Just Listen

Have you ever pondered the question…Why do some employees learn faster than others? Or why do some people pick up on things as if second nature and others well…not so much? This is something that has become a case study for me over the years. One that is mesmerizing to myself and, as I heard recently from a luxury store manager, to her as well. Here is what she asked: 

“What makes one employee so naturally apt to complete a job with little direction where another will miss the mark completely even after thorough explanation? It can be as simple as alphabetical order; one can complete putting something to SOP and one cannot. What in leadership does it take to develop an employee to not only be responsible for their behavior, but to open their mindset about how their behavior not only impacts their environment but also can open their growth. Leaders are not magicians. They use their environment to find their answers and that alone is the transition that an employee needs to make to grow from follower to leader.”

Let’s break down what she says. First of all, there is no bad way to learn. Let’s get that straight. Everyone learns differently based on several factors. Education, upbringing, experience and habits to name a few. It’s not up to the employee to know everything when they are first hired or in a position for a long time. It is up to you as a manager to ensure they are comprehending all information in a way that makes sense to them and that they are doing tasks to fulfill a specific purpose. I want to emphasize that leaders ARE NOT magicians or fortune tellers, but leaders ARE supposed to be adaptable to employee needs. Each employee you hire comes to you with a different work ethic and different set of values. These are two things we cannot teach a person, but we can push them into a different direction if needed.

I had two employees hired at the same time. They had the same back ground, but one ended up being promoted much faster than the other one and over time became a strong leader herself. Now some would say I failed the second one, but I am here to tell you that each had different levels of training designed just for them and specific to how they learned. The second one actually moved up the ladder herself…it just took a bit longer for her to understand the needs and wants of the business.

The truth of the matter is it takes an individual’s conviction to want to succeed. There is nothing you can do to make one person want something more than another. Sure, you can use a transactual philosophy, “I will give you this if you accomplish that.” Or you can watch and learn. A trial by error philosophy that helps you reach a more defined transformational approach. This approach helps the employee feel empowered to answer their own questions and take initiative in doing job tasks. The reward deeply depends on a sense of pride in job position and the motivation of accomplishing something for the team.

The next time you have an employee that is struggling at the most mundane of tasks, ask him or her why? Don’t tell them they are wrong or what they did wrong or reprimand them for not finishing on time. Talk to them and find out what the problem is. You may be surprised to hear that they just didn’t know how to do something and were afraid to ask for help in fear of disappointing you. That’s when you can say you failed. You weren’t adaptable to their needs. You didn’t listen to what they needed in order to accomplish the task at hand. 

Many managers would say, “I told them how to do it” or “I gave them the SOP binder to figure it out.” That just doesn’t work. You have to find a way to get them to understand what is needed on their own. It sounds silly, but if you are truly listening to them with an open mind, you will be able to approach their learning mindset in a way to make them find the answer themselves. Your leadership style has everything to do with the success of your employees and your business. It is up to you to develop an environment where your employees are part of the big picture. It is up to you to design an environment where an employee knows that what they are doing makes a difference. They need to understand that although you are the boss, they are the reason you still are the boss. They lift you up. Make it an environment where, as a team, your business is successful. Believe me, they will want to learn as much as possible to support you.