Performance appraisal.

Employee evaluation.

No matter what you call it, the thought of managing employee performance reviews is often daunting to both managers and employees. Often considered the yearly “report cards,” performance reviews are viewed by many as a time-consuming and unpleasant experience.

Despite its negative implications, the employee performance review is in no way going out of style. It remains a vital element in any successful organization’s human resources priorities. With a solid review structure in place, this process doesn’t have to be such a nuisance. That’s why we’ve compiled this guide for employers to understand:

• Why performance reviews are important
• How to do performance reviews
• Tips for successful performance reviews

So stick with us to learn how to create a more positive and effective employee evaluation process, now updated for 2023! We’re covering:

• Why performance reviews are important
• How to do performance reviews
• 9 common performance review methods
• What NOT to do during reviews
• 9 bonus tips to make them successful

Click any of the above to jump to a certain section, or keep scrolling for the comprehensive guide!

Why are Performance Reviews Important?

Employees and managers can learn and grow from performance appraisals. They play an important role in:

Clarifying Individual Roles and Organizational Goals

Employee evaluations are an opportunity to check in with employees and ensure they understand the company’s big vision and goals and the impact they have on the organization. Reviews are also the perfect time to clarify an employee’s role and duties and answer any questions.

Confusion leads to frustration and decreased productivity. Regular evaluations are an important step in boosting productivity and performance and ensuring each employee owns their responsibilities.

Providing Regular Feedback

Your company strives to hire, develop, and keep the best employees. Those employees care about their reviews—which means you should too. 

In fact, Officevibe reports that 43% of highly engaged employees receive feedback at least once a week, compared to only 18% of employees with low engagement. These numbers show that regular, constructive feedback from supervisors makes a difference.

Use employee performance reviews to help employees clearly understand their strengths and areas of improvement and encourage them to take initiative and find satisfaction in their work.

Managers should also be documenting performance reviews, which can support not only employee development but also potential employment discrimination or wrongful termination lawsuits.

Career Development

A large part of performance reviews is assessing how the employee has performed against their goals and setting new objectives. Managers can then determine new opportunities for training and mentoring or areas in which the employee could use additional guidance. 

Additionally, the evaluation can provide insight into developing future succession plans for team members in specific roles. Or, if an employee is struggling, the appraisal will provide data and feedback necessary to develop a performance improvement plan (PIP) if appropriate.

Employee Rewards and Appreciation

A solid performance management system helps employers stay on top of employee rewards, such as time off, bonuses, and other forms of recognition. Team members who receive rewards will, of course, remain motivated to keep up the excellent work. And seeing their peers’ achievements will incentivize others to step up their game and reap the rewards!

How to Do Performance Reviews

Now that you understand why they’re so important, you may be wondering exactly how to do performance reviews.

Define Company Goals

Start by defining your company’s goals. These may include any or all of the following:

• Profit goals: Aim to increase profits by a specific percentage for a set time period.
• Service goals: Aim to improve customer satisfaction and retention.
• Social goals: Include philanthropic initiatives to constantly give back to the community through donations or volunteering.
• Growth goals: Focus on expanding the company by hiring new employees, opening new locations, etc.

Understanding your corporate goals will help you hire the right people for the right roles, and then effectively develop those employees to reach those goals. 

Determine Performance Review Frequency

You will also need to set the performance review frequency. A few questions to ask to determine what schedule will work best for your organization are:

• How often will compensation be discussed?
• How long does it take managers to fill out evaluations?
• What tools would make it easier/quicker for managers to complete reviews?
• How long does it take employees to demonstrate growth/change?

That said, your company could choose to conduct employee performance reviews:

Weekly or Biweekly

You might opt for brief evaluations every week or every other week, especially for employees who:

• Have weekly KPIs or goals to hit
• Perform best with specific, short-term goals
• Are working on projects with tight deadlines or lots of moving parts

These frequent check-ins don’t have to dive deep into every aspect of the employee’s performance. They’re more of an effective way to document progress and provide regular opportunities for managers and team members to check in with one another.

Monthly

Monthly performance reviews are ideal for:

• Contract workers or freelancers
• New hires undergoing the onboarding process
• Significant long-term projects with specific milestones

Plus, many employees prefer monthly appraisals over annual reviews so they can gain more specific insights and guidance on their performance, what they are doing well, and areas they need to improve.

Quarterly

Like many companies, you probably set quarterly goals and budgets. As such, you might align employee evaluations and goals with the overall quarterly business goals. Three months is often an ideal time for employees to achieve their goals and make notable progress in certain skills or other areas.

Annually

Annual performance reviews are becoming a thing of the past as employers focus on company culture and employee development. If you do opt for annual reviews, don’t rely on them alone—no employee should go an entire year without specific feedback. Plus, a single yearly appraisal can lead to information overload, vague direction, and an unfair view of an employee’s work that only looks at past performance.

For employers who hold quarterly or annual appraisals, we recommend that managers have regular check-ins (think weekly or monthly) with their team members. Supervisors can then use those weekly, biweekly, or monthly evaluations in the quarterly or annual reviews for a comprehensive look at the employee’s progress and performance. 

In a TriNet survey of Millennial workforce members, 85% said they’d feel more confident if they could have frequent conversations with their managers. So keep the lines of communication open and provide employees with consistent feedback and guidance.

Train and Prepare Managers

One of the most common pitfalls when it comes to employee appraisals is ill-equipped managers. Ensure managers in your organization are trained on how to deliver effective reviews. This means educating them on best practices, such as what to document, what to say, and how to communicate it. It’s important to revisit training in this area and reinforce these practices on a regular basis.

Another area where managers often fall short is preparing and planning for employee performance reviews. In companies with a weak or nonexistent performance review system and training, managers often perceive reviews as a necessary inconvenience. Many simply spring reviews on employees with little to no advanced notice, then rush through the form to comply with HR requirements. 

This means they don’t take the time to provide meaningful feedback to their employees and evaluate their progress. These managers also may not track performance, acknowledge accomplishments, or address poor performance throughout the year. Without this vital information, they cannot be prepared to give accurate and effective employee performance reviews.

Put a Performance Review Process in Place

Many of the problems noted above can be resolved with a strong performance management process. When you have an accurate way to measure employee performance, a clear process, and methods that make it easy for both parties, everyone will be more willing and motivated to do things properly.

A solid employee performance review process includes:

• Continuous and timely feedback throughout the review period to ensure employees understand how they are doing and their expectations.
• Consistent communication that includes performance feedback measured against clear and specific goals and expectations established at the start of the performance management period.
• A process for acknowledging the results of the performance review process that is documented between the manager and the employee.
• A one-on-one conversation between the manager and the employee (ideally face-to-face) at least once a year.

9 Common Employee Performance Review Methods

There are several types of review systems that can be used either individually or in combination with one another. Whatever method(s) your business decides to use, both managers and employees should be given a clear definition of each level of performance. 

Below are the five most common review styles.

Self-evaluation

This method requires an employee to judge their own performance against predetermined criteria. 

Pros: The self-evaluation is typically considered by the manager during the official review to encourage a more thorough discussion. Differences in the employee and manager’s evaluations can be insightful.

Cons: This style may be too subjective to accurately reflect work performance since many employees often rank themselves too high or too low.

Behavioral Checklist

This one is pretty straightforward: It’s a checklist of behaviors an employer expects of an employee to succeed. In this case, an employer responds to a list of yes or no questions. The checklist may be weighted, meaning each question may carry a predetermined value.

Pros: Behaviors differ based on job type, so this technique is easy to adjust for each position. When done correctly, it produces clear results and allows easy comparison between all employees

Cons: This one can get a little tricky since the questions must be worded and weighted carefully to avoid confusing results. Plus, the checklist doesn’t include explanations or detailed answers—so you’ll want to include comments with more specific feedback.

360-degree Feedback

The 360-degree feedback review involves pulling feedback from the employee’s subordinates/direct reports, manager, non-direct supervisors, peers, and potentially even customers. The manager then completes an assessment of the employee’s work performance and technical skillset, while taking the outside sources into consideration.

Pros: As the name implies, this style provides a well-rounded look at an employee’s performance. It can even include an evaluation of the employee’s character and leadership skills. The broad feedback also helps cancel the influence of bias or outlying data points.

Cons: This method can be a bit more time-consuming since it requires obtaining the employee’s complete profile and feedback from multiple sources; however, the benefits of this comprehensive assessment are well worth the effort.

Management by Objectives (MBO)

The management by objectives (MBO) appraisal method, simply put, involves both the manager and employee setting and meeting goals. The employee either hits those goals by the set deadline(s), or they don’t.

