Investing in People

We all tend to look back at the previous year and try to find the things that did not work well for us in business as well as our personal lives. Starting each new year is a very important time for our businesses, because it sets the rhythm for the rest of the year and the pase we will be taking on. One of the things that most businesses overlook is the people that work for them and the potential in them. So today I will be talking about how important it is to invest in the people that work for you.

For every business the prime resource – the working capital – is people. Money matters, but the human beings who work there matter even more. If you want to take a pragmatic view of people, regard them as an investment. Every employee costs money to acquire and also to maintain and they should provide a return on that outlay. The more you invest in them the more their value increase as they become more effective in their jobs and capable of taking on greater responsibility.

So how can you as owner or manager contribute to effective training of your staff?

Determine the standards of performance required for each of the positions/jobs in your business.

Analyze the competences (knowledge and skills) relevant to the achievement of these standards.

Agree with these individuals concerned what these standards and competences are.

Review with these individuals their performance so that an agreement can be reached on any gaps to be filled between what they can do and what they should be able to do.

Every time you give someone an instruction treat it as a training opportunity. Get individuals to tell you how they would do the job. This way you can help them to work out the best way for themselves, progressively giving them less guidance so that they learn to stand on their own feet.

Allow for the learning curve. Don’t expect to much, but do require your staff to improve at a pace which matches their natural aptitudes. Only bear down hard on people if they are clearly not trying and have no excuse.

Always train and develop by example. Give people the opportunity to learn from the way you do things. Remember that managers learn best how to manage by managing under a good manager. And this principle applies equally well to other categories of job holders.

Remember that the prime responsibility for training and developing your staff rests with you and your results depend on their competence.

Plan the training for your staff in accordance with a regular review of their training needs.

Remember to use a variety of training techniques such as job instruction, assignments, coaching, and guided reading.

As written in “The Practice of Management” – Development is always self-development. Nothing could be more absurd that for the enterprise to assume responsibility for the development of a man. The responsibility rests with the individual, his abilities, his efforts …Every manager in a business has the opportunity to encourage self-development or to stifle it, to direct it or to misdirect it. he should be specifically assigned the responsibility for helping all men working with him to focus, direct and apply their self-development efforts productively. And every company can provide systematic development changes to its manager.

This year Dr Baumann South Africa as a company will be offering educational seminars relevant to the skin and the products we use in our Skinology Seminars as well as new innovating ideas on business in our Millionaire Seminars. This will be just one of the ways we will be trying to assist you and your staff in your business ventures for new year.

Barriers To Communication

In today’s world we are all so connected through websites, chat-sites, cellphones etc, and yet we are all so disconnected. More and more people recognize the need to communicate but find it difficult. We are like hedgehogs that want to get together, but our prickles keep us apart. Words may sound or look precise, but they are not. All sorts of barriers exist between the communicator and the receiver. Unless these barriers are overcome the message will be distorted or will not get through.

We like to hear what we want to hear. What we understand when someone speaks to us is largely based on our own experience and background. Instead of hearing what people have told us, we hear what our minds tell us they have said.

We tend to ignore or reject communications that conflict with our own beliefs. If they are not rejected, some way is found of twisting and shaping their meaning to fit our preconceptions. When a message is inconsistent with existing beliefs, the receiver rejects its validity, avoids further exposure to it, easily forgets it and, in his memory, distorts what he has heard.

It is difficult to separate what we hear from our feelings about the person who says it. Non-existent motives may be ascribed to the communicator. If we like someone we are more likely to accept what he says – whether it is right or wrong – than if we dislike him.

Words mean different things to different people. Essentially, language is a method of using symbols to represent facts and feelings. Strictly speaking, we can’t convey meaning, all we can do is to convey words. Do not assume that because something has a certain meaning to you, it will convey the same meaning to someone else.

Our emotions colour our ability to convey or to receive the true message. When we are insecure or worried, what we hear seems more threatening that when we are secure and at peace with the world. When we are angry or depressed, we tend to reject what might otherwise seem like reasonable requests or good ideas. During heated argument, many things that are said may not be understood or may be badly distorted.

These are just some of the barriers we face during communication. So how do we overcome these barriers?

Well we have to adjust to the world of the receiver. Try to predict the impact of what you are going to say on the receiver’s feelings and attitudes. Tailor the message to fit the receiver’s vocabulary, interests and values. Be aware of how the information might be misinterpreted because of prejudices, the influence of others and the tendency of people to reject what they do not want to hear.

Another good method is using feedback. Ensure that you get a message back from the receiver which tells you how much has been understood.

Use face-to-face communication. Whenever possible talk to people rather than write to them. That is how you can get feedback. You can adjust or change your message according to reactions. You can also deliver it in a more human and understanding way, this can help to overcome prejudices. Verbal criticism can often be given in a more constructive manner than written reproof which always seems to be harsher.

Let us all make our new years resolution to start to try and communicate better with our husbands, friends, work colleagues and bosses. This way we might just be a bit closer to a society that is in harmony.