2001 National Administrative Officers' Conference

Post-Session Summary

Session Title: Employees Are #1

• Summary
• Resources
• Leadership
• Coaching
• Motivation / Empowerment
• Retaining Employees
• Notes (Audience Brainstorming)
• Resources located at the Smart Center

• What were the main points covered in this session?

1. Discussed the importance of retaining valuable employees, and provided techniques to do so.
2. Discussed the definition of motivation and empowerment, provided methods for determining what motivates employees, and provided motivational techniques.
3. Discussed the meaning of leadership, the five fundamental practices that enable leaders to get extraordinary things done, and the importance of emotional intelligence in the role of a leader.
4. Discussed the purpose and results of effective coaching, the seven steps to follow when coaching, tips on how to be an effective coach, and important points on providing feedback.

• What key points or issues were raised during the session through discussion or brainstorming?

There were several times during the session where the group was asked to brainstorm. They brainstormed ways to retain employees, reasons for motivating employees, ways to motivate employees, reasons to coach, how to coach, and what we look for in an effective leader. This interaction seemed stimulating to the group. The feedback generated from the brainstorming was key to the success of the session.

• What unique solutions, interesting ideas, or best practices emerged from this session?

  “Employees are #1" is the point we were trying to hit home. As supervisors and managers, we have to be supporters of our employees. We have to create a positive work environment for them, empower them to make decisions and take risks, and provide them with the mentoring, training, and resources they need to be successful. This session emphasized these things and provided insight and techniques on how to be an effective leader.

• What important questions or problems remain unresolved after the session?

  Two things come to mind. One, the topics discussed were just touched on. Attendees can certainly find a wealth of information on each topic should they want more information. Secondly, it was apparent from the comments of those who attended that the session provided insight on how to be a better leader and lots felt that this information should reach all supervisors and managers.

• What are the key resources (people, materials, books, Web sites, etc.) available for this topic?

  See attached.

• What type of follow-up, and in what time frame is planned for this session?

  No follow-up scheduled.

• Who are the major contacts (name, location, telephone, e-mail) for more information on this session and topic?

1. Helene Saylor, Human Resouces Division, Beltsville, MD, 301-504-1432, hsaylor@ars.usda.gov
2. Susan Davis, Location Support Staff, Raleigh, NC, (919) 515-2731,
   susan_davis@ncsu.edu
   

RESOURCES:

VIDEOS:

After the Hire: Retaining Good Employees (24 minutes)
The Curse of the Vanishing Employees ( 20 minutes)
Love 'Em of Lose 'Em: Getting Good People to Stay (22 Minutes)
How to Supervise People by Sangamon and Van Buren

BOOKS:

“Love 'Em or Lose 'Em” by Beverly Kay and Sharon Jordan-Evans
“The Leadership Challenge” by James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner
“The Customer Comes Second” by Hal F. Rosenbluth and Dianne Meferrin Peters
“ZAPP The Lightning of Empowerment” by William C. Byham with Jeff Cox
“How to Get Results with People” by J. Salzman
“Flight of the Buffalo” by James Belasco and Ralph Stayer
Office Hours (Newsletter published by the Economics Press 26 times a year)

TRAINING COURSES:

USDA Graduate School course entitled “Introduction to Supervision”
The American Management Association course entitled “Managing Technical Professionals”

CASSETTES:

Self Empowerment (Achieving Your Potential Through Self-Awareness)-Seminar by Jeff Salzman
Bringing Out the Best In People by Alan Loy McGinnis

USEFUL WEBSITES:

http://www.trainingabc.com/retention.htm	McKay Training Videos
http://www.managerwise.com/	Management Bank

Leadership

In order to assure that employees are indeed #1 you must consider leadership. What is leadership? It is the art of getting others to want to do something that you are convinced should be done. Research has shown us that leadership is an observable, learnable set of practices. Leadership is not something mystical that cannot be understood by ordinary people. It is a myth that only a lucky few can ever decipher the leadership code.

There are 5 fundamental practices that enable leaders to get extraordinary things done:

Challenging the Process

Leaders are pioneers - people who are willing to step out into the unknown. They are people who are willing to take risks, to innovate, and experiment in order to find new and better ways of doing things. The leader's primary contribution is in the recognition of good ideas, the support of those ideas, and the willingness to challenge the system in order to get new products, processes, and services adopted. LEARNING is the key. Leaders need to regard each false step they take as a learning opportunity, not as the end of the world. They learn from their mistakes as well as their successes.

