Partnering for High Performance

The concept of partnering transcends teamwork and implies a degree of autonomy, discretion, equality, openness, power and ownership which blurs traditional management-employee boundaries. Partners are not simply loyal team members; they are co-stewards of the organization’s Mission and Vision, and readily accept responsibility for its vitality. Building collaborative working relationships with employees creates the ultimately engaged employee, i.e., the employee who treats the business as though he owns it. In addition to partnerships among team members and their supervisor, such relations can develop among departments who readily share their resources and create synergies. The real power of an organization exists in fostering partnerships among employees at all levels.

5 ways to foster partnering in your organization:

1. Share current and projected financial information with your employees, allow them to see the big picture of the organization.
2. Show a good example by sharing information and/or resources with other departments or groups within your organization.
3. Actively involve your employees in hiring decisions.
4. Seek timely feedback from your internal and external clients about yourself, your group and your staff.
5. Most importantly, give your employees the necessary authority and decision making responsibility. Allow them to have ownership of their work.

Consideration

I know it has been a few weeks since I last posted something to my blog. I have been spending all of my days and time writing in preparation of the first manuscript delivery due date-which is now! I am still writing and feel very much like I am in the final 7 miles of a marathon. Speaking of the marathon, some of you may be curious to know that I completed my very first marathon (Marine Corp Marathon) last month. It was an exhilarating experience as I ran with 30,000 runners some of which were marines dressed in full gear.

I just finished a chapter in my book on the importance of consideration in the workplace. Consideration refers to giving careful thought to a person or idea. People demonstrate consideration toward others through their words, decisions and actions, and differ considerably in their ability and desire to be considerate. Consideration requires empathy and an understanding that others’ have feelings, needs and beliefs separate from one’s own. Empathy is perhaps the most critical innate skill for a leader to possess, and nearly impossible to teach. Moreover, individuals unskilled in empathy are also those most likely to dismiss it as an unimportant leadership competency.
Time and again in our research, people shared examples of considerate acts by supervisors and helped us to understand the impact of these behaviors on their feeling of being respected, engaged and loyal. The most frequent response involved a personal or family health issue where the supervisor responded by offering a flexible work schedule.

If you are wondering how considerate you are to your employees, ask yourself the following questions:

1. Do my employees share with me when they are having a personal issue or problem?
2. Do I notice when employees are not "themselves" and let them know that I am concerned about them?
3. When an employee comes in sick, do I encourage them to go home and take care of themselves?

There are many ways for a boss or manager to show consideration to an employee. Taking the time to get to know your employees on a personal level and listening to them when they have a problem or issue are just a few ways you can show them consideration. Showing consideration does not take much time and it typically doesn't cost much, but it could cost you a lot if you choose not to be considerate.