If you’re an employer or an organizational decision maker, this article will interest you. It’s about how a talented employee’s development of on-the-job proficiency can be stifled by frequent redeployments – unless conscious efforts are made to prevent that problem from occurring.

This is a true story about an experience I had early in my career as a young manager in Guinness Nigeria Plc, Benin Brewery.

Completing My Induction Program

I was redeployed from the Lagos brewery in November 1995, (after an 18 month induction programme for me and 11 other Graduate Management Trainees ended) to the Production department in Guinness Benin and resumed work as a fresh faced green horned Shift Brewer.

During the 18 month induction period, those of us in the technical function were made to spend time learning the operations in the production, bottling, laboratory and other key departments in the function.

That experience – at least in theory – was expected to equip us to quickly settle into key roles in any department within the technical function.

Putting What I Learnt To Use

The above probably explains why few weeks after arriving at my new base, I found myself being given high profile assignments and sent on frequent cross-departmental assignments within Benin brewery.

And it was all very exciting for me, since it made the routine and repetitive tasks more bearable.

My most significant period of personal growth was therefore the time during which I had to quickly adapt to – and positively affect – different processes, work cultures and people without causing any disruption to normal running of such places.

In November 1995, I started off by spending 2 weeks in the brewery manager’s office carrying out technical projects.
Afterwards, I began the back and forth movements between packaging and production departments until March 1997 when I returned fully to my department to work as a Stout brewer.

At first I found shift duty to be excessively physically and mentally challenging, what with the numerous process problems presenting themselves – sometimes simultaneously – to the duty brewer.

Between 1995 and 1997, I continually struggled to develop myself to handle each process area I was deployed to.

At one time I worked as a brewer in the lager brewery converted for Malta production.

Then just as I was beginning to get used to managing that process, I was called in to temporarily fill the vacancy for a packaging shift manager following promotion of the incumbent. I was chosen, they explained, because they needed someone who could be brought in at short notice and and be able to fit in quickly.

My 1997 Performance Appraisal Does Not Go Too Well

Although the above mentioned movements allowed me to gain varied experiences, their frequency significantly reduced the depth of knowledge and experience I was able to develop.

This happened because I was never actually settled down long enough in one area to dig deep and become fully rounded.

This deficiency was pointed out to me during my 1997 appraisal session, by my boss, Greg. He told me he’d observed that I was not effective in managing situations, and the workforce under me, on my shift.

I did some honest soul searching and realized that I had unconsciously made a wrong assumption: that the additional work I did (most times along with my shift duties) in developing automated spreadsheet applications, and some ad-hoc project reports for my different departmental heads, would excuse my ineptitude at handling process-related problems on my shift.

So I went on to align my priorities with set, job related objectives so as to use my time and resources effectively.
Among other things, I began consciously working to overcome weaknesses in my performance identified during my appraisal.

Final Words

A measure of how well I succeeded in doing the above was apparent from the higher responsibilities and career advancement opportunities that later came my way.

Luckily for me, Greg’s ability to uncover the missing elements in my on-the-job competence, and his timely communication of same, alerted me to the need to take corrective action before the problem got too bad.

Decision makers in any organisation will find it useful to keep the above in mind.

It would help greatly, if they get their employees to watch out for such problems, and tackle them as quickly as possible.

Imagine you get a letter from your boss notifying you of management’s decision to temporarily redeploy you to a position that’s about 2 steps below your current management grade? If you’re like most people, you’ll most probably interprete such a career move as a demotion. This article presents a different perspective that you can adopt to achieve noteworthy career success.

Beware: Career Advancement Opportunies Can Come Your Way Disguised As Setbacks

Many people tend to measure progress only in terms of increases, positives, forward motion, upward movement and so on.

There is however a saying that sometimes one has to go backwards in order to move forward.

With regard to the seeming demotion highlighted above therefore, things may not always be what they seem.

Especially in companies that understand how to develop employees’ talents by deliberately exposing them to competence building on-the-job experiences.

Your company could plan such a temporary move for you into a lower position, if it believes gaining hands-on experience there will help you acquire knowledge, skills, information and insights that would make you more productive at a higher decision making level.

Certain Jobs Require Indepth Understanding of The Processes involved In Other Jobs

One example: To effectively manage the packaging department in a manufacuring company, a Factory Manager will often need to be familar with the procedures and processes carried out in, say the “Product Storage and Distribution” section for instance. Without this, her planning and decision making could end up being faulty, with costly consequences.

Let’s say you’re already on a grade senior to the Distribution Manager’s but below the Factory Manager’s.

If management has plans to make you the next Factory
Manager, and they feel you do not know enough about the Distribution section, that could make them decide to send you there as acting Distribution Manager, so you can gain needed hands on experience.

The company management may however not let you know their reasons or plans. And that would be normal.