Inspiring a Shared Vision

Leaders spend considerable effort gazing across the horizon of time, imagining what it will be like when they have arrived at their final destinations. Some call it visions; others describe it as a purpose, mission, goal, even personal agenda. Regardless of what we call it, there is a desire to make something happen, to change the way things are, to create something that no one else has ever created before. Visions seen only by leaders are insufficient to create an organized movement or a significant change in a company. A person with no followers is NOT a leader, and people will not become followers until they accept a vision as their own. You cannot command commitment, you can only inspire it. To enlist employees in a vision you must know your followers and speak their language.

Enabling Others To Act

Leaders do not achieve success by themselves. Most leaders will respond when you ask them to tell us their personal best - “it wasn't my personal best - it was OUR personal best. It was us, not me”. Teamwork and collaboration are essential to do good work. Exemplary leaders enlist the support and assistance of all those who must make the project work. They involve, in some way, those who must live with the results, and they make it possible for others to do good work. This is the most significant of these 5 practices.

Modeling the Way

Grand dreams cannot become significant realities without detailed plans. Leaders must steer projects along the course, measure performance and take corrective action. The leaders must model the way. Someone said 'Your job gives you authority. Your behavior earns you respect.” Do leaders practice what they preach? They need to. Effective leaders model the way through planning and leading by example. In order to lead by example, leaders must first be clear about their business beliefs. If their behavior is not consistent with their stated beliefs, people will lose respect for them.

Encouraging the Heart

Employees become exhausted, frustrated, disenchanted. Leaders must encourage the heart or support them. People do not start their work each day with a desire to lose. It is part of the leader's job to show them that they can win - recognize individual contributions often and appropriately. If you are going to give someone a check, don't just mail it. Have a celebration. Use non monetary awards.

Remember that Leadership is not only about leaders; it is also about followers. Followers determine whether someone possesses leadership qualities. Leadership is in the eye of the follower. It appears that there are several essential tests that a person must pass before we arewilling to grant him or her the title of leader. Now that we have defined leadership and talked about leadership practices....What do you look for in a leader?

Part of being a good leader is having EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE. This is using the EMOTIONAL part of your brain instead of using TECHICAL or COGNITIVE ABILITIES. Emotional intelligence is 'being intelligent about emotions' or 'your ability to acquire and apply knowledge from your emotions and the emotions of others in order to more successfully lead them'.

There are 5 parts to this as well:

SELF AWARENESS - knowing what you are feeling
SELF REGULATION - managing your feelings
SELF MOTIVATION
EMPATHY
MANAGING RELATIONSHIPS

It is important to consider emotional intelligence in a leadership role because a leader with low self-awareness can alienate co workers and disrupt team efforts.

COACHING

Coaching becomes a part of leadership. It is another effective tool to ensure that EMPLOYEES ARE #1

Many supervisors/managers want to avoid coaching. Why?
    
* Some say they have no time
* Some fear that the coaching will fail or feel it won't do any good    

WHY SHOULD WE COACH??

1. Makes supervisor job easier when employees build their skill level
2. Enables greater delegation so supervisors have more time to manage vs. “do for”
3. Builds supervisors reputation as a people developer
4. Increases productivity when employees know what the goals are and how to achieve them
5. Develops sharing of leadership responsibilities
6. Positive recognition and feedback increases employee motivation and initiative
7. Increases likelihood of tasks being completed in a quality way
8. Avoids surprises and defensiveness in performance appraisals
9. Increases creativity and innovation of unit as employees feel safe to take risks
10. Increases team cohesiveness due to clarified goals and roles

 There are 7 basic steps to follow when coaching someone on how to perform a task:

1. Establish the overall purpose and importance of the task to be coached.
2. Explain the process to be used.
3. Show how the task is done or have someone demonstrate it.
4. Observe while the employee practices the process.
5. Provide immediate and specific feedback.
6. Express confidence in the person's ability to be successful.
7. Agree on follow up.

