BUILDING A STRONG TEAM

Remember the topic where we discussed how to make things work if your job is becoming a nightmare? I asked a question, what do you do to build a strong team, even if you have been told point blank that there is no money or you get the feeling management no longer believes in you after all the opportunities you have had to make things work? By this point I hope you have implemented all the tips I told you about in your life? If you have and are ready to take ownership of your team and make them as happy as you know they can be, you don’t need a large sum of money or threats from the boss directly to them.

For the last ten years, whether it was in an ICT firm, consultancy, school, bar, or resturaunt and no matter which part of Nigeria the company existed in, the same tips consistently helped business owners and managers build the same team. I took out time earlier this year to write them down and I want to share them with you. Here are four fail proof tips to building a better team:

1. Invest in your people

I’ve always believed in promoting from within whenever possible and this doesn’t always have to involve huge fanfare and an official looking letter from human resources. Know who is(are) the leaders(s) within your team. Informally start mentoring them to take up bigger jobs and responsibilities. Start training them on more complicated aspects of the job and carry them with you to meet important clients and attend meetings. Send them in your place when you are not ready. Ensure you give good reviews and recommend them for promotion when they are due them. It sends a strong message that loyalty, performance and productivity are rewarded, not sidestepped in favor of new blood from outside and this will make people happier to work with and for you. However do not ever try to turn your team into a cult, ensure you teach them how to work well with others and appreciate other people in the office as well as customers. This will ensure that if and when you get new employees they will be warmly received rather than having the other employees gang up on them

2. Pay attention to what people are good at

What are each employee’s job duties? More importantly, which of those roles are they really good at? Look for ways to enhance those skills, develop the competencies, find little ways to reward them and then for a job well done publically and privately.

3. Assess what needs improvement

Know this. Nothing and no one is perfect. Your team and team members will always have their strengths, good points, and unique skills. But there will always be weaknesses, bad points, and even employees who need help with their job and or people skills. Pinpoint the areas that need working on to get your team in top condition. Do not use people's weaknesses and attack them in public. Do a thorough assesment of their weaknesses at work, come up with a plan to improve them, have a one on one meeting with them to agree on milestones and implement your plan. For example, if you notice that your lead sales person has never really understood the need to be more tactful with customers, make it your mission to teach this person empathy by pointing out how it can not only benefit them but practical ways to implement better customer service. Do not scream at them infront of every one, that will only work once or twice to change their behaviour (if you are lucky) and in the long wrong you could loose a great person. Instead let them know the problem, advice them on the possible consequences of not changing, and agree practical ways to change their approach with customers.

4. Train your team to fit your goals

If you can match your employees’ skills and interests with your company’s growth needs, you’re on your way to having a winning bench. Job shadowing, cross training, attending industry events and conferences, and online training are all smart ways to teach your employees new things without spending a bundle. Before you know it, you’ll have a well-rounded team working with you and not against you. For example there is no point having a administrative team that is attending courses on training on paper database management if your CEO has decided the office should go paperless within the next 6 months. Always align training and skill building in your team with what the company needs. It will ensure you remain a team of added value and you will be recognized for all the right reasons.

So remember, to build a great team: invest in your people and promote from within; build up your high performers; work on weaknesses; and align your strengths and training plans with the company needs and requirements. For a free practical assesment and work plan on how you implement the tips above  for your team or office's unique needs, please do not hesistate to contact me on insitefulsolutionsconsult@gmail.com

HELP: MY BOSS IS ALWAYS BRINGING IN HER BROTHER TO DO WORK IN THE OFFICE…

Q: My boss constantly asks me to use her brother to repair our office computers; the problem is that he's just not that good. What do I do?

A: "Most company ethics codes prohibit conflicts of interest, which this clearly is, but they don't always have private ways of reporting and even if they did, you may or may not find out. It's right to speak up, but it's also right to ask yourself whether this is the hill you want to die on. If it is, line up another job, and report the matter and if you want to ensure you keep your job, make sure you are stay out of it, do not join in and bring in people you know to do work. Always follow proper channels to get vendors. If you are not the type of person to document your work start now. Ensure you follow conversations up with emails and document your work. Also ensure you line up good computer repair vendors to use for the inevitable day she admits to herself his work is shoddy and comes to you to get someone new. If you follow these steps, you will learn a new skill, look efficient and offer help as and when needed. Good luck and let me know if you see a change soon."