Pros: Since the employee is included in the goal-setting process, there is an agreement that the goals are obtainable. It is also easy to define success and failure with this method.

Cons: The MBO style disregards non-goal-related success metrics, so some other important factors may not be taken into consideration come review time.

Project-based Appraisal

This type of employee performance review is used to evaluate an employee’s performance after completing every project. Questions and discussion points will focus on the individual’s most recent work.

Pros: Project-based appraisals are efficient and results-oriented. They provide team members with specific feedback and action items that they can improve upon/prepare for ahead of the next project. Many employees might like this short feedback cycle.

Cons: Since managers would need to conduct a project-based evaluation after every project, this could be somewhat time-consuming. But with a solid system in place, they can run very smoothly. 

Competency Assessment

Competency assessments compare an employee’s current skills to their target level. This helps managers identify strengths and areas where the employee needs improvement. This type of evaluation can be conducted via observation, interviews, or forms. 

Pros: Competency assessments help organizations:

• Get a high-level view of the skill gaps in their workforce and use that data to set bigger business goals and strategies. 
• Develop specific training and mentoring programs to help employees learn and grow. 
• Identify gaps and recruit new talent with the skills to fill them.

Cons: You must choose the right competencies for each role in your business to conduct a fair competency assessment. You’ll also need a system to ensure accurate scaling, privacy, and capability analytics. And to see actual results, you’ll need to put action plans in place for each employee.

Rating Scale

Also known as a grading system, this performance review method is probably the most commonly used. It’s based on a set of employer-developed criteria that can include behavior, traits, competencies, or completed projects. Employees are usually judged on a scale of 1 to 5 or 1 to 10.

Pros: This method is simple and provides easy functionality—as long as both managers and employees are on the same page about how the scale works (i.e., what each point on the scale means, or if the ratings categories focus on traits vs. behaviors).

Cons: If managers and employees have a different understanding of the scale, there could be unrealistic expectations and discrepancies. For example, some employees may consider a 3 out of 5 to be average, but you may consider it to be above satisfactory.

Depending on your organization and the types of employees you have, you may use one of these methods above or a combination of them.

For those who use any numerical method, one way to make things easier for everyone is to create a rubric for scoring. This helps by: 

• Holding everyone to the same standards.
• Enabling managers to score more accurately.
• Showing employees what they need to do to improve their score.
• Allowing the employee to feel good with a “meets expectations” score.

Behaviorally Anchored Rating Scales (BARS)

Similar to the traditional rating scale, a behaviorally anchored rating scale (BARS) also typically uses a scale of 1 to 5. The difference is that this method uses behavior statements to measure a staff member’s performance based on how they handle specific situations.

Pros: BARS is an effective way to clarify for both managers and employees the job expectations and what the employee needs to do to improve with a balance of qualitative and quantitative data. It is ideal for companies that:

• Have many employees in the same or similar roles
• Need to eliminate rating errors or bias in their current performance management process

Cons: This type of employee evaluation can be time-consuming, particularly for large companies. It requires time and effort from leaders to develop the scale for each role and conduct an appraisal for each team member.

Human Resource Accounting

Human resource accounting, also known as cost accounting, essentially evaluates the return on investment (ROI) of an employee. It measures the financial impact they offer against the cost of retaining them.

Pros: Human resource accounting is ideal for roles in which employee contributions and costs are measurable. For example, sales reps can be assessed by the revenue they generate, and upper management can be reviewed based on their profit and loss.

Cons: There will always be some gray area when it comes to the costs and benefits an employee brings to your business, for some positions more than others. This method can also lead to negativity, discouragement, and even jealousy among employees after learning their values.

What NOT to Do: Common Rating Errors

Because employee performance reviews are conducted by humans for humans, there is plenty of room for error. This is why it’s so important to have a clear, solid system in place along with a rubric. 

Below are five of the most common performance rating errors and how you can avoid them.

• Lack of Differentiation: Supervisors often lack the confidence to defend their ratings or be reluctant to pass judgment, so they rate everyone about the same. This can lead to leniency (everyone gets high ratings), severity (everyone gets low ratings), or a universal feeling that everyone is doing just fine (so everyone is rated in the middle). Poor training or the failure of an organization to clarify that performance reviews are a critical part of the managerial role are often to blame here.
• Recency Effect: With no review process and system in place, many managers do not continuously measure performance, provide feedback, or document results. When it comes time to review, they are unable to remember the earlier part of the performance period and weigh the most recent events too heavily.
• Halo/Horns Effect: These occur when an employee either performs very highly or very poorly in an area, respectively, and the manager rates the employee correspondingly high or low in all areas.
• Personal Bias/Favoritism: It’s no secret that some managers are influenced by their impressions of or personal feelings about employees, thus affecting their employee evaluations.
• Inaccurate Information/Preparation: Managers sometimes fail to take the time to discuss an employee’s performance with those who work closely with the employee, leading to an inaccurate assessment.

Remember that the employee assessment should be a thoughtful process. Don’t rush through it—instead, sit down and discuss the employee’s performance and how they have helped the company. Consider how you can reengage them in the company for the next year (or your chosen review period). 

It’s About What You Say…

Documenting the performance with context, details, and examples will help the employee understand where they stand and the reasoning behind your review.

Positive Review Example

You give your employee, Joe, a score of 4 out of 5 for Customer Service, meaning he is exceeding company expectations. 

Instead of writing: Joe has been exceeding expectations. He is a great customer service representative.

Try: Joe has exceeded company expectations this year for customer satisfaction. He has the highest ratings from customer surveys, scoring a satisfaction rate of 96%. Several customers have written to the company to provide accolades for his support and service. Additionally, as his manager, I have received calls from customers telling me what a pleasure it has been working with Joe, and how he takes his time to make sure the customer has what they need.

Negative Review Example

Positive reviews are easy to give…but unfortunately, it’s not always great news. You should still provide detail and examples to help the employee understand where they stand and how they can improve.

You might score Kate a 2 out of 5 for Customer Service, meaning she’s not meeting company expectations.

Instead of writing: Kate needs to work on her customer service skills. She has had some issues which have caused the company concern and has had several customer issues arise.

Try: Kate has had several customer service complaints this past year (which are documented in her file). The concern is she is working too quickly to get the customer off the phone, so she is not listening to their needs, or assisting them with their questions in a respectful manner. She has also given several customers wrong information, and there was an incident 6 months ago where she hung up on an angry employee. We would like to see Kate work on her patience and provide great customer service. Her current satisfaction rating is 60%. We need to see this rise to a minimum of 80% in the next 3 months.

Even if you have significant critical feedback, be sure to provide some positive feedback in the review!

…And How You Say It

When managers give reviews, nothing should surprise the employees. This is why regular check-ins with employees are so important!

Don’t simply read what you wrote on the employee’s review. Discuss each topic at a high level unless a certain score was below or above average. Take this time as an opportunity to have a discussion and expand on your feedback in areas of note.

Ensure it’s a two-way conversation by asking questions and getting feedback from the employee on their position, the team, YOUR management, and the company. Some questions you may ask are:

• What do you expect to be the most challenging about your goals for this quarter?
• What support can the department provide for you that will help you reach these goals?
• What are your hopes for your achievements at our company this year?
• How can I be a better manager for you?
• How often would you like to receive feedback?
• What kind of schedule can we set up so that you don’t feel micromanaged, but I receive the feedback that I need as to your progress on your goals?
• What would be a helpful agenda for our weekly one-on-one meetings?

And perhaps most importantly, remember to listen, wait, and THEN respond!

Setting Employee Goals

With each review, managers and employees should collaborate to create new short- and long-term goals. These may include job description goals, project goals, behavioral goals, and stretch goals (especially challenging goals typically used to expand knowledge, skills, and abilities). 

Always make sure the goals set are both flexible and SMART:

• Specific, clear, and understandable
• Measurable, verifiable, and results-oriented
• Attainable, yet sufficiently challenging
• Relevant to the mission of the department or organization
• Time-bound with a schedule and specific milestones

Document the goals, make them available for review, and manage them on a continuous basis. 

Finally, schedule a follow-up after each performance appraisal (before the next official review) depending on the frequency.

Managing Raises and Reviews

Tying in raises with employee performance reviews has been a common practice for a long time. But the compensation aspect can quickly consume the review process, distracting from the real importance and intent of the review. Employees instead want to know simply whether or not they’re getting a raise.

Performance reviews are meant to help employees improve over time which, in turn, helps the company grow and fosters a healthy workplace culture. Traditionally, managers tell employees what they have been doing well and what they could do to level up their performance.