What You Need To Do

Like I’ve said in past articles, except you’re convinced that the decision makers are not sincere, you are better off always giving your best performance at work, regardless of how you feel about a particular deployment or appointment.

Most times the interests of the organisation will be put first, and that could require your seeming “demotion” to get you to be more competent to take on bigger roles or higher responsibilities.

All you need do is maintain a positive mindset, and do any job you’re given as best as you can. Note that each time you successfully complete an assignment, it will mean you’ve become more competent than you were before.

In the long run, you’re likely to reap useful rewards in form of valuable career advancement opportunities that are likely to come your way.

What I’m about to say here applies to any person in paid employment. If you can learn to study and understand what needs to happen to make your boss look good at her job, she’ll do everything in her power to reward and also make you look good in return. Your position in the company or organisation you work for does not matter. Except you’re the top gun or CEO, the simple principles I describe in this article can help you achieve your ultimate career advancement goal in record time.

Why Am I So Sure?

My conviction derives both from personal experience gained in my past life as a high performing corporate employee, as well as my careful observation of successful executives within and outside the workplace.

Under normal conditions, in an organisation that emphasize merit and fairness, employees who get ahead in the workplace are often those recognised by decision makers as being capable of delivering the best benefits to the company.

As an employee I routinely and repeatedly applied the principles I describe in this piece with tremendous success.

Not only did I get rapidly recognised by those at the top of the management hierarchy, but I did it so well that at a point my immediate boss had difficulty holding on to me, because his colleagues relentlessly demanded access to me.

If you’ve read my writing a while, I’m sure you know nothing I do in this regard is an ego trip. I’ve had former colleagues and subordinates ask me for advice on how to replicate the successes I achieved while I was with them.

One of my former direct reports even travelled down to attend a paid coaching session with me.

He said:

“I want to be considered among the top three performers in my function. What do I need to do?”

And I told him what I now outline below in this article.

When next I heard from him, he wrote a long email telling me wonderful progress his diligence in applying what I taught him had brought.

Below are excerpts from that email:

—————————-

From: “oseyi emmanul”

To: “Tayo Solagbade”

Subject: update

Great Mentor,

You are really a great mentor. your principles are real and they work. Since the beginning of this year alot of things have happened.

Top among them is the writing of assessment tests for our new line–Line 7. Out of 256 candidates, 75 were selected and out of the 75, 8 technicians were selected to go abroad for training of which I was among. We’ve been to Germany, stayed for 3weeks and now we are back.

Each step I’ve taken ever since you left has been with at least one word from you. It is as if you knew before time the steps and so you left at least a word for each.

For the present step, I remember very well what you said–the reward for hard work is more work. This you said just before you went to act as the production manager…What has happened so far, was firmly placed in me the last time I visited you…text deleted

But I believe you know it has not been easy. The road has been rough and in the roughness is our fineness made. In the toughness is our strength revealed. I remember one of your words-the man who is weak in trials is weak indeed and the man who is strong, who perseveres during tough times is actually strong.

These are what is keeping me going. You sent me a web address for prof. exams. That is still intact and will come up in due course. Expectin(g) to hear from you soon.

…..text deleted….

Best wishes, Emma

Here’s What I Told Him – Which I Now Tell YOU

1. Find out – tactfully – the 5 top performance objectives or targets that your boss has her eyes set on achieving.

It’s easy to do.

Just pay careful attention to what she says her own superiors often demand from her. What output or performance data do they frequently request.

Then note how she reacts to the reports you and the rest of the team turn out with respect to those key performance indicators (KPIs)?

2. Once you’ve gotten a firm idea of what she considers most important for her to look good on her job, go out of your way to learn EVERYTHING there is to know about all those KPIs.

Don’t spare yourself here.

Make up your mind to become the number one authority on those parameters in your boss’ team, and if possible the company as a whole.

You’ll know you’ve succeeded when she, and other decision makers, and of course your colleagues, begin asking for your input or advice/opinion when issues relating to the KPIs arise.

3. Go even further to actively explore practical ways to develop and implement useful improvements (possibly in terms of expenses or time saved) to the performance of the processes or operations measured by the KPI.

Let me warn against a mistake many tend to make when this opportunity appears.

Don’t see it as extra work that you need to be paid for.

Focus on the big picture here.

If you influence the introduction of a better way of doing things that result in more money being made, or less being spent, there will be increased profits accruing to the business.

And if, as I noted at the start of this piece, your company is one that deals fairly with her employees, there will come a time when bonuses or some other forms of reward will be passed on to employees.

If you do this right, your boss will often be given credit as the head of your team, for the benefits the company derives from use of your ideas.

Don’t fret though.

Your efforts will not go unnoticed, but it could take a little while, as long as you keep doing more, for your boss and other decision makers to directly reward you.

