Challenge: Develop Employees and Provide Proper Feedback
After successfully helping Basnett Plumbing create a Strategic Business Plan, CC Consulting was asked to continue their work to help solve another pressing issue. As happens with many small businesses, processes and procedures were created when necessary causing the company to be reactive rather than proactive. Workers were frustrated with changing demands and the lack of clear individual direction. They didn't see how their contributions could lead to greater growth in their careers and greater growth for the company. Performance reviews were informal, if they happened at all, and as a result, employee performance was not where it needed to be to help the company achieve its goals.
Changing business demands required employees to develop new skills to help grow the business. Company owners recognized they could significantly increase their revenue if they could figure out how to capture new business effectively, but employees, trained as technicians didn't have the tools they needed to create sales opportunities while at customer sites.
Basnett knew they had to address the performance and skills of their employees if they were to succeed. Business growth required increased hiring; new business models required increased training.
Solution
The first task was to clarify the job of the technician as it was now defined. So employees would be clear on what they were being evaluated on and what was now required, we developed new performance evaluations to align with new skill requirements.
Knowing that a major requirement was follow on sales, we worked with Basnett to add sales skills into the employee training along with the technical tool kit they already delivered.
Result
The strategic planning work we had completed with Basnett had opened the lines of communication regarding the companies overall goals. The performance review form and process opened the lines of communication between the manager and employee. As a result, employees understood areas for development. Employees and managers now provide two-way feedback in the employee development process. As a result, performance reviews are less contentious.