HOW to be an effective COACH

• be confident
• keep your language POSITIVE
• explain purpose and importance of what you are trying to teach
• put the other person at ease
• use 'team talk' (we, together, etc)
• demonstrate what needs to be done
• break processes into steps
• encourage interaction when explaining, pay attention to their questions or their silences
• ask open ended questions to encourage the employee's analysis and draw out specific suggestions
• encourage independent problem solving (i.e. don't step in)
• observe while the person practices the process
• show respect for trainee
• provide immediate and specific feedback (coach again or reinforce success)
• agree on follow up actions
• do performance appraisals more than once a year
• MBWA (manage by walking around)
• Always Ask: Anything you need? Of your employees
• Ask: Anything I can do for you

IMPORTANT POINTS ON FEEDBACK:

1. Reinforcement is the most effective form of feedback
2. Criticism is most ineffective form of feedback
3. The difference between criticism and advice is a difference in timing. Most criticism can be given as advice
4. When feedback is mixed the impact is diluted. The employee ends up confused.
5. Criticism overpowers all other feedback.

CHARACTERISTICS OF EFFECTIVE COACHES:

1. Capitalize on employee strengths
2. Give employees visibility
3. Provide freedom to do job
4. Set standards of excellence
5. Orient employee to company values and strategy
6. Hold employee accountable
7. Protect employee from undue stress
8. Encourage employee when he is discouraged or about to take on a new or difficult assignment
9. Provide information about the company and the employee's role in attainment of company goals
10. Make performance expectations and priorities clear
11. Take time to build trust
12. Provide appropriate training and support when needed
13. Solicit and listen to ideas
14. View employees as partners and critical to the success of the unit
15. Serve as a good role model
16. Won't let employee give up
17. Don't divulge confidences
18. Explain reasons for decisions and procedures and give advance notice of changes
19. Provide employees with regular feedback about their job performance
20. Give employees credit when they deserve it

THE COACHING PROCESS:

Stage 1: Agreeing Aims

Ask: What are we trying to achieve?, When are we going to do it?, How will we know we have succeeded?

Benefits: Clear objectives, agreed dates, measurement

Stage 2: Awareness

Ask: What is happening now?, What are the consequences?, What do we want to be different?

Benefits: Clear picture of current actions, effect of current actions, gap between here and there

Stage 3: Analysis

Ask: What can we change?, What are our options?, How can we change it?, What are the risks?, What are the barriers?

Benefits: Identify possibilities, broaden vision, seek solutions, evaluate choices, identify obstacles

Stage 4: Action

Ask: What are we going to do?, Who is going to do what?, When are we going to do it?, What do we need to help us?

Benefits: Clear actions, agree on responsibilities, agree on targets, decide support

Stage 5: Assessment

Ask: What actually happened?, Was this what we wanted?, What have we learned?, How can we improve?

Benefits: Clarify outcomes, evaluate degree, discuss discoveries made, establish further potential

SUCCESSFULLY COACHING AN EMPLOYEE:

1. Coaching without compassion is coercion. Be careful about saying directly what is on your mind. How the coaching is delivered is as important as the actual content.
   
2. Establish expectations that motivate. Clearly and consistently communicate the organizations expectations, vision, mission, and goals. This results in employees who feel connected to a purpose larger than themselves.
   
3. One size does not fit all. Employees learn in different ways. Some have more experience than others. Tailor your coaching to fit the individual.
   
4. Retaining valuable employees through coaching. Managerial skills such as listening, observing, giving constructive feedback, providing recognition and teaching new skills are an integral part of organizations with low turnover.
   
5. Quick solutions are dangerous. Take the time to educate your employees. Don't be quick to give an answer because you are busy. Invest the time to improve productivity.
   
6. The fine art of asking questions. Instead of providing a ready-made solution to a problem, ask the employee questions to get at the root of a problem. This teaches employees the problem solving process.
   
7. Don't give feedback in a vacuum. Get out and about with subordinates, set up regularly scheduled meetings with them. Keeps the supervisor well informed.
   
8. The coach and career development:. Take interest in the careers of subordinates. Help them grow. Not addressing career issues can result in lower productivity and turnover.
   
9. Who coaches the coach? Apply the skills of a good manager you know. Construct a survey for employees to complete. Find out their career plans, re-skilling needs, and the type of assignments that are most attractive to them.
   

Return to Top

MOTIVATION/EMPOWERMENT

DEFINITION OF MOTIVATION:

The effort a person uses or is willing to expend on something.

WHY MOTIVATE?:

Motivated/Empowered employees are:

• productive
• creative
• happy
• easy to get along with
• more likely to be retained
• promote an employee/employer win-win situation
  

HOW DO WE KNOW WHAT MOTIVATES EMPLOYEES?:

• Best way to find out is to observe them.
  
• Look at the choices they make. By looking at the choices others make, they form a pattern and from that you can determine their needs and concerns and cn better “read” the person.
  