4. Don’t. I repeat DO NOT play politics, do flattery or be a psycophant in relating with your boss.

If you want this strategy to work for you, integrity and sincerity must show through in your interactions with her and everyone else.

Make a point of asking her for updates on those top 5 measures.

Be alert to her responses, so you can seize any useful opportunities to propose any new ideas you may have. You’ll find that with time she’ll readily initiate conversations with you on that subject based on the interest you’ve shown.

Believe me when I say that will be a good sign that she values your contributions. You must not fail to build on that success to gain her full confidence!

If you do it right, don’t be surprised if when she has to go away for a few days she recommends that management bring you in to hold brief for her until she returns. That’s how it happens!

5. Your job must not suffer any neglect: At the risk of stating the obvious, you must never be found wanting on your job.

Indeed, successful use of this principle is based on the premise that you will devote relevant attention to exceeding performance expectations at your primary duties.

People must see that you have absolute mastery of your responsibilities, so that when you then volunteer your ideas to them, they will have no cause to raise eyebrows at your gesture!

6. Lastly, it’s important to realize that your job title or position in the company should not stop you from proposing an idea you believe can help the company.

Anyone can come up with a solution that works.

Smart companies realize that, and that’s why they encourage and reward any of their employees for coming up with great ideas that lead to improvements.

Final Words

The above is a summary of what I told the young man who sent me the above testimonial.

Keep in mind that just like me, the rewards did not come to him overnight.

But if you diligently and intelligently persist, like he did, you’ll gradually make a name for yourself. And eventually those who matter – starting with your delighted boss – will begin to reckon with you and reward you accordingly.

Need Help?

If you’d like me to talk with you and help you develop an action plan for getting ahead in your workplace signup for my experience based coaching/consultation.

One of the best ways to boost a company’s productivity is to get high flyers in the team to help others maximize their potentials at work. Few decision makers realize this however. And that’s why their company’s best hands are rarely encouraged to show others how to do what they do.

Let Those Who Know Teach Those Who Don’t

In one of Robert Kiyosaki’s books, he proposed the idea of a community of learners for our educational systems. In it, the brilliant students in a class would be required to help their struggling peers develop required proficiency in school work. Without this, the entire class would not be able to progress to the next level.

This approach makes the need to outdo one another unattractive. Instead, the bright students are forced to look out for those they know to be weak in specific areas, and proactively help them improve e.g via one-on-one coaching.

The collaborative and cooperative spirit they consequently develop contrasts with the negatively competitive mind set many kids develop in the traditional schooling system.

The same philosophy applies to employees in an organisation.

In reality, a company that fails to use its talented people to improve other employees does itself a disservice. If you let your high flyers go around feeling superior to others in the company, you’ll create a very bad working atmosphere. There will be a lot of resentment and even bitterness. And your company will be the loser.

Great companies often find ways to use their best people to encourage (and assist) other “average” employees deliver better workplace output. That way, the entire team progresses, and those who get helped feel valued, and become more committed to the company.

Choose Your Best People To Coach Others – Or Your Plans Will Fail

In line with the above, I suggest training your best people to function as workplace coaches. Then setup a coaching program through which they will actively “support and influence” other employees to excel on a daily basis.

The people you choose to act as workplace coaches must have proved themselves to be top performers. They must have paid their dues, and should personify that which other employees aspire to become: a person(s) highly valued – and rewarded – by the company for her contributions.

If the individuals you choose are not seen by those you wish to influence as a GOOD example of what they desire to be, then they’re unlikely to respond to any kind of coaching!

Why do the big companies like Nike, Adidas, Pepsi, Coca Cola etc pay huge amounts to famous personalities in various spheres of life to endorse their products? I’m sure you know the answer already!

Many people desire to be famous, but few ever become so. Many will usually choose one famous person already doing what they want to do, as a role model. So, by gettting famous personalities/role models in society to endorse their products, big companies secure wider acceptability for their products and services. Simple isn’t it?

Therefore, to get the best results from a coaching program in your company, choose employees widely recognized for delivering above average performances. Those are the ones other average employes (who you need to step up their game) will reckon with!

In preparing your chosen high flyers to function as workplace coaches, let them understand what you’re trying to achieve. Make them realize the need to subtly “influence” others, and not be too obvious.

If I had to speak with your selected coaching champions, I would say this to them:

A person need not know what you’re trying to do. What IS important is that you get her to acquire the desired knowledge, attitude or skill to become a better person. Also, avoid making the person feel threathened by ensuring you do not use yourself as a direct example or reference point too often.

Whether or not a person accepts that she has learnt from you is immaterial. So long as your actions and utterances have led to a noticeable and beneficial change in her, in line with your objective(s), you have succesfully coached or influenced her!

