How to Make Your Employees Higher, Faster, Stronger

It is inspiring to watch the world’s greatest athletes compete in the Olympic games. We have that pleasure again with the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi.

We will see new Olympic Records broken as the world’s greatest athletes achieve perfection while going higher, faster, stronger than any competitor has previously.

We will see performances that are personal improvements for each athlete over what they have achieved in recent years.

Certainly, the athletes are to be admired and congratulated on their accomplishments BUT they didn’t get to the top alone.

There are the Unsung Heroes – the Coaches

Would the athletes achieve as much as they have working alone? Probably not. It is hard to see ourselves and what we are doing wrong and how we can improve. It is hard to improve without knowing how to do that. The mentor coach who has gone before and learned all the skills and moved past all the problems and mistakes is the guiding force for improvement in the budding world class athlete.

The coach may guide the athlete using several methods:

1. Demonstrate the technique or skill either personally or with videos or other athletes

2. Give the athlete feedback on what he is doing right and how he needs to improve to be better

3. A regime of training and weights, etc. to improve the athlete’s ability to perform

4. Motivate, encourage, and challenge the athlete to achieve more. The result is almost always higher, faster, stronger.

The Manager as Coach

If you want your employees to be more motivated and perform at their optimum then you need to take a page out of the athlete coach’s book.

1. Demonstrate the Technique or Skill

a. Mentor your “rising star” employees or provide a mentor for them. Lead them or show them how to accomplish tasks to develop their skills and abilities.

b. Ensure all employees have the necessary training to do their jobs well.

2. Feedback

Provide frequent meaningful feedback to each employee on his progress in meeting his annual performance standards. Tell him what he is doing well and in what areas he needs improvement. Give him training, if needed, to remove deficiencies in his performance.

3. A Regime of Training

Provide continued education and training either formally or with job enrichment, cross training, temporary assignments, etc. to improve your employee’s ability to learn and add value to the company.

4. Motivate, Encourage, and Challenge

Be your employee’s cheerleader. Motivate each employee by recognizing their achievements and encouraging them to do more. Give each employee tasks that push them to achieve more challenging work.

Higher, Faster, Stronger

If you, the manager, take your coaching duties seriously then you will have employees who are “higher, faster, stronger”

You can utilize the following tactics to help your employees become higher, faster, and stronger:

Provide opportunities for training and development

This can assist your staff enhance their abilities and become more proficient in their roles.

Encourage a healthy lifestyle

Encourage your staff to eat well, exercise often, and relax well. This can assist them in feeling more energized and concentrated at work.

Fostering a positive work culture can assist motivate and inspire your staff to do their best.

Set clear objectives and expectations

Setting clear goals and expectations for your staff can assist them understand what is expected of them and how they can contribute to the company's success.

Recognize and reward your employees for their efforts

Recognizing and praising your employees for their efforts can assist drive them to continue operating at a high level.

Provide assistance and resources

Ensure that your staff get the assistance and resources they require to succeed in their roles. This can involve things like having the right equipment and having access to the right knowledge.

Overall, the objective is to foster a culture of growth and development, as well as to equip your staff with the tools and support they require to thrive.