When you separate pay raises from employee evaluations, it puts the focus back on the review process. You can then ensure your employees are developing new skills and becoming better, more fulfilled workers. This is the key to building a stronger, more effective organization.

9 Bonus Tips for Conducting Successful Performance Reviews

Here are our pro tips to prepare both managers and employees for smooth and effective reviews every time: 

• Keep a “notepad” for each employee who reports to you. Use these to write down wins and areas of improvement.
• Send emails to celebrate successes and promote further behavior.
• Address any issues in person, then follow up with an email.
• Provide a blank review and the rubric upon hire or within the new employee’s orientation period. 
• Provide the review AHEAD of time (no more than a day, no less than an hour).
• Do not sugarcoat poor performance.
• Do not downplay high performance.
• Control the discussion if there are negatives the employee does not want to accept. 
• After completing the review, look at last year’s (if applicable).

By keeping things as clear, simple, and consistent as possible, you can create a better review experience for everyone in your company.

Employee Performance Review Consulting

If you take away one lesson from this guide, we hope it’s that employee evaluations are NOT busy work! They are an essential part of fostering employee growth and running a successful business.

We understand, however, that establishing or improving an appraisal process is not an easy or fast undertaking, which is why BlueLion is here to help. Whether you need to create a new employee performance review process for your budding business, or you need assistance reviewing your existing system, learn more about our outsourced HR services or contact us today at 603-818-4131 or info@bluelionllc.com.

Have you ever established communication expectations? Perhaps you have, but it’s been a while since you revisited them or shared them with your employees. Or maybe you haven’t yet, but your team is growing, and it’s time to streamline your processes. 

Wherever you’re at, follow these seven steps to put these important guidelines in place.

1. Evaluate Your Workplace Communication Needs

Before you begin developing or updating workplace communication guidelines, assess your current communication practices, channels, and tools. Gather your leadership team and start by asking: 

• Are you managing an in-person, hybrid, multi-location, or remote workforce?
• Where are there gaps? What are the pain points? 
• Who are the audiences/stakeholders?
• How do you measure the effectiveness of your communication? Is it effective? 
• Do you have a crisis communication plan?

It’s also a good time to ask your employees for their feedback on existing workplace communication techniques. You could do this in a few ways, such as one-on-ones with managers, department meetings, or employee surveys. 

Then, find the common themes (i.e., concerns, breakdowns, bottlenecks, etc.) and focus on strengthening those areas throughout the rest of this process. 

2. Set Internal Communication Goals

Once you’ve assessed your business’s strengths and weaknesses regarding internal communications, it’s time to establish a broad strategy. This should account for everything from everyday information and announcements to significant political and societal issues, which have been on the rise in recent years. Include guidelines for leaders to spread key messages and recognize employees who go above and beyond.

Additionally, include steps for communicating essential updates with the internal team before broadcasting them elsewhere—letting employees hear major announcements via social media, online, or the news can be a major morale killer. Instead, make team members feel valued by communicating all news, good and bad, with them before the public. This portion should also include guidelines for what employees can or can’t do with the information and how it affects them and the overall business.

Ensuring your employees are aligned with your goals will not only maintain a transparent, respectful corporate culture but also create a consistent, clear customer experience. However, not aligning your team could lead to miscommunication, poor customer experience, and potential backlash.

3. Create Style & Tone Guidelines

If you have brand guidelines, they could be a great starting point for establishing workplace communication expectations—in fact, the two should work hand in hand. While we’re specifically addressing internal communication here, consider how you want to communicate with your external stakeholders (e.g., customers and partners). Your tone and style should be consistent from the inside out, which comes back to your employees.

Of course, the tone of internal workplace communication may vary depending on the purpose and context. As LinkedIn notes, your official documents and reports may call for a formal and professional style, while you allow a more casual, friendly tone for social media and newsletters. 

4. Select Communication Methods & Channels

Include guidelines for both written and verbal workplace communication methods. Similar to tone and style, this depends on the purpose, goals, and audience of the message. Examples include:

• Posting official announcements, policies, or procedures (format) to the company intranet (channel), where these crucial resources can live permanently for employees to easily access. 
• Compiling important data and detailed information in a report (format) and sending it via email (channel) with an outline, context, and action steps
• Presenting (format) a new service or product via a virtual or in-person demo (channel) to educate your employees live and invite questions or feedback 

Outline tips for when and how to use specific workplace communication tools and apps. Consider what format and channel will make it easiest to digest and remember the message at hand. For example, in one study, 48% of workers said video is the most engaging form of communication—are there ways you can incorporate video more? 

You might also note when a meeting is necessary vs. when an update could simply be shared via your project management tool, chat, or email.

5. Make Communication Integrative & Inclusive

As you choose your organization’s primary communication tools and purposes for each, you should also determine when asynchronous vs. synchronous communication should be used.

Asynchronous communication refers to methods where participants don’t need to be present or engage in real-time interaction. Instead, messages or information are exchanged without the need for immediate response, thus allowing: 

• Employees to engage with messages or content when it’s convenient for them, regardless of the sender’s availability
• Individuals to focus on other tasks before responding thanks to fewer interruptions during the workday
• Easy collaboration across different time zones and geographical locations—making it ideal for remote and multi-location businesses
• Well-documented communication for later reference (since asynchronous communication typically involves messages that are saved)

Team members can send non-urgent messages via asynchronous channels like your project management platform (e.g., Asana), messaging apps (e.g., Teams or Slack), or email.

When you have time-sensitive information, you might leverage synchronous (i.e., real-time) methods like Zoom meetings, phone calls, or messaging apps, which can be used for both types of communication.

Taking a multi-channel approach to workplace communication ensures employees are included in relevant discussions and decisions, thus making them feel included and valued. In turn, this will boost employee engagement. Proactive, inclusive communication is particularly important with the shift to hybrid and virtual teams over the last few years. 

6. Set Employee Expectations

Next, it’s time to set employee workplace communication expectations. These should outline:

• Frequency for checking each communication channel
• Acceptable response times, 
• Updating their calendars and out-of-office (OOO) messages
• How much notice employees should give for rescheduling meetings

Define these expectations clearly—if you say respond in a timely manner, outline what that means for each channel.

For example, social media scheduling tool, Buffer, notes that employees are expected to respond to Slack messages by the end of their workday, Threads within two days if you’re tagged or a week if not, and within two days for all other methods.

Your guidelines should also set standards for CLEAR communication and good writing practices (e.g., proper grammar, spelling, punctuation, formatting, etc.). Remind people to provide sufficient background information and context and monitor their tone. This is harder to convey in written workplace communication, so rereading and proofreading our content is vital.

However, the same goes for verbal communication—we can get carried away with emotions, so when things get stressful or heated, it’s easy to let that seep into our speech. We need to think carefully about our tone and words before speaking. 

7. Consider Timing

We’re all inundated with messages and information daily. In fact, one study found that 80% of global workers experience information overload, while 76% felt that it contributes to increased workplace stress. This is why you’ll also want to provide guidelines on how and when employees should communicate.

Thoughtful, effective leadership also includes careful consideration about the timing and frequency of sending messages and sharing information. They set the standard for healthy workplace communication practices (e.g., setting boundaries and expectations about when messages should be sent and responses). Avoid creating a toxic workplace culture by calling, emailing, and texting employees at all hours—which puts pressure on employees to always be available. 

Ensure your workplace communication policies define what it means to respect one another’s time, such as contacting coworkers outside regular working hours and giving people sufficient time to respond. For example, if certain colleagues like to email in the evening, they might include a line in their signature noting there is no pressure to respond immediately. 

8. Share Workplace Communication Guidelines

Once you establish workplace communication guidelines and policies, it’s time to—you guessed it—communicate them with your team! A few places they should live include the employee handbook and company intranet. 

Additionally, you can share communication expectations by:

• Conducting workshops
• Sending it regularly in internal newsletters
• Incorporating it into the new hire orientation process

When you first share your workplace communication guidelines, you might accompany them with a video introduction (this works well when sharing via intranet or email). This video could outline the key elements, like style, tone, audience, and methods/formats, as discussed earlier. 

Finally, don’t hesitate to ask for feedback. Your employees may have valuable insights and ideas to continue improving communication practices. After all, different roles and departments may have different needs, challenges, or perspectives.

Prioritize Workplace Communication, Strengthen Your Team

In the ever-evolving landscape of business, effective communication is more than a tool—it’s the cornerstone of collaboration, innovation, and organizational harmony. By embracing the principles outlined here, you’re not just setting guidelines; you’re fostering a culture where all employees know they’ll be heard, ideas flourish, and connections thrive. 