And then I would also share the following quote with them to drive home my point:

“Treat people as if they were what they ought to be, and you help them become what they’re capable of being” – Johann Von Goethe

Final Words: Setup a Spontaneous Coaching Program in Your Company

What I’ve shared above is a basic overview of the process involved in implementing what I call “Spontaneous Coaching for Self-Development (SCfSD). It’s a technique I’ve used successfully in and out of paid employment. Click here to read testimonials.

Like I’ve said in past articles, to get the best from her employees, a company should not waste time trying to develop them. Instead, she only needs to create an environment that makes them want to improve. That’s what SCfSD can help you achieve.

Simply find the best people in your company and teach them to use it to help their co-workers (and even bosses!) to deliver better performances to the benefit of the company.

Next steps:

1. If you’re a high flying employee looking to excel further by helping others improve, click here to signup for my Spontaneous Coaching service.

2. If you want me to help your company setup a self sustaining Spontaneous Coaching program, click here to send me a message with details of your specific needs and interests.

Every organization, regardless of its size will periodically experience conflict between and amongst the team members. The success or otherwise of that entity will depend greatly on how effectively it is able to handle such conflicts when they arise.
This article describes a time tested strategy successfully used by decision makers in a large corporate multinational, to ensure timely resolution of conflicts.

People Differ & May Therefore Not Always Agree

Most organizations assign employees to different departments or sections based on their experience level, skills set, qualifications and sometimes their development needs.

This implies that any point in time you may have people from very different backgrounds, and vocational dispositions having to work together.

Since human beings have different personalities, it is not unexpected that disagreements in the course of doing their jobs may arise. When they do, not everyone involved or affected will be prepared to be see things from the other person’s perspective.

As a result, over time issues raised may not get resolved.

One Example

Two line managers on the same management grade who disagree on how the factory operatives should be assigned duties could as a result grow to resent one another.

If not addressed, this interpersonal conflict could spill over and negatively affect the progress of the department as a whole.

For instance, one manager could work morning shift and passes instructions for an important process to be carried out according to his preferred method. If it happens that his counterpart takes over the next shift, he (or she) could choose to change those instructions to suit his (or her) preferred approach.

Depending on how sensitive the concerned operatrion is, time delays or errors in processing could occur as a result of the conflicting instructions passed to the men on the shop floor. And the department could consequently record a shortfall in output of finished product for the day, week or month.

It could even be worse.

For instance, if the line managers fail to manage their disagreements properly, the operatives working with them could detect they are not on the best of terms.

Mischievious ones amongst them could tactfully exploit the situation to their advantage e.g. by playing up negative aspects of the actions of one manager to the other one, with the intention of reaping favours from either or both sides! (I’ve seen this happen).

It is possible that at some point the other members of the team could begin taking sides with their bickering colleagues or superiors.

Suddenly, in one department, you would have two camps. And instead of working together to achieve their mutual objective as defined by top management, they could spend their time competing unnecessarily.

Top Management Needs To Be Alert To The Signs

Ironically, it can be quite difficult for people at the top to detect that this problem exists in a department or section in their company. Quite often, the conflicting reports and erratic performances (of what may have previously been a top performing unit) gets interpreted to be an individual’s laziness or lack of seriousness.

Experienced managers, patient and painstaking enough to carefully investigate the situation can however discover the root cause.

And when they do, if they are familiar with it, they will readily adopt the use of a “Work Out Session” to resolve the problem.

What a Work out Session Entails

Simply put, this is a meeting of ALL the members of a department, section, unit, plant or function, regardless of position, experience or age. Everyone of them is compelled to attend this meeting during which time all attendees will be free to voice whatever issues they have.

The convener of the meeting – often a superior who identified the root cause – or the department head who has been advised of the possible cause – will table the poor performance of the unit.

Her message will be that all attendees state what they believe to be the cause of the problem(s). All contributions will be listed on a white board or flip chart sheet. Then she will ask the group to proffer solutions to EACH one of the listed problems or issues, until the last is so treated.

Members who have differing opinions will be asked to voice them else it would be assumed they agree that the solutions proposed are workable. And by implication, they would be prepared to cooperate with other members of the team, as necessary, to implement them.

Final Words: Reaching Agreements & Taking Actions Based on Them

By the end of the meeting, any warring parties would have been made to discuss and resolve their differences.

A minutes taker would document detailed proceedings in writing, and print/circulate copies to every attendee. Special effort would be made to indicate specific actions agreed, and the individuals responsible for making them happen.

This document would be used by the meeting convener or the department head to follow up implementation of all the outstanding tasks relating to the action plan agreed.

Very rarely does this strategy fail to work, if all concerned are diligent and commited.

That’s why any company that uses it regularly is very likely to enjoy prolonged periods of zero (or minimal) conflict in its workplaces.