Best practice recruitment exercises means you employ the best person for the job. Suprisingly the best person for the job can be close family friends and relatives who have passed recruitment tests and have shown themselves capable of excelling on the job while keeping sentiments aside to be employees of great value. Unfortunately this is not always the case as you can see from this question I posted above that I recieved from an old acquantaince. Sometimes, the boss will bring a friend or family member as a favor to someone. Sometimes, it goes smoothly and sometimes it doesn’t. My advice is when working with a friend or family member of the boss, remember, some relationships run deep and blood will almost always be thicker than water. However, it is amazing how many problems you can avoid just by being known as a hard working, high performing, and proactive employee. Being known for your good work will mean a good boss will not want to lose you and being proactive will make ANYONE who wants to play games weary of crossing your path. Avoid any situations that will make you come into conflict with someone who is related to or friends with the boss. Be friendly and diplomatic but do not feel the need to be overfriendly. The chances are if you follow these steps you will not have any problems in the event you are working with a friend or relative of the boss.

If you are currently working with a friend of family member of the boss and are experiencing difficulties or conflict with this employee or manager, please contact me on  

insitefulsolutionsconsult@gmail.com and I will give you advice that will work for your situation.

5 EMPLOYEES YOU CANT AFFORD TO KEEP IN 2012

Afternoon everyone

For those of us running our own businesses, firms, and organizations as well as some of us getting set to start new ventures, you MUST understand that it is not every one you employ and if you do, you must keep a close eye on your employees and know that there are some you cant afford to keep and who may be detrimental to the success of your business. 

I found  the article on the link provided below very insightful and I hope you do as well as it was written in 2011 but is very relevant to the strategic approach businesses in Nigeria must continue to adopt in 2012.

http://www.openforum.com/articles/5-types-of-employees-you-cant-afford-to-keep

DEALING WITH THE EMPLOYEE WHO HAS BEEN WITH THE OFFICE SINCE THE DAWN OF TIME (OFFICE RELICS)

If you haven’t encountered this particular type of employee, I’m not sure whether to say you are lucky or unlucky, but be rest assured you will unless YOU happen to be the person I am talking about J

Who is the office relic? This is the employee who has been with the company for a very long time, and often times in smaller establishments, they may be found among the pioneer staff  who have been there since the company started. Please do not assume an office relic will apply to all old staff and or pioneer staff because I’m not talking about the good and faithful employee(s) who have remained loyal over the years and who add value with their employment. With the office relics, we are talking about employee(s) who despite all odds, schemes, scandals, who despite an inability to work or work well with others, have survived it all and still remain onboard.

These are the employees that survived the hard times…. Mass sackings…survived consultants…seem to get promoted while doing nothing…they are the office untouchables…commit atrocities while the boss/management looks away… Sounds familiar? There are many reasons why the office relic exists and flourishes in an office: past glory; loyalty to the company; personal sacrifice that translated to him/her endearing themselves to management.  In a lot of establishments, crossing the path of the office relic(s) can cause you to lose your job. In the last ten years I’ve run across so many people who lost jobs because of upsetting these employees who then went after them. Why did they get sacked? the simple fact is these type of employees are survivors and are sometimes willing to play dirty tricks, manipulate the office culture or other employees, and or understand management enough to hide under the radar should you and them  be under the spotlight for the wrong reasons. However you CAN avoid the trap of battling these employees without sacrificing your ethics while carrying out your work by simply following these steps:

UNDERSTAND THE CULTURE AND SUBCULTURE OF THE OFFICE

Office relic(s) survive for one key reason; he/she understands and thrives in the most important subculture in the office – the one that exists within the management/owner circle. He/she can give them exactly what they want and knows how to fly under the radar and avoid what they don’t like. You as a new employee must understand this culture and stand out for the right reasons. Know what is unacceptable and acceptable in terms of office behavior. Do your job well and know what you will be praised for. For example if your office is known for using up all types of hours to try and please the customer, make a personal commitment to spend time to solve a problem that has persisted with a customer and spend as many hours as you need to solve it. Management will take note. You must take at least 4-6 weeks to understand where you are working and who you are working with. In that time, concentrate on doing your job well and understand your boss. After a few weeks, you will have a better understanding of your office, who you should avoid, and the extra value you can bring to the establishment.

