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Hurry Up! How to Create a Sense of Urgency in Your Employees
As a manager or owner of a business, you have a deep understanding of the importance of satisfying your customers needs so that you can earn enough revenue to meet your expenses and grow your business. Because of the pressure of customer demands and increased business costs, you have a sense of urgency to bring in revenue. This need for speed exists in your returning phone calls, making sure deadlines are met and researching new products or services to stay one step ahead of your competition.
So, how come your employees don't have this same sense of urgency? How come they react so slowly? Why don't they see how their snail's pace is hurting the customer and the company?
As with any complex problem, there may be many reasons for their behavior. Here are a few possible reasons I have encountered:
- They do not understand the big picture. As a manager, you are able see and understand the financial information that shows the current income status of the company. You may also have data that shows your market share compared to your competitors. Your employees may not understand how their role and position impacts the whole organization. Or, they may not understand how you want their work prioritized.
- They have no financial stake in acting sooner rather than later. If they earn an hourly wage or salary, there is no incentive for many employees to work harder or faster. They get paid the same no matter what they do.
- They are afraid of making mistakes. Often employees, especially new ones, do not want to hurry their work and make mistakes that may lead to their termination. The irony is that many don't understand that working slowly and cautiously can often get them a pink slip sooner because they are slowing others down.
- Your hiring system attracts slow movers. If your hiring process attracts turtles, you will become a turtle factory.
So, what can you do to change the situation at your office? While it may not be possible to have 100% high producers, I do believe you can reduce the number of slow movers by:
- Showing and educating all employees on the financial status of the company. It is old school to think that only managers should see the numbers. Each employee should fully understand whether the company is making money or losing money. It is not enough to just show a PowerPoint presentation or hand them an income statement. You must educate them on what the numbers mean and how the employee's work impacts the bottom line. In addition make sure your employees have goals with rewards for meeting urgent deadlines.
- Considering employee ownership. Many companies today offer ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plans) that allow employees to receive stock in the company. There is nothing like becoming a shareholder to help change the attitude and sense of urgency of your seasoned staff.
- Rewarding the behavior you want. If you seek speed and innovation, then find a way to reward this behavior. Recently I spoke with a company that gave out large bonuses for innovated ways to save money. The employee got a large percentage of the first year's savings using their idea.
- Redesigning your hiring process. From the words you use while advertising a job opening, to the questions you ask in an interview, they should all be focused on attracting those candidates that act with a sense of urgency. The best predictor of future behavior is past behavior. The candidate should have numerous examples during the interview of when they acted with a sense of urgency. When you call on their references, ask them for specific examples of when the candidate acted with a sense of urgency. You will very quickly be able to tell if their answers are solid or weak.
There is a belief in management theory that you cannot motivate others to act. As a manager, you can only create an environment that will nurture the behavior you want. Often the best way for a manager to create an urgent environment and have their employees act in a way they want is to make sure the manager is role modeling the desired behavior. In other words, how do you demonstrate a sense of urgency with your internal customers needs, otherwise known as your employees?
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About Us
Diane Amundson is the owner of Diane Amundson & Associates. She has been training, speaking and consulting for over sixteen years in the areas of leadership, creativity, generational diversity, team building, sales communication, conflict resolution and strategic planning. She has worked with Fortune 500 Companies like General Mills and Pepsi Cola along with numerous school districts in Minnesota and Wisconsin. She has co-authored a book titled Success Strategies: A High Achiever's Guide to Success. She is a member of the National Speakers Association and has served as Adjunct Professor of Organizational Behavior at Winona State University.
She is a Rotarian that has traveled the world on humanitarian projects in Mongolia, India and Brazil.
Her style of speaking is informative and highly interactive.
Diane Amundson & Associates
Phone: (507)452-2232 Fax:(507)452-0090 24456 County Road 9 Winona, MN 55987 |