So as you navigate the cadence of workplace communication, remember it largely comes down to how every message is shared, heard, and understood throughout your business!

Need tailored guidance as you develop employee communication guidelines and expectations? Our HR consultants love helping small business owners and leaders level up areas of their corporate culture like this! Contact BlueLion today at info@bluelionllc.com or 603-818-4131 to learn more. 

Although employers have many performance review methods and techniques to choose from, 360 reviews offer highly well-rounded insights by gathering feedback from various managers, colleagues, and even customers. Discover how it works and how 360-degree feedback can enhance your overall employee development, engagement, and retention.

What is 360-degree Feedback?

A 360-degree review, also known as a multi-rater feedback or multi-source assessment, is a comprehensive performance evaluation process that involves gathering feedback from various sources with insights into an employee’s performance. These sources typically include supervisors, peers, direct reports (if applicable), and sometimes even external stakeholders such as clients or customers. 

The term “360-degree” reflects the idea that feedback is collected from all around an individual, providing a more comprehensive view of their performance. It typically focuses on an employee’s soft skills and overall contributions to the company, allowing them to understand their strengths and weaknesses and how to improve.

360-degree Feedback Benefits

More Robust Insights

360-degree feedback gives employees well-rounded insights on their performance and skills from diverse perspectives—which often means more substantial and accurate feedback than if they were only evaluated by their direct manager (not all bosses excel at giving specific, constructive feedback, so a 360 review allows them to get better insights from other individuals).

Additionally, it provides valuable information and guidance if the employee wants to advance, take on more responsibilities, or move to a new position.

Hiring & Developmental Needs

360 reviews also reveal developmental needs for both the individual and the organization. They highlight areas where the employee needs to improve and specific ways leadership can support them with coaching and other resources. This enables you and the employee to set goals and a plan to achieve them.

Since the feedback comes from multiple people, it makes the case that the employee actually needs to work on it. It also shows what they must work on relative to specific stakeholders, whether managers, coworkers, or direct reports. 

For example, as their manager, you may not see everything the employee’s peers do. Perhaps you only see their high level of work, but their peers find the employee difficult to work with. The individual might need to improve their interpersonal skills to become a better communicator, listener, and team player.

As for the organization, 360-degree feedback identifies:

• Where you might need more support
• What areas employees need more training
• Which policies/processes need to be updated
• Opportunities for improved onboarding and cross-training
• Issues like low employee morale and engagement so you can find a solution

Building Better Managers

Did we mention that you should use 360 reviews on leadership and staff alike? They can be an excellent tool for fostering better managers! These assessments give employees an anonymous channel to share feedback, making them more likely to submit honest insights.

Good leaders will pay attention to their effect on their team, where they might need work, and adjust accordingly. 360-degree feedback also gives managers a bigger-picture view of how their employees are performing from the perspective of other departments and stakeholders so they can manage and develop them more effectively.

How to Manage 360 Performance Reviews

Gathering 360-degree feedback requires more time and energy, but it’s worth it, thanks to the specific, diverse, and actionable insights you’ll receive! However, you’ll want to create a well-defined process to prevent possible drawbacks of this performance appraisal method. 

For example, if not done correctly, 360 reviews can leave employees with:

• Vague, confusing, or even contradictory feedback
• Insufficient number of participants—meaning weak feedback
• Lack of an action plan or goals

The above can result in ineffective assessments, which demotivate and frustrate employees. To avoid these issues, follow these tips as you implement 360-degree feedback in your performance appraisal process.

Establish a Structure

Your 360 review survey should include a range of questions measuring an employee’s competencies in key areas like leadership abilities, interpersonal skills, communication, and problem-solving/critical thinking. Inform employees how they will be evaluated ahead of time so they understand how they’re being assessed. Then, use a rating scale (e.g., poor to excellent or unsatisfactory to outstanding).

Involve the Right Participants

The point of a 360 performance review is to gather diverse feedback about the individual’s soft skills—which means you’ll need input from various people. While the number can vary significantly based on your company’s size, structure, and specific goals for the review process, it usually ranges from five to fifteen participants. Typically, these include:

• Coworkers
• Direct supervisor
• Direct reports (for leadership positions)
• Customers or clients the employee works with directly
• Colleagues in other departments as relevant

Surveying a wide variety of raters will prevent skewed feedback. Ask too many work buddies, and the reviews will likely be too perfect; ask coworkers with whom the employee is not on the best of terms, and the feedback could be too harsh or unfair. Consider your selections carefully.

Remember to send the survey to the employee, too! They should perform a self-evaluation before the evaluation meeting with their manager.

Create an Anonymous Review Process

As mentioned earlier, one of the benefits of 360-degree feedback is that it allows for truly anonymous submissions. Whether rating peers or managers, most employees are nervous to share critical insights about the people they work with. Keeping the process anonymous may make reviewers more comfortable sharing their candid feedback. Note that going about this delicately is important to prevent distrust and whispers.

Train Your Teams

As you implement a 360 performance review process, consider training leadership and staff on providing constructive, helpful reviews. Educate them about and share examples of beneficial, specific feedback versus vague, confusing feedback. Remind everyone that these reviews aim to improve teamwork, productivity, and efficiency—and be clear about what you need from them to work toward the overall goals.

Schedule an Evaluation Meeting

After all raters have submitted their assessments of the employee, schedule a meeting to review the feedback with them. Give the individual enough time to prepare and complete their self-evaluation. 

During the meeting, be sure to: 

• Give them kudos for their strengths
• Address their areas for improvement with specific recommendations
• Set an action plan of goals and milestones so they understand how to improve

Follow Up

One of the biggest mistakes employers make after conducting performance appraisals is failing to follow up. Managers can avoid this and show employees they want them to succeed by scheduling check-in meetings to monitor their progress, offer support (e.g., coaching/mentoring or learning and development opportunities), and determine the next steps in the employee’s growth. These meetings should be part of your everyday performance management!

Enhance Your Performance Reviews with 360-degree Feedback

Now that you understand 360-degree reviews, you also understand how they can promote growth and a higher level of performance among your team. Not to mention, when done well, they can foster a culture of openness and rapport among team members!

You’ve probably also realized how much work this process entails to ensure effective feedback. It requires careful planning and communication to ensure participants understand the purpose of the evaluation and feel comfortable providing honest and constructive comments. Establishing clear guidelines for confidentiality and using the feedback gathered to support the employee’s growth and development are essential.

If 360-degree feedback sounds like a great fit for your organization, but you need guidance developing a solid process, contact BlueLion today at 603-818-4131 or info@bluelionllc.com. From selecting the ideal group of participants to creating comprehensive assessment questions to follow-up plans, our HR consultants will assist you every step of the way.

A 2023 Gallup survey found that only 21% of employees trust their organization’s leadership, indicating a decline in employee engagement and morale. After all, building a positive workplace culture is tough when employees don’t trust in or feel inspired by their managers. This is also a significant contributor to high turnover. In another study, 57% of participants reported leaving a job due to their leaders, while 32% said they’ve thought about quitting due to bad managers.

Managers are often promoted based on technical skills without developing crucial leadership qualities, which can hurt their direct team and the entire workplace. So, what is the difference between a bad manager and a good leader? And how can you transform the first into the second? 

Keep reading to learn how to spot signs of ineffective or even toxic leadership practices, the qualities of influential leaders, and techniques for improving leadership skills.

Characteristics of Bad Managers vs. Strong Leaders

What are the common characteristics of bad leaders? What do effective leaders do differently? Let’s break it down.

Distant vs. Approachable

Toxic leaders often remain too distant from their team members. They might have a stand-offish attitude, delegate most of their responsibilities to their employees, and be less than supportive. This can create an intimidating atmosphere where employees aren’t comfortable going to their boss with ideas, questions, or concerns.

Good leaders do the opposite by keeping an open-door policy and welcoming feedback and requests for support when employees need it. They naturally encourage and inspire their team to create and innovate by remaining present and communicating consistently.

Uncaring vs. Attentive

One of the most important characteristics of a great leader is being a good listener, which is where many bad managers fail. They don’t bother:

• Checking in with employees 
• Building that personal connection
• Providing support or encouragement during big projects or periods of transition or change

Even worse, they lack active listening skills and often talk over or interrupt team members.

On the other hand, experienced leaders know when to stop and listen and when to ask employees how they are doing or for feedback. They are adept at taking a professional yet compassionate approach to their people’s concerns or stressors. In doing so, they foster ongoing dialogue and build trust and rapport.