BECOME THE ONLY RESIDENT EXPERT ON WHAT YOU WERE EMPLOYED TO DO (AND MORE IF POSSIBLE

The employee turned relic is most likely known for past glory or being an expert in something. You as a new employee must become the resident expert in your job. You must know as much as possible. Research, study, get in touch with the people you work for. Go above and beyond your job scope so that everyone around you including management is confident you can carry out your job successfully.

PROTECT YOUR TERRITORY

Protect your territory (your job) If the office relic is known to be a bully, aggressive, passive aggressive, or manipulative. You must protect your job territory. This doesn’t mean you need to be aggressive, manipulative, or violent, but protect your job as you would anything important in your life. Remain proactive, not reactive. Have your to do lists, always think ahead, handle all tasks on your desks and keep an eye on your surroundings. Learn to read body language and try and maintain a cordial relationship with people as much as possible while ensuring you are a proactive employee who is known for their dedication, resilience, and loyalty.

No one prays to have problems on the job but truth is people are employed to work for all sorts of reasons, and problems on the job with your colleagues and employers can jeopardize your career. However, there is no problem you cannot overcome including the unique ones presented by working with or for the office relic. However, if you take note of what I have detailed further and apply it to your circumstances and work environment, you can steer clear of falling into the trap of doing battle and possibly losing your job in a situation where you at a disadvantage

ECS: NSITF THREATENS TO SANCTION EMPLOYERS WHO ARE NOT COMPLYING WITH THE ACT

MANAGEMENT of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund, NSITF, has called on employers in the country to, without delay, comply with the provisions of the Employees’ Compensation Act, ECA, saying it will not hesitate to apply the necessary sanctions as provided by the Act on any recalcitrant employer. In a statement, the fund drew the attention of employers to the commencement of the implementation of Employees, Compensation Scheme, ECS, a product of ECA and the payment of contributions as provided by the ECA 2010. According to NSITF, “the scheme provides guaranteed and adequate compensation for all employees or their dependants for any death, injury, disease or disability arising out of or in the course of employment. The scheme also offers rehabilitation and vocational training services to employees with work related disability with a view to bringing such employees back to work. In specific terms, the following compensations are payable under the Act: Compensation for death – payable to dependants of the deceased employee’s child/children, widow/widower etc., Compensation for injury – temporary/permanent, partial or total disability, Compensation for mental stress, Compensation for hearing impairment, Compensation for occupational diseases (list of diseases up-dated from time to time), Health care benefit, i.e medical expenses are also paid for under the scheme. Compensation is also payable for injuries sustained by employees outside the normal working place where the business of the employer extends beyond the usual work place or the nature of employment is such that the employee is required to work both in and out of the usual work place.” “For the avoidance of doubt, we hereby reiterate that the Employees, Compensation Act (ECA 2010) repealed the work men’s Compensation Act 2004. The Act came in to effect on 17th December, 2010 and from that date, the Workmen’s Compensation Act (WCA) ceased to be the applicable law on the subject of employees compensation for work injury or Occupational diseases.

Culled from article by Victor Ahiuma Young (Vanguard Newspaper, March 28th 2012

Don't forget readers, remittance for contributions  is calculated as 1% of payroll for the first two years it is implemented. Not remitting Contributions under the Employee's Compensation Act 2010 and the Pension Reform Act (as amended) can attract a penalty of 10% of the un-remitted 1% monthly payroll employee contribution to NSITF.

As an employer, your NSITF remittances are tax deductible expenses in Nigeria.

 

Please note that the Employee's Compensation Act 2010 did not abolish the Group Life Policy required under the Pension Reform Act (as amended). Employers should therefore continue to 

 

·         remit pension contributions for their employees;

·         take out a Group Life Policy for their employees;

·         remit to NSITF 1% payroll as employee's compensation contribution. 

SAP restates commitment to SMEs’ growth in Nigeria

Culled from: www.ngrguardiannews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=81390:sap-restates-commitment-to-smes-growth-in-nigeria-&catid=55:compulife&Itemid=391 
BUSINESS management software, solutions and services provider, SAP has reiterated commitment to the growth of Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) in Nigeria, stressing that there are solutions that small organisations can leverage on for growth.SAP stressed that with the emerging markets status of Nigeria, there are vast opportunities for business growth in the country.At a forum in Lagos at the weekend, Vice-President of SAP Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), Tim Noble said, “this is a very exciting time for SAP in Africa, as well as, globally.  SAP is growing very quickly, last year was the best year in SAP’s 40-year history.“We are working to boost the growth of Small and Medium Scale Enterprises in Nigeria and other markets within the region.  SAP are the developers of enterprise business application software that makes companies more efficient, more productive, and more profitable.” 


