Your team can be the key to your business's success—or a roadblock to growth. But
before you jump to conclusions about whether someone is helping or hindering your business, it's important to make sure that we as leaders are doing everything in our power to ensure their success. The Essential People Checklist will guide you through this process, helping you evaluate your responsibilities as well as evaluate staff effectively and identify areas where improvements can be made.
Before you can assess the performance of your team members, you need to confirm that they are set up for success. Ask yourself: Do they have job clarity, and are they properly equipped to perform their roles?
Job Clarity
Are your employee’s crystal clear about what you expect from them?
On Sally’s first day she got thrown into a chaotic mix of different activities because several people had left the company. She ended up doing much more than she was originally hired to do. Sally was good with this as she was a natural problem solver. But as time went on, she became very confused about her role and how she was going to be evaluated. It got so bad that Sally considered leaving. This was a shock to Sally’s boss as they loved how she had jumped in “all hands-on deck” to help in so many different areas.
How can you make sure that everyone has clarity about their job?
Job Descriptions: Each employee should have a clear outline that outlines their role. Keep it simple, using bullet points for easy understanding.
Key Metrics: What are the top three metrics each employee is responsible for? These should be measurable and directly tied to their role's success.
Weekly Focus: What are the top three tasks each employee should focus on every week? This helps them prioritize and stay aligned with the business’s goals and not get distracted.
Equipped to Succeed
Once clarity is established, evaluate whether your team members are equipped to perform their jobs. Have they received the proper training, or were they thrown into their roles without enough preparation? Ask yourself:
Training: Have they been adequately trained, or is more training needed?
Outcomes: What are the top outcomes that this job is aiming for – does the employee have enough understanding of how to achieve these outcomes?
Coaching, Review and Feedback: Are they receiving Coaching, Review and Feedback from you on how to improve, grow in their role and become the best they can be?
Assess Job Fit
If you have taken the time to give them job clarity and you have spent the time to Train, Coach, Review, give Feedback and have given them every opportunity to succeed, and things are still not going well, it’s time to assess whether the job fits the individual. Here are some areas to consider:
7. Skills
Evaluation: How well do their skills align with the job requirements? Are they operating at an excellent, average or low level in terms of these skills?
Training Opportunities: If their skillset isn’t an excellent match, are they willing to learn, grow and adapt?
8. Performance
Drive and Capability: Does the employee truly want to do this job? Do they understand what it takes to succeed in their role?
Performance Levels: Is their performance excellent, average, or low? Can they be developed to achieve higher levels of performance through best practices, more regular feedback followed by direction?
9. Culture & Values
Cultural Alignment: Do they fit well with your company culture? Do their values align with how you treat customers and interact with one another?
Contribution to Core Values: Do they add value to your organization’s core principles, or is there a clash?
Team Alignment: Are they a team player, and do they align with your vision for the business?
What Happens Next?
After going through this checklist, you’ll have a much clearer picture of whether your team members are in the right roles. Keep in mind that some employees may be a perfect fit for the position they are in, while others might be better suited for a different role within your organization.
By following this checklist, you can ensure that your team is aligned with your business goals, properly equipped to perform their jobs, and a positive contributor to your company culture. Your employees are your greatest asset—let’s make sure they’re set up to succeed!
If you would like to meet with other like-minded people on business growth topics like this, send me an email: sw@newviewinnovation.com to find out more about the Advance Business Growth Mastermind Group.