Employee Involvement

By Susan M. Heathfield

Jobs Vacancy, Job vacancies, Employment Jobs

Definition:

Employee involvement is creating an environment in which people have an impact on decisions and actions that affect their jobs.

Employee involvement is not the goal nor is it a tool, as practiced in many organizations. Rather, it is a management and leadership philosophy about how people are most enabled to contribute to continuous improvement and the ongoing success of their work organization.

My bias, from working with people for 40+ years, is to involve people as much as possible in all aspects of work decisions and planning. This involvement increases ownership and commitment, retains your best employees, and fosters an environment in which people choose to be motivated and contributing.

How to involve employees in decisionmaking and continuous improvement activities is the strategic aspect of involvement and can include such methods as suggestion systems, manufacturing cells, work teams, continuous improvement meetings, Kaizen (continuous improvement) events, corrective action processes, and periodic discussions with the supervisor.

Intrinsic to most employee involvement processes is training in team effectiveness, communication, and problem solving; the development of reward and recognition systems; and frequently, the sharing of gains made through employee involvement efforts.

Employee Involvement Model

For people and organizations who desire a model to apply, the best I have discovered was developed from work by Tannenbaum and Schmidt (1958) and Sadler (1970). They provide a continuum for leadership and involvement that includes an increasing role for employees and a decreasing role for supervisors in the decision process. The continuum includes this progression.

• Tell: the supervisor makes the decision and announces it to staff. The supervisor provides complete direction.



• Sell: the supervisor makes the decision and then attempts to gain commitment from staff by "selling" the positive aspects of the decision.



• Consult: the supervisor invites input into a decision while retaining authority to make the final decision herself.



• Join: the supervisor invites employees to make the decision with the supervisor. The supervisor considers her voice equal in the decision process.

To round out the model, I add the following.

• Delegate: the supervisor turns the decision over to another party.

Leadership and Management Success Tips

By Susan M. Heathfield

Jobs Vacancy, Job vacancies, Employment Jobs

These tips about how to communicate during change will help you make your change communication effective and successful.

• Provide answers to questions only if you know the answer. Leaders destroy their credibility when they provide incorrect information or appear to stumble or back-peddle, when providing an answer. It is much better to say you don’t know, and that you will try to find out.



• Leaders need to listen, just listen. Avoid defensiveness, excuse-making, and answers that are too quickly given. Act with thoughtfulness. The power of real listening cannot be over emphasized. Real listening is one of your most critical components in change communication.



• Make leaders and change sponsors available, daily when possible, to mingle with others in the workplace.



• Communication should be proactive. If the rumor mill is already in action, the organization has waited too long to communicate.

How to Win the Job Search Competition

By Susan M. Heathfield

Jobs Vacancy, Job vacancies, Indonesia Vacancies

When you talk about hiring an employee, sometimes it seems that a job applicant prevails because of a favorable convergence of the sun, moon, and stars.

Or, maybe hiring an employee is just like a crap shoot. Or, hiring an employee is like throwing a bunch of darts and hoping one sticks in the target. I have heard all of these references to the process of hiring an employee.

But the fundamental question remains. What makes one applicant the winner in the job search competition? Employees who were hired did a lot of things right. Better, they did almost nothing wrong. How did Mary get the job?

When comparing candidates, an employer has to differentiate between well-qualified applicants. Candidates who appear to have the qualities, skills, education, experience, and knowledge the employer seeks are invited to interview. One is selected. How do you get to be the one?

Your Personal Presentation Must Make You Stand Out

An effective, targeted,cutomized resume,allowed you to highlight experience and interest that matched the employer's needs. You're on track and an interview is scheduled.

From this moment forward, the potential employer is assessing your fit for the job, thw culure, and the needs and strengths of the team. At this point, the employer is giving you every opportunity to blow your chance.

Your Interaction During Interviews Either Nails Your Job - or Fails

• Your preparation for interview needs to include formulating specific, professional answers to potential questions. You want to sound knowledgeable, competent, and experienced. You need to be able to cite examples of what you have accomplished, contributed, and believe is important. This is not something most people do well off the cuff. Prepare responses.



• Pay special attention to the physical parts of you that will be in evidence throughout an interview across a desk or conference table. Dirty finger nails matter as does that faint stain on your shirt. They send loud messages about your attention to detail and personal care habits.



• Relaxed communication is critical. Talk about workplace issues and goals that are important to you. Ask questions to assess whether the culture is a good fit for you. You don't want to join every organization you encounter in a job search. Trust me; sometimes it's better to keep looking.