides critical information. Maybe customers want your product found in more places. Maybe they want better customer service. Perhaps they just want to be recognized for their loyalty. Ask! While a fancy, expensive market survey may be nice, why not set up a blog or feedback area on your company's website and monitor the feedback. You will be surprised. Additionally, have customer facing employees ask at the conclusion of the customer meeting, preferably at the register, but also if the customer leaves without purchasing.



Watching your customers and how they interact with the product is also important. Ask your employees how they use the product. If your product is a service, is your customer able to rapidly integrate your service into their life or business? Is there something you can do to make that integration better? If your product is difficult to use or consume, now is the time to fix it. Organic Flowers & Gourmet Gifts

As I mentioned above, the current world we live in is very different from what most of us know. We lack the ability to think our way out of this. What we should be doing is trying new ideas, little ones, cheap ones, and see what works. If we have asked and watched our customers, we should be able to come up with simple improvements. Here is a simple, but great example. I bought a TV stand. It came with great instructions and the components were clearly labeled. The hardware came in two bags, one for each major assembly. I was pleased and assembled the stand with ease. I recently bought another stand, by the same company. This time, they packaged the hardware for each step, and numbered the bags, so there was absolutely no guessing. This change in packaging, a cheap, easy, action has me talking about the company and recommending it. The company is Slam Brands.

While it may be impossible to predict interest rates and net present value calculations aren't really helping us make decisions, we can survive by asking, watching, and doing. If we ask our customers what they think, watch how they use our products, and take action on that data, we will create lasting customers and better products. We can also use the same technique with our employees.

Are You a Micromanager?

In businesses large and small, there is always the temptation to micromanage. In some cases it is an overwhelming sense of responsibility, in others, it is a general distrust of employees.

Regardless, micromanaging is detrimental to employees, companies, and the shareholders.

If you find that employees no longer offer suggestions or tell you outright that you micromanage, then you probably do. Now that you know you micromanage, stop it! Need an easy online web conferencing solution without an installation? Try Dimdim, it's easy, open and affordable. Sign up Now!

Diane Foster of Diane Foster & Associates states in an article found in the Wall Street Journal (11/03/2008, "Micromanagers Miss Bull's Eye"), "The best managers help employees learn to work independently by giving them meaningful responsibilities."

While that seems like a simple and reasonable statement, many managers have a hard time relinquishing control. One way for the manager to relinquish the control is to remember that a manager's function is to lead, plan, and measure. One can't successfully do things while trying to do the jobs of their subordinates. Find $100K+ Jobs

The article also provides this list, from Debra Nunes of Hay Group and Diane Foster to help break the micromanaging habit:

1. Clearly articulate expectations
2. Focus on hiring and placement of subordinates
3. Give employees decision-making power
4. Encourage questions and suggestions
5. Offer constructive feedback
6. Don't grab the reins at the first sign of trouble

In each of the points above, managers need to understand their own role, before they can successfully manage and measure the roles of their subordinates. Building the right team with the proper expectations is the beginning of smoothly running organization.

Emotions and Purpose

In my previous post, "Its Employee Review Time," I wrote about the need to honest and thorough feedback to employees, helping them to further their success.

Like many other occasions in business, employee review time can be very emotional. What is my manager going to say? What am I going to say in response? Am I going to get a raise? Questions such as these shouldn't be asked, IF the manager has been providing feedback throughout the year.

In the July 28 issue of Business Week, Jack and Suzy Welch address how to handle emotions in the workplace. They mention that getting a handle on negative emotions and dysfunctional behavior is critical.

From the article, "All it takes is an active commitment to remove uncertainty from your company and to instill a purpose-oriented approach to inspiration."

Most managers would agree that removing all uncertainty is impossible. Rather, managers can remove certain elements of uncertainty. For example, regular feedback removes the uncertainty of where an employee stands in their managers' mind. Additionally, statements about the business, like Jack Stack's Open-Book Management, give employees all of the relevant facts about the business. In good times, but especially bad, their is relief in knowing.

Managers should also provide purpose. When employees have a clear purpose, whether via a mission or vision statement, they are able create their schedules and fix their minds on a defined goal. The goal helps to reduce uncertainty and provides a rally point.

Does this sound an awful lot like common sense? You bet. Dealing with emotions and uncertainty are things managers do everyday, most of the time using common sense. Open and honest communication is the key to good management, an empowered workforce, and a successful company.

Its Employee Review Time!

Yes, its mid-year again and time to do semi-annual performance reviews. While this can be one of the most important exercises done between employees and managers, it is also a time a great stress and dread.

Nobody likes to be told they aren't doing a good job, and nobody likes to be the bearer of bad news. To help make the review process worthwhile, there shouldn't be any surprises. Regular feedback between employees and their management allow for corrections as well as congratulations. Regular feedback also reduces the impending doom many employees feel.

The mid-year performance review should be a time to review the overall goals, as well as the objectives that were to be completed by mid-year. This is also a time for employees and managers to make adjustments to rest of the year goals. Additionally, this is a good time for employees to begin planting the seeds for next years goals.

Finally, this is a great time for managers to highlight and encourage employee development. Managers should look for measurable, achievable goals, and find ways to improve employee skills. Employees should also drive development goals and express interest in new skills or opportunities.

Do you have your facts together? Have you written down your successes and misses? Are their any changes you want to make. These are the questions managers and employees should ask before their reviews. Reviews are a great time to learn about yourself and chart the path to a successful rest of the year!