• Pay attention to the kinds of tasks individuals seem to attack with vigor. This will give clues about what kinds of conditions that work with individuals. Look at the tasks and conditions where individuals seem to struggle or get frustrated.
  
• Find out from your staff how they are enjoying their jobs, what parts they find easy, and what parts they find difficult. Ask questions in a formal performance review, informal conversations, or in a staff or team meeting.
  
• Remember, we tend to like to do things that we are good at or that we succeed in and we tend to avoid situations where we believe we will fail or have experienced failure. For the most part, the more people succeed at something the more likely they will be to want to repeat the task.
  
• Someone who puts in extra hours a day and goes the extra mile and works hard is described as “highly motivated”. On the other hand, we call a person lethargic who isn't putting much effort into something, “unmotivated.” There is really no such thing as an unmotivated person. Everyone is motivated in one way or another. Some people are motivated to do certain things or tasks. Those that are not motivated to do a particular task should not be labeled as an unmotivated person.
  
• Also remember, what motivates one employee does not motivate another. Example: One may want regular contact and communication with her supervisor, valuing good morning greetings and quick chats. Contact such as this makes this employee feel important and valued. While the other is frustrated by this communication because it interrupts his work.

HOW MANAGERS MOTIVATE EMPLOYEES:

• Make sure the employee has the right skill and knowledge needed to do the task.
• Make sure the employee has the equipment and tools needed to do the task.
• Ensure variety in employee duties and responsibilities and keep jobs challenging and interesting.
• Allow employees independence and the chance to make decisions in the accomplishment of their duties.
• Communicate expectations and set clear goals and high standards, demand excellence.
• Involve employees - share the big picture and explain how their work effects it.
• Manage by exception - encourage and coach, stay clear of tasks unless necessary.
• Mentor employees by providing individual attention.
• Lead by example - “walk the talk”, listen to staff and follow up on what they promise.
• Treat employees well - be considerate, kind, caring, and courteous and treat them as individuals.
• Regularly show appreciation and recognize and reward jobs well done.
• Provide performance feedback.
• Provide training and developmental opportunities.
• Provide growth opportunities through delegation.
• Identify and anticipate causes of failure and remove them if possible.
• Make employees an important part of your team.
• Build a reputation as a good place to work.
• Provide for participation and allow employees to be a part of decision making.
• Communicate with employees.

1. What characteristics or behaviors makes you see them as unmotivated?
2. What do these characteristics or behaviors imply about their motivational needs?
3. If you were tasked to motivate them, what would you do?
   

WAYS MANAGERS MOTIVATE EMPLOYEES

• Make sure the employee has the right skill and knowledge needed to do the task.
• Make sure the employee has the equipment and tools needed to do the task.
• Ensure variety in employee duties and responsibilities and keep jobs challenging and interesting.
  
• Allow employees independence and the chance to make decisions in the accomplishment of their
  duties.
  
• Communicate expectations and set clear goals and high standards, demand excellence.
  
• Involve employees - share the big picture and explain how their work effects it.
  
• Manage by exception - encourage and coach, stay clear of tasks unless necessary.
  
• Mentor employees by providing individual attention.
  
• Lead by example - “walk the talk”, listen to staff and follow up on what they promise.
  
• Treat employees well - be considerate, kind, caring, and courteous and treat them as individuals.
  
• Regularly show appreciation and recognize and reward jobs well done.
  
• Provide performance feedback.
  
• Provide training and developmental opportunities.
  
• Provide growth opportunities through delegation.
  
• Identify and anticipate causes of failure and remove them if possible.
  
• Make employees an important part of your team.
  
• Build a reputation as a good place to work.
  
• Provide for participation and allow employees to be a part of decision making.
  
• Communicate with employees.

EXERCISE - WHAT MOTIVATES ME?

Indicate which six items you believe are the most important in motivating you to do your best work on the job, then rank them in order of importance.

