Creating Your Human Resources Plan: An Interview with Business Strategist Mark Bittle
February 4, 2010
I recently sat down with Mark Bittle, founder and owner of Progressive Impact, a strategic planning consultancy dedicated to the success of small businesses. His new book (Spring 2010) walks business owners through a comprehensive yet easy-to-follow process for completing a thorough strategic plan for success. Our conversation revolved around one piece of the strategic puzzle: the Human Resources Plan.
Q&A with Mark Bittle, Owner, Progressive Impact
In your new book People Who Know How, Will Always Work For The People Who Know Why! you encourage small business owners to have a Human Resources Plan. What are the elements of a Human Resources Plan and how does this fit into the business’ overall strategic planning?
Human Resources is the essential stuff that makes your organization go around, and there are many elements to address when developing this type of plan: Hiring, firing, employee development, training manuals, recognizing your employees, as well as having on file the appropriate paperwork for each person who works within your organization. The Human Resource plan is not something that business owners can afford to do without.
Developing a business through the creation of an active strategic plan must include plans for developing the people within an organization. Aren’t the leaders, managers and employees the ones that help you to accomplish the goals of that strategic plan? Sharing the values, vision, mission, and goals with players within your organization makes it easier to find the right people, put them in the correct seat, on a bus that is going to a purposeful destination.
Having a human resources plan, employee handbook, and updated training materials has alleviated many time bombs in the organizations in which I have coached. This specific plan in and of itself helps to increase the efficiencies and productivity of everyone working “in” the business, and, when done effectively, will increase the profitability of the organization.
What would you say is the worst thing small business employers can do when hiring new employees?
That’s easy… not taking the time to screen them… not only for their skills (via the resume) and personality and attitudes (behavioral interviewing) but also for their “fit” for the job (how they make decisions, solve problems, take action… that is what they bring to the game and what they need to be successful). Small business owners are not experts in all areas. They are doing what they do best, and at some point they decided to take risks to start their own business. Hiring the wrong person is an expensive risk I encourage business owners never to make.
“The biggest fear that most managers have is
to train their employees so well that they will leave.
While my biggest fear as a leader is to
not train my staff and have them stay.”
When a business, especially a small business, hires new employees, it is much easier to train and retain those that are a good fit, than those who are put in the position as a placeholder until something better comes along. I cannot emphasis enough the importance in making sure that organizations take the time to put the right people, in the correct seats, on a bus that is going to the same destination. [Read more about the cost of a bad hire here.]
How important is management training — that is, training managers at all levels in the art of motivating direct reports to perform at their highest level — in the Human Resources Plan?
It is imperative that there is a training and development program. For example, understanding the difference between “managers” and “leaders” is an important distinction that can be addressed with training when the right people are in the right seats. Managers are those who are put in a position to make sure that things get done according to goals and objectives. Managers essentially work “in” the business. Leaders are the visionaries that work “on” the business to shape those goals and objectives, and are able to put together groups to move the organizations forward. A key idea of course is that “managers” can also be “leaders” when trained well.
How important would you say is the relationship between the manager and direct reports to the success of any small business?
Establishing effective group dynamics is often overlooked when hiring people, and is certainly under-appreciated within many organizations. Having positive relationships, understanding the different ways we each communicate and recognizing the value each member of a diverse team brings to the game helps to increase productivity and efficiency as well as to foster a healthier working environment. Intentionally creating an “engaged organization” will have a great effect for every business’s bottom line.
And what about professional development for employees and teams? Is this relevant in the Human Resources Plan?
Everybody wants to be national champions, but nobody wants to go to practice. Hiring a “coach” for the team’s development can often accelerate progress within an organization. Professional development helps on so many different levels including but not limited to the following: employee retention, speed of innovation, customer satisfaction and proactive decision-making. I personally allocated up to 3% of my gross revenue towards professional development, and the results are amazing. Hiring an objective professional to come in and help to overcome personnel challenges and shortcomings is an essential tool that should be considered.
Employee Engagement: Games We Play
September 22, 2009
So many give great lip service to the idea of getting the right people on the bus. But then what? How much time is spent getting the right people in the right seats based on what they bring to the game? Oh, not important in this economy? Wait… is employee engagement… just a game?
Wearing ‘Em Out?
You’ve seen it. The player drops in the coins, eagerly presses START and the ball appears. The player slowly pulls back the plunger and POW! it slams into the pinball propelling it into the game. It ricochets wildly, bouncing off bumpers, careening into drop targets. Lights flashing, bells ringing, music heralding points, points and more points! A popper shoots the ball out in the direction of the middle lane, drawing it down… down… down toward the inevitable end…
One down. Two to go. An exhilarating game. Unless you’re the ball. Sure, the frenzy can be energizing… for about 5 minutes. Is your employee engagement strategy like pinball or…?
Or Leveraging Strengths?
Or is it more like… chess. Individual contributors working together to move forward directed by a singular goal. It’s a complex game which the player leads leveraging each piece’s unique qualities to meet the ultimate objective.
Each piece knows its role, what the player expects of it and the value it brings to the game. Using its natural movements and relying on other pieces to fulfill their roles. Each with an important role to play. All working strategically toward the same goal.
OK, OK. Sure the analogy’s a little silly. But you know exactly what I’m saying. Here’s the real game-ender: Engage ‘em now or lose ‘em later. And here’s the data to back it up.
How to Keep ‘Em
Let’s get practical. A few key steps to keep employees engaged in tough times:
Focus on Natural Strengths vs. Proximity
You’ve downsized, rightsized and have asked employees to supersize their jobs as a result. This as a great opportunity to actually get more done with fewer people. Take a good hard look at the total value each employee brings to your game: their skills, instincts and natural talents. Be open to shifting job responsibilities based on these versus simply giving assignments to the next closest cubicle-dweller to that guy you had to let go. And by all means, ASK THEM for their input. If their work is comprised of things they are naturally good at doing they will get more done. Again, Gallup studies show that employees who are given the opportunity to do what they do best are 6 times as likely to be engaged in their jobs.
Personalize Recognition
Now more than ever you need to demonstrate — genuinely, authentically — that you care about your employees as human beings. They’re working tirelessly for you; how will you let them know you appreciate all their efforts? Give the working mom a Friday afternoon off for pampering or extra family time. Supply the Starbuck’s junkie with his fix for the day with a $5 gift card. A simple thank you note may make the biggest impact. The point is: make it meaningful to each individual and make sure the appreciation is indeed genuine. One-size recognition does not fit all.
Don’t Manage. Coach.
A favorite resource is Unleashed! Expecting Greatness and Other Secrets of Coaching for Exceptional Performance by Gregg Thompson. It teaches how to put the needs of the other person first and coach them for exceptional performance. Traditional managers direct tasks. The manager coach manages for results, allowing employees some freedom and flexibility in how the work gets done.
Communicate. Communicate. Communicate.
Check in with employees… often. More often than usual especially if your organization has gone through significant changes (lay-offs, reorganization, leadership change, etc.). One-time message delivery will not stick so if you’ve told them once, tell them at least another dozen if not 100 times. Remind them why you each come to work every morning, reiterating through words and actions that it’s all about the mission of the organization. Deliver bad news compassionately but purposefully. Always answer “why” and “what’s in it for me.” Ask for feedback. Involve them in the conversation. You never know what time-, resource-, money-saving ideas are just waiting to be discovered.