He noted that there are five key areas of SAP growth in terms of geography; they are Brazil, Russia, China, Middle East and Africa, stressing that SAP’s overall strategy is premised on five focus areas. He explained that the first is the whole layer of applications and the goal is to make the world run better.  Noble said the second is SAP analytics, where we have a clear understanding of our customers and we provide solutions to businesses. According to him, the third is in the area of mobility, and fourth is database and technology. The fifth area is in the area of cloud. Noble added that Nigeria is one of the most important markets for SAP, stressing that there was need for the company to grow by about a 100 people a year in and build more partners. “Through SAP and appropriate partners, we will have significant growth throughout Africa,” he said. The Managing Director, SAP West Africa, Mr. Richard Edet, said SAP has seen significant growth in terms of revenue, he noted that SAP is not only for big organisations, “we provide solutions that can fit any customer with more than 88 000 small medium enterprises world-wide.  We have a customer of ours who operates from Alaba market. We also have a car dealer, who is our customer.”


Speaking about the company’s young professional scheme to Nigerians, he said, SAP has a scheme that will take graduates from university and train them.  “We have several educational partners who deliver classroom lectures. We are also in talks with big organisations to train people.The Head of the Africa Market Unit, Mr. Pfungwa Serima, spoke further on the growth of SAP in the African continent. He said, “we have been fortunate to have worked with partners and we also partner with a lot of customers and our commitment to Nigeria is very important. “We are also investing in communities where we are doing business because it is not only about us coming in to do business but we have to be indigenous. “The business has been going great. We have seen a lot of investment in terms of revenue. A considerable amount of local people have joined SAP from the Diaspora and this is encouraging for Africans returning home.  We have also been involved in CSR activities in Nigeria aimed at promoting education, economic opportunity and business integrity,” he said.

NIGERIAN CORPS MEMBERS ARE TOLD "PREPARE FOR SELF EMPLOYMENT"

Culled from http://netpagesonline.com/blog/?p=15091 

"... Mr Kola Balogun, the Chairman, Governing Council of the NYSC in  Osun,  on Tuesday  advised  corps members to prepare for self employment after service. Balogun made the call at the closing parade for the 2012 Batch ‘A’ corps members held at the permanent orientation camp in Ede, Osun. According to him, corps members must start making  maximum use of the various skills acquisition opportunities initiated by the NYSC  in the camp. “The government cannot do it alone by creating jobs for all the teeming youths  and therefore you have to avail yourselves of the various training opportunities at your disposal. “Successful men in the world today are those who used their brains to achieve feats;  so you must have discovered your talents to know where you can excel in life,” he said. Gov. Rauf Aregbesola, in an address he sent to the occasion,   urged corps members to use the skills they acquired for the  benefit and progress of  society. “The founding fathers of the scheme invested a lot of  human and capital resources in the project and you should strive hard to sustain the legacy for the incoming generation,” he said. He also advised them not to misuse the martial training they had acquired for self-defence by not using it to intimidate or harass members of the  host communities. Also speaking,  Mr Henry Enyenihi, the State Coordinator of the NYSC,  charged  corps members  to acquire more skills in their primary places of assignment to complement the training they got  in the camp..." 

Hmm... Do you guys agree or disagree with the views expressed above?

Managers, Up your game at work using social media tools

http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2012/03/managers_need_to_up_their_game.html

PLEASE HELP. GOING TO WORK HAS BECOME A NIGHTMARE

Afternoon Every one and I hope you have been having a splendid week so far? I received a question recently which I have detailed below:

Evening Nikky,

I am the head of sales in my company and honestly lately work has become nightmare. You know how the country is now and my people don't seem to want/care to be there. It's always one complaint or the other with them making no real effort to do anything. My CEO is breathing down my neck and it takes all the effort in my body to still come to work. What do I do? I've made up my mind to leave but wanted your advice on how best to do this...(identity withheld to protect the writer)

This question is one I have been asked in one form or the other over the last few years. Please find below a few tips I shared with my friends and these i guarantee will be effective for managers and team leads working in Nigeria:

First, do not quit. It may sound easy in theory to just 'walk away from it all" but this is an attitude you do not want to cultivate. The economy is hard yes and as such you can't just walk away however, there is no job on this earth that will not add value to you as a human being and an employee. If you tackle the problem head on first and do not resort to quitting, there are valuable lessons, competencies, and skills to be learn that will make you an excellent employee for the next employer, when you decide to move on to a better job (as opposed to simply running away into maybe possibly a worse situation) Do not let anyone or anything make you leave before your time. Work through the situation and only leave on your own terms as opposed to leaving feeling broken and dejected.