Demanding vs. Motivating

There’s a fine line between effectively motivating your team and being overly demanding—and you can guess which category toxic leaders fall into. They tend to push employees hard, giving them extreme workloads and focusing only on results and deadlines. As such, these demanding managers often ignore their employees’ mental health. 

Good bosses have an eye for when their teams need support, a break, or another solution. They know how to keep their direct reports engaged and motivated without setting unrealistic expectations or putting excessive pressure on employees. Effective managers focus on positive reinforcement and encouragement rather than intimidation and threats.

Critical vs. Appreciative

On the note of motivating employees, bad managers often do the reverse by focusing only on the negative and highlighting where team members have made mistakes or need to improve. These managers: 

• May even call team members out in front of others, humiliating and belittling them 
• Never give positive feedback or spotlight a job well done
• Make employees feel unappreciated and demotivated, thus creating low morale

Strong leaders take another approach, prioritizing positive feedback for employees and showcasing their wins. When they have to deliver criticism, they ensure it’s constructive so employees can learn and grow. They understand how to balance the positive with the negative. They also regularly show employees their appreciation, from a simple “good job” to discussing their future career path with the company.

Withholding vs. Transparent

Poor leaders are often secretive or withholding, preferring to keep their teams siloed and only sharing information on a need-to-know basis. This lack of communication and openness creates mistrust, contributes to the feeling of being undervalued and underappreciated, and can make employees concerned about their job security. Plus, being told to do things without question or “because that’s how we’ve always done it” is demotivating because team members won’t know why or what they’re working toward. 

Tying back to that open-door policy, effective managers value transparency with their teams. They understand that this fosters trust and instills a sense of purpose and confidence in employees. Communicative leaders have a knack for showing their employees the “why” by explaining how their roles support the organization’s mission, vision, and values—and how they contribute to the major goals. 

Reactive vs. Proactive

A bad manager is not necessarily disrespectful or unappreciative. Sometimes, they are simply ineffective because they are too passive. This could mean they are uncomfortable with confrontation and having difficult conversations. Or it could be that they are not firm or decisive enough, so they’re struggling to garner respect and productivity from their team.

An essential leadership skill is understanding when to be compassionate and give employees leeway and when to provide more direction and structure. A savvy boss is not afraid to address inappropriate behavior or make a decision their team must follow. They know how to deliver this information respectfully while maintaining respect for themselves.

5 Ways to Address Ineffective or Toxic Managers

Now, let’s look at how to deal with bad managers and turn them into great leaders—and how to know when to make tough but necessary decisions.

Address the Bad Boss

Start by having a private meeting with the problem manager, always approaching the conversation calmly and rationally without being emotional. Tell them what you’ve learned and your concerns about their leadership abilities. 

Next, give them a chance to share their thoughts, then clearly define what changes you expect from their performance and behavior. Let them know if you’re putting them on a performance improvement plan or requiring them to participate in leadership coaching. Explain that they will have resources and support and that you want to see them succeed.

Bring in a Leadership Coach

Not everyone is a natural leader, but that doesn’t mean they can’t develop the skills! Investing in a leadership coach will bring in an expert with an outside perspective who can help managers of all departments and levels strengthen their management methods and communication skills. 

A high-quality leadership coach will encourage self-evaluation, guiding the manager to assess their qualities and behavior from a new point of view. This reflection will make them take responsibility for their actions and understand where and how to adjust. For many managers, this entails improving their emotional intelligence (EQ). 

While the manager is undergoing leadership coaching, you should monitor their progress to determine if they can make the necessary shifts in their approach and behavior.

Invest in Conflict Training

It could also be beneficial to hire a conflict expert for specialized training. As mentioned earlier, ineffective leaders are often uncomfortable with conflict training. Or they may become too emotional or invested in the incident themselves. These workshops can teach them how to resolve workplace conflict while mitigating toxic leadership techniques properly. 

Make Organizational Changes

You may find leadership is simply not in the cards for this individual. They might work better alone or get along with others on a peer level. Maybe they’re excellent at what they do and essential to your business.

In this case, consider moving the employee to a new role where they don’t have people to manage. They can continue doing what they do best, while you don’t have to worry about them harming the workplace culture and employee productivity. 

To prevent drama and confusion, remember to devise a plan and communicate the change and what it means to everyone affected.

Know When to Terminate a Toxic Manager

Sometimes, you can do everything possible to attempt to work things out with a lousy boss, to no avail. They might be unable or unwilling to change their attitude and behavior, in which case they will only continue spreading a toxic work environment. 

You must know when to make the hard call and fire a toxic manager. Remember, your HR team can guide the employee termination process and be present for the meeting.

Prioritize Leadership Development

Whether you have a weak manager on your hands or your leaders are doing well, there is always room for growth and improvement. And this is simply not an area to neglect! However, you’ll want to address bad bosses as soon as possible—letting leadership issues linger will only create more problems.

Understanding when to provide training, coaching, and support, when to make role changes, and when to let the individual go is vital to maintaining a healthy, productive workplace. It may not be easy, but when you make these positive changes, you’ll likely see positive results immediately. 

Do you need guidance or leadership coaching resources? Contact BlueLion today at info@bluelionllc.com or 603-818-4131 to learn how our HR specialists can help!

True, when you begin to consider the effort and resources involved in strengthening your team, it can be intimidating. But building a positive culture is not just worth it; it’s vital to your organization’s success! In fact, statistics show that:

• 46% of job seekers prioritize company culture
• Millennials—that’s 35% of the workforce!—value a people and culture fit over everything else
• Having highly engaged employees can lead to a 202% increase in performance

You might have already guessed this, but it truly starts at the top. No, there is no blanket solution; yes, it calls for more than the occasional pizza party (although team get-togethers are important!). Follow these steps to strengthen your team and company culture. 

1. Assess Your Corporate Culture Today

Where does your team’s culture and morale stand at this moment? Pay attention to your employees and reflect on their attitudes, productivity, and engagement recently. Are they upbeat and excited to get to work? Do they understand the company’s goals and how they contribute to them? Or do they appear frustrated, confused, or apathetic? 

Consider using brief surveys or meeting one-on-one with some of your tenured employees to get their perspectives on the company culture. 

Once you’ve gathered these insights, look at the bigger picture to determine if the current state of your organization will help achieve its big goals. If not, identify specific areas to focus on improving company culture.

2. Revisit Your Mission, Vision & Values

As you evaluate the big picture of your company culture, contemplate your mission, vision, and value statements. Are they still aligned and guiding your team and company? How are you using them, communicating them, and showing them to your team? 

Every team member, from executives to staff level, should feel aligned with these statements and understand how their role ties into them. Do your company’s policies, actions, and decisions reflect the mission and values daily? Do your leaders embrace these statements?

Next, assess the statements themselves. They should be:

• Clear, concise, and actionable
• Free of vague language that could be misinterpreted
• Meaningful and specific

Avoid long-winded statements or having too many values, which could be forgotten and water down your overall message.

Now that you’ve revisited your company’s mission and value statements, consider where your business puts these into action and where there are gaps. Then, adjust accordingly. There is nothing worse than empty brand statements!

For example, if you say you value teamwork and transparency, how are you LIVING and showing that? Does leadership communicate news early? Ask for employees’ input? Encourage collaboration through projects? Or is there an air of competition and siloed work? 

Remember, your mission and values should drive the rest of your team’s behavior and all business decisions.

3. Get Leadership On Board

Again, improving corporate culture MUST start at the top! Are your executives and managers on the same page? Do they feel connected to and embrace the mission and values every day? How do they set the example for their teams? 

If the answer is no or uncertain on any of the above, your leaders may need clarification on the specific actions and steps they can take to demonstrate the company values and desired culture. It might be time for workshops and training to remind management of their impact and what they can do to help improve company culture.

4. Foster Connection & Teambuilding

Whether your team is remote, in-person, or hybrid, all employees need to connect on some personal level. Leaders can do this by:

• Hosting team meals, coffee chats, or happy hours
• Planning fun activities like games and escape rooms during work hours (these can be in person or virtual!)
• Making a Slack or Teams channel just for connection and fun
• Creating shared spaces where team members can have chance encounters (e.g., a welcoming breakroom)

Building these relationships helps gain mutual respect and understanding. Your team members may even find they have more in common than they think! Ultimately, their communication will improve, and they’ll work better together. 

5. Prioritize Transparency

One report found that highly engaged employees are more than twice as likely to report working for a transparent organization than actively disengaged employees. 

