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FOCUS ON YOUR CUSTOMERS AND EMPLOYEES

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Education & Training with Performance Development Strategies

Now might be a good time to look at the strategic direction of your company. Here are two basic questions.

  • What business are you in?
  • Are your employees aligned and are they doing the right things for the right reasons?

What business are you in? Don’t laugh. What product or service do you really provide and have times including the last two years caused you to rethink? You might be providing computer and IT support but now you may be a consultant to clients to protect and secure their information. You might need to do a scan of the landscape, gather information, talk to customers, and study industry trends. Failure to do this may cause your business to decline. Listen to your customers and ask for their opinion about your services. Learn this and create your customer value proposition.

Are your employees aligned and are they engaged? You will not exceed your customers’ expectations without engaged employees? This is where many growing companies lose it. If, for example, you do everything to serve your customers’ needs but do not share the information, you cannot grow. You won’t have a sustainable business. Warning signs are when you are doing too much, or clients want you personally.

Select your team carefully and make sure that they share the values of your organization. Just as you want to serve your customers’ needs you want to engage your great employees and give them a reason to stay and do their best work. This is your employee value proposition.    Creating a good employee value proposition is one very important component for taking your business to the next level.

Here is a sobering fact. Employees do not leave companies, they leave supervisors. Many supervisors believe that if only the pay and fringe benefits were better their best employees would stay. I would not deny the compensation is important. However, people who are truly engaged with their company and their team have a sense of belonging. They will not leave for a slightly better offer.

On the other hand, employees who are disengaged with their workplace and with the work they do can drag down team performance.

The book "First Break All the Rules: What the World's Greatest Managers Do Differently" by Marcus Buckingham & Curt Coffman used data collected over 25 years with a million employees to identify the basic roles of a great leader/manager. They identified 12 questions which have been used by the Gallup organization. The potential effect of great leadership was summarized in the 12 questions employees ask.

Engagement

As you redesign work after the changes which have occurred beware! It is not as easy as it sounds. For example, should we have some people working different schedules, working virtually, in person? If you give people what each one wants, for example, how will others perceive it. Will they feel the work is equal? What about the people working virtually? Will they feel that no one is there to nurture them in their development or present them for promotion. On the other hand, will those working in person feel they are carrying too much of the work.

Just as we look at what business we are in we need to work with redesigning our work and rewards strategy. This should be part of an updated strategic plan. Unsure of the future? The best way to predict the future is to create it.  For a similar post on our website see ENGAGE YOUR CUSTOMERS AND EMPLOYEES.

Is it time to look and your business to see that your strategy is still effective?

We can help. Contact us to learn more

or call 914-953-4458.

Posted by


PDStrategies.net

Armonk, NY
Port Saint Lucie, FL

(914) 953-4458
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Grant Schneider,
CBC, SPHR, SHRM-SCP*

*Certified Business Coach,
Senior Professional in Human Resources

President, Founder
& Leadership Coach

About Me

 

Comments (22)

Kat Palmiotti
eXp Commercial, Referral Divison - Kalispell, MT
Helping your Montana dreams take root

Employees and clients are what it's all about. You can't be successful if you don't take care of both.

May 02, 2022 05:03 AM
Wayne Martin
Wayne M Martin - Chicago, IL
Real Estate Broker - Retired

Good morning Grant. As a sales agent your team is made up of various vendors. That said the same rules apply. And, if you don't employ them shame on you. Enjoy your day.

May 02, 2022 05:15 AM
Grant Schneider
Performance Development Strategies - Armonk, NY
Your Coach Helping You Create Successful Outcomes

Endre - that is right.  You certainly don't expect that and when you get it then it is a wow.

Nina - it is important to know why we are in business but listening to them help you understand what business you are in.

Kat - absolutely correct about that.

May 02, 2022 05:30 AM
Grant Schneider
Performance Development Strategies - Armonk, NY
Your Coach Helping You Create Successful Outcomes

Wayne - yes, the same does apply to the vendors.

May 02, 2022 05:34 AM
Brian England
Ambrose Realty Management LLC - Gilbert, AZ
MBA, GRI, REALTOR® Real Estate in East Valley AZ

When we focus on others, more will come to us, especially in business.  I think solid leaders realize that, even though most leaders are greedy and focus on themselves.