1. Steady employment
2. Good agency policy and administration
3. Good pay
4. Chance to participate in decisions related to my work
5. Adequate coffee breaks
6. Interesting work
7. Respect for me as a person
8. Incentive award system
9. Chances for promotion
10. Good working conditions
11. Help with personal problems
12. Being in on things
13. Being assigned tasks slightly beyond my capabilities
14. Variety of tasks
15. Social outlets with fellow employees
16. Pressure to work harder
17. Recognition of my work
18. Easy work
19. Precise job description
20. Regular evaluation of my performance
21. Freedom on the job
22. Agreeing with the objective of my organization
23. Flexiplace
24. Chance for self-development and improvement
25. Attending staff meetings
26. Geography - location to where the tasks are performed
27. Being given responsibility
28. Proficiency in small number of tasks
29. Involvement in decision making
30. Finishing what I set out to do
31. Lots of fringe benefits
32. Quality supervision
33. Longer vacations
34. Satisfying the customer
35. Chance for early retirement
36. Acceptance by my peers
37. Knowing what I do counts for something
38. Other - explain:   
     

TIPS FOR MOTIVATORS:

Employees with self confidence and high self-esteem aren't worried about how others see them, they seem to have it all together! This attitude makes a motivator's job easy. Tips to help others feel better about themselves:

• In conversation, give your undivided attention. This shows how important they are to you.
  
• When you give a responsibility, let them do it their way.
  
• Express your feelings honestly and let employees do the same.
  
• Admit when you make a mistake.
  
• Let each employee express himself creatively with parameters of the job.
  
• Look for the good in what the employee does, not just the bad.
  
• Avoid put-downs.
  
• Show employees that you trust them.
  
• Avoid comparisons between employees.
  
• Be fair.
  
• Separate the employee from his acts. When problems occur, let the person know you are
  dissatisfied with what he did, not him as a person.
  
• Share decision making.
  
• Don't require more of an employee than he is able to do. If he can't measure up, find a job
  where he can be successful.
  
• Avoid favoritism.
  
• Be kind and considerate. Set clear rules and be consistent in enforcing them.
  

DAILY MOTIVATION

A well known motivational speaker and trainer suggests that we motivate ourselves daily by using the following techniques:

• dream big dreams
  
• do what you love to do
  
• focus on your unique talents and abilities
  
• accept 100% responsibility
  
• develop a clear sense of direction
  
• never consider the possibility of failure
  
• dedicate yourself to continuous improvement
  
• develop a workaholic mentality
  
• get around the right people
  
• be teachable
  
• be prepared to climb peak to peak
  
• develop resilience and always bounce back
  
• unlock your inborn creativity
  
• be an unshakable optimist
  
• dedicate yourself to serving
  
• develop a reputation for speed and dependability
  
• be impeccably honest
  
• concentrate single-mindedly on one thing at a time
  
• be decisive
  
• be self-disciplined
  
• back everything with persistence and determination
  

DEFINITION OF EMPOWERMENT:

Giving power or authority, or to enable or permit. In the workplace, empowerment is a different way of working together.

Empowered employees feel:

• feel recognized and appreciated
• feel they make a difference
• are responsible for their results
• are part of the team
• can use their full talents and abilities
• have control over how they do their jobs
• can take initiative
• feel ownership
  

RETAINING EMPLOYEES

Employers should offer employees:

1. meaningful, challenging work
2. a chance to learn and grow
3. fair compensation
4. a good work environment
5. recognition
6. respect

A good supervisor who cares about keeping good employees will try to provide these things. Beware...Sometimes senior management and organizational policies, systems and culture have an impact on your ability to keep talented people. You may need help from HR.

Research tells us that managers and supervisors have the greatest power (and responsibility) for keeping talented employees. With this being the case, organizations must select their supervisors and managers carefully. They must provide training and manage their managers well.

Organizations need to continuously:

1. Encourage effective communication.
2. Train managers on how to reward and recognize employees.
3. Provide the support and tools to help managers do their job.
4. Train managers on how to be good leaders.
5. Reward managers for positive retention and productivity.
6. Conduct an internal climate assessment at least twice a year.

For further information on retention, we suggest the book “Love Em or Lose Em”. This book can be checked out from the SMART Center.

Here Today Here To Stay: Helping Turn the Tide on Turnover and Retention
by Gregory P. Smith

Ideas and issues to consider in creating a high-retention workforce:

• Loyalty has changed
  • Employee will remain loyal as long as the organization is providing for their needs.
    
• Make people feel appreciated
  • Find creative ways to make people feel good
    
• Measure attitudes
  • Every organization should conduct some form of climate assessment (climate assessment surveys) twice a year.
    
• Individual Retention Profile
  • Everyone has a different set of needs and expectations about their jobs - manage retention one employee at a time
    
• Money & benefits only go so far.
  • Challenging job assignments rank higher than salary
• Focus on the family
  • Allow flexibility in work hours on a daily basis.
    