Your people want to know that you TRUST them! Make transparency easy by investing in technology and communication tools like an internal chat (e.g., Slack or Teams) and a project management platform (e.g., Asana or Monday). These allow employees to connect and check in on assignments easily. 

Of course, transparency also applies to when and how you share information—both the good and the bad. Share the wins of individuals, teams, and the entire company regularly. These help boost morale and motivation! 

When you have difficult news to deliver, show your employees respect by being as open as possible as early as possible. Let them know you plan to work through it as a team and ask for their ideas and input when appropriate. While you don’t need to share every detail with every employee, taking an open, collaborative approach can yield powerful results from the brains and backgrounds of your talented team.

6. Give Employees Autonomy & Flexibility

Another way to show employees you trust them as you work to improve corporate culture is by giving them the freedom to manage their duties and projects, which you can do by:

• Allowing flexible work schedules
• Offering an unlimited PTO policy
• Letting them work remotely
• Empowering them to make their own decisions
• Fielding overbearing managers and colleagues

Avoiding micromanagement, encouraging work-life balance, and empowering employees to make decisions will build their confidence and help them grow. In turn, they’ll be more productive and engaged. 

7. Show Employee Recognition

Did you know 69% of employees say they would work harder if they got more recognition? Yet only a third of them receive it weekly. And companies are hurting themselves, as workers who don’t feel appreciated are twice as likely to quit in the next year. 

That’s a lot of missed opportunities and wasted money and effort—over something so simple!

Often, employees simply want to know their hard work is appreciated. Remember to tell them when they’ve done an excellent job and give them public shoutouts to encourage others to do the same. 

Create an employee recognition program that spotlights performers who epitomize the company values and culture you’re aiming for. You could do this through an anonymous nomination system, company communication platforms like Slack, or a specific employee recognition platform. 

Recognition plays a prominent role in employee productivity and retention, saving your business significantly.

8. Revamp Your Review Process

Speaking of recognition, it’s time to shake things up if you’re still conducting old-school yearly performance reviews! Today’s talent wants frequent constructive feedback, with 92% wanting it more than once a year. 

While formal reviews are still important, ensure managers hold them more often. Also, incorporate regular feedback throughout the year, such as brief weekly or biweekly meetings. Find everything you need to know in our comprehensive guide to employee performance appraisals.

Don’t forget to ask employees for THEIR feedback, too! This includes reviews of their managers (we all have room to learn and grow!) and input on new initiatives, processes, or tools. Showing employees you value their opinions is crucial to improving corporate culture. 

9. Focus on Workplace Mental Health

An alarming 19% of American workers rate their mental health as fair or poor, reporting about four times more unplanned absences due to poor mental health. Not to mention, mental health issues often go hand-in-hand with substance misuse.

Worse yet, 43% of workers worry about negative consequences if they were to report a mental health condition to their employer. And only 35% report a company culture where breaks are encouraged.

Basically, there is a LOT of room for improvement!

Prioritizing employee mental health and overall wellness is critical. Leaders must create a supportive work culture by:

• Setting reasonable goals and expectations
• Providing flexibility when employees are struggling
• Asking team members how they’re doing regularly—without focusing strictly on work!
• Encouraging healthy practices and self-care
• Offering mental health care coverage

Emphasis on mental health is central to improving corporate culture for many organizations today. Managers should set an example by demonstrating their own boundaries and work-life balance while respecting those of their employees. Consider training leaders to recognize the signs of mental distress and substance misuse. 

Turning Company Culture Around One Step at a Time

While most of these steps are simple, they require effort and thoughtfulness. So, take your time to determine your current corporate culture and where you should focus first. Don’t rush it! Refine one area’s process and system, then move on to the next. 

Most importantly, get buy-in from your HR and leadership teams from the start! This will go a long way in:

• Ensuring the efficiency and impact of all cultural efforts
• Boosting employee retention
• Increasing employee engagement and productivity 

So involve them in evaluating your mission and values, ask for their feedback and ideas on developing new policies and programs, and invest in leadership training.

Do you need an outside perspective to guide you as you strengthen your organization’s culture? As a team built on connection and authenticity, BlueLion would be happy to help! Contact our HR professionals at 603-818-4131 or info@bluelionllc.com today.

The information on this website, including its newsletters, is not, nor is it intended to be legal advice. You should contact an attorney or HR specialist for advice on your individual situation.

• 90% of Americans suffer from some kind of mental health issue
• 50% of employees sought help at work for a mental health issue
• 49% of all American workers struggle with substance misuse

When you support your employees throughout their recovery journey, they are more likely to stay sober and employed with you. 

However, you need adequate substance use processes and policies for your program to be effective. You may be wondering how to help an employee who is struggling. And how do you know when it’s time to make the difficult decision to terminate them?

An impactful recovery-friendly workplace primarily comes down to your company’s mindset and approach. Remember that substance misuse is tied to mental health issues—this perspective can help you come from a place of compassion and empathy. 

Keep reading to learn: 

• The benefits of supporting employees in recovery
• How to create a recovery-friendly workplace
• How to assess when it’s time to terminate

Benefits of Supporting Employees in Recovery

Simply put, assisting your team members who are struggling with substance use means helping those with mental health and personal issues (e.g., relationships, family, finances, etc.). In doing so, you help them become happier, more fulfilled, and more productive members of society. All of this has a ripple effect—on your other employees, overall business, and community!

By creating a recovery-friendly workplace, employers can: 

• Improve employee retention and loyalty
• Foster a healthy and positive work culture
• Boost employee productivity, engagement, and job satisfaction
• Reduce turnover, absenteeism, and health care costs
• Increase ROI over time as employees maintain recovery and stay with the company

Supporting workers with SUD positively impacts both the employees and the business. According to the National Safety Council (NSC), each employee in recovery saves a company more than $8,500 on average!

6 Ways to Create a Recovery-Friendly Workplace

Look Through a Lens of Employee Mental Health

For many employers, transitioning to a recovery-friendly workplace begins with a mindset shift. Look through a lens of the employee’s mental health, not just a lens of addiction. Start with simple changes in the language you use. Move away from phrases like “substance abuse” and “alcohol abuse” and instead use “substance misuse” or “use.” Instead of calling someone an addict, refer to them as a person who is addicted to drugs or an individual with SUD.

Open yourself up to the availability of helping someone through recovery. Yes, you’ll need to invest time and resources into research and educational opportunities—but keep in mind the long-term ROI and positive impact you’ll be making on both the employee and your business!

These changes will help:

• Eliminate the stigma around substance use disorder (SUD) among your company
• Make employees more comfortable reaching out for help 
• Encourage open conversations about drug and alcohol misuse as well as mental health

As you get started, visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) for resources and information. If you’re a New Hampshire employer, learn how to become a designated Recovery Friendly Workplace in the Granite State. Many other states have established their own recovery-friendly workplace initiatives, so find out if yours is one of them.

Develop a Substance Use Policy

Every organization should have a clear, well-communicated substance use policy emphasizing support, treatment, and confidentiality. While you’ll need to tailor your policy to the needs of your company, it should generally include:

• Purpose and Scope: State the policy’s intent, underscoring the organization’s commitment to a safe and productive work environment and supporting employees dealing with substance use issues. List who is subject to the policy, such as all employees, contractors, and volunteers.
• Expectations and Restrictions: Explicitly outline the company’s expectations regarding substance use at the workplace, including the prohibition of illegal drug use and being under the influence of alcohol or drugs. 
• Consequences: Describe potential consequences for policy violations, which may include disciplinary actions like warnings, suspension, or termination. Ensure leadership enforces these consequences consistently and fairly.
• Confidentiality: Note that employees’ disclosures are confidential, and your company is committed to protecting their privacy when seeking assistance or treatment.
• Reporting Process: Outline the steps employees should take when they suspect or witness substance use issues. Clarify that reporting will be handled discreetly.
• Accommodations and Return-to-Work Procedures: Advise employees on seeking accommodations for treatment or recovery, including time off, modified duties, or flexible schedules. Describe the steps for a safe and supported return to work. 
• Drug Testing Procedures (if applicable): If drug testing is part of your policy, detail the circumstances under which testing may occur, the types of tests used, and the procedures for handling positive results.
• Anti-Retaliation Clause: Include a clause prohibiting retaliation against employees who report concerns, seek help, or participate in a recovery program.

Always work with your HR and legal teams to ensure your substance use policy complies with local, state, and federal laws. If you need policy development guidance, BlueLion can help.

