Much has been made recently of Australia’s superior economic performance and ways NZ can catch up. Grant Amos, a Registered Psychologist at Selector Ltd, has 10 tips for improving your organisation’s productivity - and helping your country.
1. Focus on investment, not cost. Many Kiwi managers focus on what salary job candidates want, rather than on the value they bring to the business. But it’s the return on salary investment which matters, a philosophy Aust managers are more likely to embrace.
2. Don’t hire a bunch of clones. Too often, managers hire people just like them. But people just like you have your weaknesses, and you want staff who can cover those weaknesses. When hiring, focus on the qualities a candidate needs for the specific role and to fit _your business.
3. Realise the No 8 wire mentality only goes so far. Another common mistake is to hire anyone with the basic skills, assuming they’ll learn on the job, just because it’s what Kiwis do. Instead, typically larger, Australian businesses are much more likely to have formal training and development plans.
4. Choose the right people for your environment. 60%of what makes people successful is the environment around them. So while the tasks might be the same, people will behave differently in different environments. Understand what shapes your business and hire people who will thrive in your environment.
5. Don’t expect everyone to learn the same way. Some people don’t learn through written or verbal instruction - they have to learn by doing it on the job. By making allowances for different learning styles you’ll enjoy a lot more success in training your staff.
6. Understand what motivates your staff. Pay gets your staff to work, but mostly it doesn’t drive extra effort or standout performance. If you don’t find out what motivates your staff you will face high staff turnover or a demotivated team full of people who never really perform.
7. Give your staff the feedback they need. Most people need feedback and encouragement to do more than the minimum. And even in mundane jobs, good leadership and management can help stave off boredom.
8. Worry less about being liked. It’s much more important for managers to be effective. Staff won’t respect managers they think are playing the popularity game. They will respect, and work harder for, managers who are honest, straight up, and who aren’t seen as having a hidden agenda.
9. Use your generalists’ skills to be a good manager. Use this strength to balance the sometimes competing preferences of your team.
10. Play to your strengths. You have hired people because they are good at their jobs - so set their goals and reporting criteria, then let them get on with it. If you keep interfering in the minutiae of your employees’ jobs, you will demotivate them, and have less time to be the leader your business needs.
This is an edited version of an article which appeared in NZ Management Magazine.