• Leadership skills changing
  • people don't quit their organization....they quit their boss
    
• Hold managers accountable
  • hold managers directly responsible for retention
  • people don't quit their organization....they quit their boss
    
• Give people purpose
  • people need to feel they are making a difference
  • want to be a part of an organization that gives them meaning
    
• “We've never done it that way before”
  • organizations need to question their rules, regulations, culture and traditions to insure they are inline with high retention.
            
    

www.managerwise.com
Knowledge Bank
Employee Retention

Ten Commandments for Managing People
by G.A. “Andy” Marken

Most Valuable Asset - People

If you manage the asset properly it can produce exceptional results for your organization.

Guidelines to follow to manage people more effectively, more easily, and with better results:

• Don't get into a rut thinking there is only one right way to do a job.
  • A fresh perspective can sometimes accomplish more in less time.
  • Judge by results rather than by how task is accomplished.
    
• Look for diversity in the people you hire in terms of talent, experience, and temperament.
  • Don't expect everyone to be the same
  • Don't look for clones of yourself
  • Look for people who have values you respect (even though they may not be the same as yours)
    
• Praise in public, criticize in private
  • a little well placed praise said in a group will boost ego and also encourage
  • people rarely take criticism well, if criticized often they will stop trying, especially if done in front of others. Others who are around will avoid thinking on their own and taking chances because they will not want to be brought down in front of their peers.
    
• Make yourself available
  • Make yourself available when they want ideas, input and thoughts.
    
• Don't wait until the project is completed to give your feedback
  • Get snapshot updates. It shows you are interested in their work and that the project is important to the organization and you.
    
• Expect your staff to excel
  • Expect people to be equal to task. You will be surprised what happens when you believe people are competent.
    
• Tell staff members about expectations, priorities and deadlines
  • Few people who can read minds.
  • Be open with employees by expressing objectives and concerns.
    
• Do performance appraisals more than once a year
  • Evaluate performance informally on a regular basis.
  • Talk to employees about what they are doing, the problems they are experiencing, areas they need to focus on improving, their concerns and their priorities.
    
• Don't be an autocratic leader
  • Ask employees for their input
  • Ask for suggestions
  • Find out employees concerns and difficulties
    
• Don't push people to their limit
  • People can give 150% and produce outstanding results but not on a consistent day-in, day-out basis. ter extended periods the mind shuts down.....the body shuts down.
  • Resist temptation to see how much “extra return” you can get from your staff.
  • May need to ban from office on weekend, or push to take a vacation. It will give you greater returns than the few hours or days they took to recharge.

Following the 10 commandments of managing will not ensure that you will get all the best people and retain them. It does mean though that you will have a better shot at developing a solid team of winner who will produce for your organization regardless of how they stay.

Article found at:
http://www.managerwise.com/
Knowledge Bank
Employee Retention

NOTE - AUDIENCE BRAINSTORMING

How to be an effective coach

Honesty
Practice what you preach
Encouragement
Put time into coaching
Have some technical knowledge
Be positive/confident
Be committed
Construct a game plan
Get employee input  - 2 heads are better than 1
Show energy and enthusiasm in coaching
Be available
Be flexible
Be open to new ideas
Be willing to deal with employee issues

Employee development
Good communication
Easier to empower and manage
Team accomplishment
Direction - to operate independently

What do you look for in a leader?

Listen to understand
Value opinions
Support
Compassion
Honesty
Loyalty
Ability to share a vision
Good communicator
Competence
Fair
Humility
Admit fault
Humor
Share glory

How do we motivate?

Innovative
Encouragement
Praise
Training
Recognition
Go to employees for advice/suggestions
Money/Awards/Promotions
Take interest in their career
Mentor
Giving responsibility
Support/Back them up
Empathy
Communication

Why motivate employees?

Productive
Help them feel ownership
Have happy positive employees
Creates good environment
Makes manager's job easier
Helps with morale
Pro-active operation
Helps with harmony
Healthy work environment
Cuts down on absenteeism

How can we retain employees?

Value in work
Resources
Let them own or do their job
Determine what motivates them
Provide good environment
Career development
Let them know they're valuable
Incentives/Recognition
Give them undivided attention
Listen to them
Challenging work

RESOURCES LOCATED AT THE
SMART CENTER

For a complete list of resources at the SMART Center, please visit our website at:
http: www.ars.usda.gov/afm2/divisions/hrd/hrdhomepage/smartcenter/catalog.htm
Contact: Anita Kopman, Phone(301) 504-1428, Fax (301) 504-4422