Know the Warning Signs of SUD

Recognizing the signs of SUD and training managers to identify and address these issues is crucial to creating a supportive and recovery-friendly workplace. By educating your team, you empower them to provide early intervention and support to employees who may be struggling. Common indicators of SUD include:

• Changes in behavior, such as erratic or unpredictable behavior, frequent mood swings, and increased irritability or agitation
• Performance and attendance issues or an increase in workplace accidents or errors
• Physical signs like bloodshot or glazed eyes, frequent nosebleeds, slurred speech or impaired coordination, tremors, or an unsteady gait
• Neglected personal appearance, such as personal hygiene, rapid weight loss or gain, and neglected grooming and attire
• Social isolation, which can appear as withdrawal from colleagues, social activities, and decreased participation in team events or meetings
• Unexplained financial difficulties and frequent requests for salary advances or loans
• Relationship issues, whether in personal relationships or frequent conflicts with coworkers or supervisors
• A previously reliable employee becoming unreliable and disengaged

Conduct regular workshops and training programs to keep leadership educated on the warning signs of SUD, the process for reporting them, and methods for addressing substance misuse. 

Address Substance Misuse

Whether an employee comes to you to share their substance use issue or you have noticed the signs, you should handle the situation carefully. Follow these steps to take a supportive approach and respect their dignity and privacy:

1. Express Concern and Offer Support: Start the conversation by expressing your concern for the employee’s well-being and job performance. Discussing performance or conduct problems can encourage them to open up and lead to more frank conversations about substance use. Ask how you can help and let them know you are there to support them.
2. Listen Actively: Allow the employee to share their perspective and any challenges they may be facing so you can gain a full understanding of their situation.
3. Encourage Treatment and Refer to Resources: Encourage the employee to use the company’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP) or other resources for counseling and support and stress the importance of treatment and recovery.
4. Set Expectations: Communicate your expectations regarding job performance and behavior. Reiterate that while you support their recovery, they must meet certain standards.
5. Document the Conversation: Keep a written record of the meeting, including what was discussed, any agreements made, and any commitments from both parties.
6. Follow Up Regularly: Continue to check in with the employee regularly to monitor progress, provide support, and ensure they adhere to any agreed-upon arrangements.
7. Address Performance Issues: If the employee’s substance use issue has significantly impacted their job performance, address those issues separately and follow your organization’s performance improvement or disciplinary process as necessary.
8. Be Prepared for Relapse: Understand that relapse can be part of recovery. Approach relapses with empathy and continue supporting the employee’s efforts to get back on track.

Accommodate Treatment & Recovery Needs

After addressing the substance misuse concerns and determining the next steps, discuss accommodations with the employee. Offer flexible work schedules and accommodations to support employees in their recovery journey. This can mean allowing reasonable time off for treatment, counseling, or support group meetings. You might also provide flexible work hours or a hybrid work schedule. 

However, be cautious when permitting employees in recovery to work from home. While this can lower their commute time, it can also lead to more time spent at home alone and isolated, which can affect their mental health and lead to the potential risk of relapse.

Encourage Engagement & Healthy Practices

Host activities to keep employees in recovery engaged and help them build stronger relationships with their colleagues. Schedule fun events regularly, such as potluck meals, monthly breakfasts, or themed cooking competitions. 

Chameleon Group, a designated Recovery Friendly Workplace based in Dover, NH, is a shining example. They have incorporated several unique activities and resources for their team members in recovery. They even stock a food pantry and attend coworkers’ drug court graduations! Discover more ideas and inspiration from how they focus on addiction recovery in the workplace. 

Additionally, help your employees in recovery maintain a healthy work-life balance. Discourage overtime work and remind them to take regular breaks and time off. Excessive work can contribute to severe stress and burnout, which in turn can lead to relapse.

When is Termination Necessary?

Perhaps you’ve made a significant effort and accommodated an employee in recovery for some time, but they’re not improving. While termination should be a last resort, unfortunately, it is sometimes necessary to ensure workplace health and safety.

If you’re wondering if it’s time to terminate the employee, consider:

• Job Performance: Does substance misuse consistently and significantly affect their ability to perform their duties? 
• Workplace Safety: Does the employee’s condition threaten their safety, their colleagues’ safety, or the safety of the overall workplace?
• Reasonable Accommodation: Are they unable or unwilling to engage in treatment or respond to accommodations you’ve made to support their recovery?
• Policy Adherence: Does the employee continually violate the substance use policy despite being informed of and given ample opportunity to follow it?

Always consult with your HR or legal counsel to ensure any termination complies with anti-discrimination laws, disability accommodation laws, and other legal regulations. While you have the right to take disciplinary action, including termination, proper documentation and handling of the employee’s alcohol or drug use is vital to avoiding future lawsuits and reputational damage.

Learn how to handle employee terminations, and check out our employment termination checklist to protect your business.

Keep Employee Mental Health Front-of-Mind

A compassionate and supportive approach is essential when dealing with employees facing substance use issues. Although addressing substance use-related issues is important, a recovery-friendly workplace must also provide a safe and understanding environment for employees to seek help and recover.

You can build a culture of empathy and positivity by:

• Viewing substance misuse through a mental health lens
• Developing a substance use policy centered on support, recovery, and confidentiality
• Knowing and training leadership on the signs of SUD
• Addressing substance misuse with compassion, fairness, and follow-through
• Allowing accommodations like flexible schedules to support the employee’s treatment and recovery
• Encouraging engagement and healthy practices to foster a supportive network and prevent stress

If you need guidance as you develop or update your substance use policy and implement these practices into your employee wellness program, contact BlueLion today at 603-818-4131 or info@bluelionllc.com! We’ll help you navigate these sensitive matters and make a difference in your employees’ lives.

The information on this website, including its newsletters, is not, nor is it intended to be legal advice. You should contact an attorney or HR specialist for advice on your individual situation.

Diversity involves even more. It encompasses ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation, age, physical and mental conditions, socioeconomic background, citizenship status, military service, and many more differences between people.

The first step toward creating diversity in the workplace is leading by example and fostering a culture that welcomes people of all kinds from all backgrounds. Read on for 12 diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) strategies you can begin implementing today, from policies to leadership training to hiring practices.

Build a Solid Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Foundation

Managing diversity in the workplace requires a clear understanding of DEI across the organization. You can create a consistent message and ensure everyone is on the same page by starting with a DEI statement and policy.

1. Craft a Meaningful DEI Statement

First, create a meaningful DEI statement by: 

• Aligning it with your organization’s mission and values
• Keeping it concise and easy to understand, free of jargon and complex language
• Addressing various dimensions of diversity, including but not limited to race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, disability, age, religion, and more
• Reflecting a genuine commitment to fostering an inclusive environment where all employees are valued and respected
• Using language that inspires and motivates your employees, stakeholders, and the broader community to support your DEI efforts
• Avoiding empty or generic statements and instead focusing on specific DEI actions and goals
• Collaborating with senior leadership to develop and endorse the statement and demonstrate top-level commitment to fostering diversity in the workplace
• Communicating the importance of transparency in reporting on DEI progress and setbacks

2. Develop Inclusive Policies

Your DEI policies should include a zero-tolerance anti-harassment and discrimination policy, which should:

• Define diversity, equity, and inclusion
• Explicitly state that discrimination and harassment based on protected characteristics are strictly prohibited, both in the workplace and in company-related activities
• Include reporting and complaint procedures and an anti-retaliation policy

Other essential policies like your compensation, benefits, employment conditions, and termination policies should also outline your company’s stance on diversity. These policies should be covered in new hire onboarding, included in your employee handbook, and distributed whenever updates are made.

Managing Diversity in the Workplace from the Top Down

Creating diversity in the workplace starts at the top. Once employees see that leaders and managers are committed, they will follow suit.

3. Hold Regular DEI Training for Leaders & Managers

Leadership can only promote your DEI initiatives when given the tools to do so. Consider hosting a range of regular training and workshops specifically tailored to your higher-ups covering topics such as: 

• Unconscious Bias Training: Helps recognize and mitigate unconscious bias, which can impact decision-making, hiring, and team dynamics
• Inclusive Leadership Workshops: Focus on developing inclusive leadership behaviors such as active listening, empathy, and creating an inclusive team environment
• Cultural Competency Training: Educates on different cultures, customers, and communication styles to better understand and respect diverse teams
• Microaggressions Awareness: Helps identify and address subtle forms of discrimination and exclusion in the workplace
• Allyship Training: Teaches leaders how to be effective allies to underrepresented groups and how they can support and advocate for marginalized employees
• Managing Diverse Teams: Provides strategies for leading groups with diverse backgrounds and perspectives
• Conflict Resolution and Inclusive Communication: Trains leaders to handle conflicts in a way that promotes inclusivity and maintains a respectful workplace
• Intersectionality Awareness: Focuses on how various aspects of an individual’s identity (e.g., race, gender, sexuality) intersect and affect their experiences

There are many more DEI training topics where those came from, and you should always tailor them to fit your company culture, needs, and goals. Regular leadership training and workshops are vital to gaining your top decision-makers’ buy-in.