Next, do a personal audit. It is hard to admit sometimes, but when things are going wrong, blame does not always lie in a "difficult" boss or staff members, sometimes, it lies within us. Sit down and assess both your job description and skills & competencies required for your job and take a look at yourself. Notice any gaps? Is there any part of your job that you dislike (and be honest, don't forget, it's just you at this audit!) For ex,Do you find yourself hating to talk to new people and a key component of your job requires meeting clients on a daily basis? If yes, you would need to start closing that gap. Why not make a plan to say hi to at least two strangers a day and continue on a conversation you would normally flee from. Gradually you will notice you are overcoming this dislike and learning to enjoy more interaction. While you can request for formal training, also set our a training plan for yourself. Buy relevant books, go online and do personality tests, and map out a plan for learning and implementing your new skills. But always remain honest and objective. Sometimes, managers and team leads get caught up with being busy being busy because sometimes it's just easier than being accountable. But this is your wake up call! Get back to doing your job. Don't get lost in administrative duties, work squabbles, and irate customers. Make and stick to your to do list, set daily goals for your self and accomplish. Take a hard look at the company strategy and vision and decide TODAY what you're part is going to be to accomplish it. Look out for new customers if you are not in sales and recommit yourself once again to your office. Take sometime and remember all the things you love about your job (I don't care why you took the job in the first place because since you joined them there will be things you love about your job, work enviroment, staff, boss, etc)

Are you allowing issues spill over while at work? Better work life balance might be needed. Never underestimate the power of a few minutes prayer and writing down a list (both in a both and on outlook) and meditating over it to give you both allow you relax and get into work mode as well clear your head of any negative energy accompanying you into work. You can do this first thing in the morning and anytime during the day when you want to consult your to do list.

Next do an audit of your team. Yes, you must work with Human Resources to come up with a training and motivation plan for your staff, but what happens if one is implemented and it isn't working? Or HR does not exist in your firm? Being in a position of leadership is about more than making orders, it is about taking responsibility and ownership of both the good and the bad. If there is a plan for training and motivation, take hold of that plan today and make sure it is being implemented. Tweak it if necessary to fit your team. What about if there is no plan? It is then up to you to create one. Draft a plan for your team, analyse current issues, set out solutions, give a time line to succeed, and make sure you have put in SMART solutions for any obstacles you think you will face. Also, have one on one chats with your team members. Find out what is happening with them and their work. Ask about problems on the job and empathise with them. Also ask about what motivates them to work besides money. Have you noticed quite a few people have sweet tooth's? Why not start a competition for who can talk to the most new clients and offer a bag of sweets to the winner. Do you have a little bit of money left from your departmental budget? why not set it aside to buy a gift to the highest achiever in your team. 

And above all, never ignore problems hoping they will go away. Is morale at an all time low? gossip at an all time high? people bullying one another? Then get to the heart of the matter. Observe your team for a week. Go out with them as much as possible. Have one on one meetings with everyone and pay close attention to what the say, what they don't say, and their body language. Sometimes in this situation, the solution is as easy as recognising your high achievers and finding out how you can reward them for a job well done (no matter how little or how much money you have) as well as weeding out the bad apples and working with human resources to stop the problem once and for all.

But what if the problem is a little more tricky - you are faced with nepotism, the CEO's office pet, or a bad employee that has survived and remains in the company against all odds? What if money is tight or you have been told point blank there is no money and you have no one to turn to for creative advice on how to motivate and train your people? Nigeria is vastly different in terms of the work climate to anywhere else but there is no problem without an implementable solution as I have encountered all this and more over the course of my career. Over the course of the week, I will be outlining solutions (that i guarantee will work!)to tackle these problems. Have a great day everybody.

http://dearartiste.blogspot.com/2012/03/cultivating-relationships-that-help.html?spref=fb