May 02, 2022 06:32 AM
Grant Schneider
Performance Development Strategies - Armonk, NY
Your Coach Helping You Create Successful Outcomes

Hi Brian - that is what is called givers gain which is one of the core values of BNI.

May 02, 2022 09:19 AM
George Souto
George Souto NMLS #65149 FHA, CHFA, VA Mortgages - Middletown, CT
Your Connecticut Mortgage Expert

Grant focusing on my clients, and the people who have reported to me in the past has never been a problem for me.  In fact I may even focus a little to much.  My only problem with focusing is webinars.  5 seconds into a webinar my mind is a 100 miles away.

May 02, 2022 12:34 PM
Joan Cox
House to Home, Inc. - Denver Real Estate - 720-231-6373 - Denver, CO
Denver Real Estate - Selling One Home at a Time

Grant, great post, and one for all of us to think about.   Focusing on the client is first and foremost.

May 02, 2022 02:19 PM
Grant Schneider
Performance Development Strategies - Armonk, NY
Your Coach Helping You Create Successful Outcomes

George - that is one of the challenges especially if everyone doesn't have videos on.

Joan - the client is where it starts.

May 03, 2022 03:20 AM
Lawrence "Larry" & Sheila Agranoff. Cell: 631-805-4400
The Top Team @ Charles Rutenberg Realty 255 Executive Dr, Plainview NY 11803 - Plainview, NY
Long Island Condo and Home Specialists

We are with our Clients 100% Grant. It's all about them who we focus on and it seems to work very well for us!

May 03, 2022 04:11 AM
Roy Kelley
Retired - Gaithersburg, MD

Thank you very much, Grant, for sharing your experience and your advice.

May 03, 2022 07:06 AM
Kathy Streib
Cypress, TX
Home Stager/Redesign

Well said, Grant- Unhappy employees can have an adverse effect on the other employees. No matter how content an employee is, when there is movement in the staff, it does have an impact on them. 

May 03, 2022 09:27 AM
Mark Don McInnes, Sandpoint-Idaho
Sandpoint Realty LLC - Sandpoint, ID
North Idaho Real Estate - 208-255.6227

Grant, top of the morning.  A post to reflect on past just the initial read.  Times be changing and recent events have put those changes into warp speed.  Enjoy your day ahead.  Mark

May 04, 2022 02:16 AM
Grant Schneider
Performance Development Strategies - Armonk, NY
Your Coach Helping You Create Successful Outcomes

Larry and Sheila - yes, sounds like a good plan.

Roy - thanks. Hope you have a great day.

Kathy - they are concerned that something is wrong when so many leave.

May 04, 2022 03:16 AM
Grant Schneider
Performance Development Strategies - Armonk, NY
Your Coach Helping You Create Successful Outcomes

Mark - yes and as we always say, The only constant is change.

May 04, 2022 07:01 AM
Wanda Kubat-Nerdin - Wanda Can!
Red Rock Real Estate (435) 632-9374 - St. George, UT
St. George Utah Area Residential Sales Agent

Another wonderful inspirational and instructional post Grant. Real estate is a people business first, they deserve to be treated well with their wants and needs at the forefront.

May 04, 2022 11:43 AM
Grant Schneider
Performance Development Strategies - Armonk, NY
Your Coach Helping You Create Successful Outcomes

Wanda - you can't have business without taking care of your clients and your strategic partners.

May 05, 2022 05:16 AM
Joan Cox
House to Home, Inc. - Denver Real Estate - 720-231-6373 - Denver, CO
Denver Real Estate - Selling One Home at a Time

Grant, everyday I focus on customers and my agent, and hope they all know that! 

May 06, 2022 07:54 AM
Will Hamm
Hamm Homes - Aurora, CO
"Where There's a Will, There's a Way!"

Hello Grant and Happy Friday.  Thanks for the great information in your blog to share with us here in the Rain.  Make it a great weekend!

 

May 06, 2022 08:06 AM
Grant Schneider
Performance Development Strategies - Armonk, NY
Your Coach Helping You Create Successful Outcomes

Joan - I believe that and I am sure they do too.

Will - Thanks for reading and sharing my blogs.

May 07, 2022 06:37 AM