Article on Leadership Skills:
The article below (and any other article specified on this website) is available for use in your organization’s newsletter or for printed training materials. All we ask is that you include the following acknowledgment with each article you use from this site: Mature WorkersBest...or Worst?Mature workers can be some of our finest: they are often the most knowledgeable, experienced workers we have. They often have a strong work ethic and a high level of commitment. They may have been in several positions or departments in the organization, so they have breadth of perspective. But perhaps you have also seen the opposite with some older workers. Do you have an older worker who has become disengaged in his or her job? This person may have been with the organization for so long that everything seems automatic, and the future is taken for granted. They may appear to be biding time until they can retire (or win the lottery!), offering you just enough performance to keep their jobs. It would not, generally, be good for employee morale if you took a heavy-handed approach and fired someone like that. They have usually given good service to the organization in the past and are often well-liked. We know they are capable of so much more. Re-engaging a Mature Worker You may have one or more of these people working for you. Wouldn’t it be great to have someone with that much potential fully engaged on your team? Rather than assuming you simply have to accept their current level of performance or otherwise ignore them, take it on as a personal challenge that you will find a way to re-energize this individual. Plan to take at least three months to positively focus on improving their performance. What you want to do is increase their level of pride and commitment, and that takes a subtle approach. Try the following ideas. 1. Consider why they may be performing marginally. Maybe they have been passed over for a promotion in the past, for good reason or not. You can’t do anything to correct that situation, but it may help if you have more understanding of what has brought them to their current level of performance. You may be much younger than they are, and there could be some resentment or envy on their part of you as their manager. They’ve seen many others come and go, and they are not impressed with you or anyone else, for that matter. If lack of promotion is not the problem, perhaps it’s lack of recognition or acknowledgement in the past from some of their bosses. You can do something about that, and you should. Keep reading… 2. Make sure they know how much you value their role modeling of certain tasks and behaviors. Specifically look for things they do well, and begin to notice and compliment them on those items. Thank them as often as you can without making them suspicious. 3. Make a special effort to get to know them better. Find out more about their interests. Ask them to share stories of “how it used to be” in the organization. Laugh with them about changes they have seen. Fully engage your sense of humor with them. 4. Ask them for their opinion on a decision you are trying to make. Let them serve as your “special advisor” on certain things they may be good at. If you can’t use their idea, explain why and but thank them for listening to you and helping you talk it out—you know they’d help you think of the different angles. They will begin to beam with pride. 5. Delegate some kind of responsibility to them—something they like and can really take pride in. Monitor how they are doing, and thank them profusely for following through. 6. Ask them if they would like to participate in a special project, task force, or committee that is investigating some kind of policy change, process improvement, or other issue. Don’t make this a punishing assignment. Tell them you are especially looking for someone in that role from your department who has a broad perspective, and their years of experience will be an asset. 7. Encourage them to train or mentor new employees if they have even the slightest talent or interest in this. Often the mature employee and the new employee can both benefit from having this kind of interaction. Make sure you liberally thank and recognize your mature worker for passing along the wisdom. This should be perceived, in their mind and yours, as a privilege, not a chore. 8. If a special change is being implemented, give them a prominent role in the implementation. Even if they have been reluctant to embrace this change, and possibly especially when they have been reluctant, give them an important responsibility. Make sure they know that you picked them because you didn’t want “just anybody.” 9. If they have health or personal issues, show genuine concern. Let them know you want them to take care of themselves because it would be hard to operate without them. Make sure you recognize this worker in front of peers and to your boss for any little new spark of enthusiasm you observe based on your new approach to them. With a conscientious and persistent effort on your part, you will be successful in improving the performance and commitment of many of your disengaged workers. This success gives you a real feeling of satisfaction—and makes you look good to your boss. Return to List of Free Articles on Leadership Skills
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