4. Start with Communication

Effective communication is key to managing diversity in the workplace. This may involve translating materials, using images and graphics, and leveraging various visual and audio formats. Language and cultural obstacles shouldn’t stand in the way of employees having a clear understanding of policies, procedures, rules, expectations, and any other important information necessary to do their jobs. 

This also means ensuring your policies use inclusive language. There are tools that analyze document language to spot problematic words and phrases so you know where to update them. Or, you can hire an external DEI consultant who specializes in reading and editing policies to ensure they are easy to understand and inclusive.

Prioritizing inclusive language in every aspect of your organization will show your commitment to DEI, which in turn will boost employee morale and help you build a more diverse team.

5. Celebrate Differences

Recognize each employee as their own person and celebrate their cultural and individual differences. Don’t jump to conclusions based on their background or experiences. Judge their work—both successes and failures—on their merit instead of by their background. This will help you maintain a compassionate, open-minded approach.

6. Maintain Objectivity

All leadership team members should follow the same standards for everything from hiring to promotion and compensation decisions to disciplinary actions and termination. Every employment decision should be made based on objective criteria, which should be applied equally to all employees.

Implement Diverse Hiring Practices

Finally, building diversity in the workplace requires implementing practices focused on hiring diverse individuals! Follow these strategies to attract and retain talent from all backgrounds.

7. Develop Inclusive Job Descriptions

Start by scrutinizing job descriptions for inclusive language (as mentioned above) and remove any requirements that may unintentionally exclude diverse candidates. Focus on essential qualifications and skills. Remember, it’s not all about a candidate’s prior experience—they may possess unique skills and knowledge that could translate well to your business!

8. Organize Diverse Hiring Panels

Pull together diverse hiring panels to evaluate candidates. Having a variety of perspectives during the interview process can help reduce unconscious bias. Interviewers should vary by traits and characteristics such as:

• Job classification
• Time with the company
• Life experiences

You can verify there will be no unintentional bias by going over the process with each potential interviewer and asking questions.

9. Use Blind Recruitment

Implement blind recruitment practices by removing personally identifiable information (e.g., names, photos, age, education, previous work experience) from initial application materials to reduce bias in the initial screening. There are many software options that can do this to help you hire based on skills and merit and mitigate bias from the recruiting and hiring process. They even allow you to select which features you want to hide.

10. Leverage Diverse Sources & Networks

If you want to diversify your talent pool, you need to seek candidates from diverse sources. You could take advantage of:

• Minority-focused job boards
• Universities with diverse student populations
• Partnerships with community organizations
• Events, conferences, and career fairs targeting diverse talent

For example, if your company wants to hire more LGBTQ+ employees, you might connect with LGBTQ+ professional and student associations. You could build relationships with them and ask to promote job openings in their marketing and communications.

11. Build a Diverse Pipeline

On that note, consider investing in programs that create pipelines for diverse talent, such as internships, apprenticeships, and partnerships with organizations that focus on underrepresented groups. Interns and apprentices who have a positive initial experience with your company are more likely to want to stick around long-term. In fact, 80% of interns who receive job offers at the company where they interned accept them!

12. Offer Inclusive Benefits

Provide employee benefits that support diversity and inclusion, such as:

• Flexible work arrangements for those with caregiving responsibilities or disabilities
• Childcare support in the form of assistance, subsidies, or access to onsite facilities
• Healthcare that covers services related to gender transition, mental health, and other needs that may disproportionately affect certain groups
• Parental leave policies that provide equal benefits to all employees regardless of gender or family structure

Foster Diversity in the Workplace

If you want to welcome people from all walks of life to your team, you have to take the initiative by putting DEI policies and practices in place! This means committing to DEI and publicizing that it is a vital part of your company culture.

Strengthening your workplace diversity also benefits your company! Research by Built In found that diverse companies:

• See 2.5x higher cash flow per employee
• Enjoy 19% higher revenue with diverse management
• Make better decisions 66% of the time
• Are 3x more likely “to feel excited by  and committed to organization missions”

…and the list goes on. And today’s workers (largely Millennials with Gen Z not far behind) WANT to work on a diverse team.

Bottom line: Focusing on diverse hiring, policies, and practices is well worth the effort and cost!

If your team needs help getting started or managing diversity in the workplace, contact BlueLion today at info@bluelionllc.com or 603-818-4131 to learn how our HR consultants can guide the way.

The information on this website, including its newsletters, is not, nor is it intended to be legal advice. You should contact an attorney or HR specialist for advice on your individual situation.

BlueLion does NOT offer this as part of our services! While we are concerned with the humans within your organization and ensuring your company remains compliant, these statements are better left to pros like branding and marketing strategists. 

However, we DO believe that a meaningful mission, vision, and values are vital to building a successful business and team. After all, they are guidelines for what drives your business, how you conduct it, and how you interact with everyone, from your employees to your clients to your community.

Whether you’re launching a new company, you feel it’s time to revisit them, or you’ve been operating without defining them, it’s never too late to hone and share these brand statements with your team and stakeholders. Below are some tips and best practices for developing your mission, vision, and values.

Understand the Difference Between Mission, Vision & Values

Before you even begin this process, you and every other team member involved should understand the difference between your mission, vision, and values. Let’s define and break down the importance of each from an HR perspective.

Mission Statement

Your mission statement should outline the purpose of your organization. It should answer the question, “Why does the company exist?” Simply put, it should address what your business offers, who you’re selling to, and why you do it.

Regarding HR, your mission statement will help align recruitment, onboarding, and employee development processes with your company’s core purpose. It also helps potential and current employees understand the company’s overall goals and the contribution they can make toward achieving them.

Vision Statement

When it comes to your vision, it’s time to look ahead and think big! This statement describes the organization’s desired future state or long-term aspirations. It paints a picture of what success looks like.

The vision statement influences long-term talent acquisition and talent development strategies. It also helps employers attract candidates who are aligned with the organization’s future direction and motivates employees by providing a clear sense of purpose.

Values

Values are the core principles and beliefs that guide the behavior and decision-making of individuals within the organization. They define how your team will achieve the mission and vision.

Your HR and leadership team should keep your brand values front-of-mind during people processes such as recruitment, performance management, and employee engagement. Use them to:

• Assess cultural fit during the hiring process
• Develop training programs that reinforce your values
• Resolve conflicts or ethical dilemmas in alignment with your values

Overall, clear and compelling mission, vision, and value statements are critical to your employee relations because they help you:

• Attract and Retain Talent: You’ll attract candidates who resonate with the company’s purpose and culture. Solid messaging also helps retain employees who feel connected to the organization’s goals.
• Guide Decision-Making: When HR decisions align with the brand’s mission, vision, and values, you’ll experience consistency and a cohesive organizational culture.
• Drive Employee Engagement: Employees who understand and identify with these statements are more engaged, committed, and motivated.
• Enhance Performance Management: Values can serve as criteria for evaluating employee performance, ensuring that individuals’ behaviors align with the organization’s ethical and cultural standards.
• Facilitate Change Management: During periods of change, a strong brand identity can provide stability and help employees navigate transitions more smoothly.

Make it a Team Effort

These brand statements certainly shouldn’t be created in a silo. Be sure to include all relevant individuals in the process, including your leadership team, staff, internal stakeholders, and board of directors, if applicable. Hearing from people in all areas and levels of the company offers powerful perspectives and ensures your statements are truly all-encompassing.

To do this effectively, be sure to: 

• Hold a structured brainstorming session or series of meetings
• Send an agenda before each meeting so attendees have time to come up with ideas and prepare
• Record every meeting and/or have a dedicated note-taker and send the recap afterward

As you write your mission, vision, and values, you should also keep your ideal clients in mind. Ask yourselves:

• What are their pain points or desires? 
• How will you help them overcome or achieve their goals? 
• What kind of language do they use?
• How do existing clients talk about your brand and offering?

Ensure your statements align with the expectations and needs of your customers, employees, shareholders, and any other stakeholders.

Create Concise & Impactful Brand Statements

Aim for clarity and brevity in your mission, vision, and values statements. They should be easy to remember and communicate. And forget the fluff—get to the point in explaining what you do, why you do it, how you do it, and what you’re working to build!

Mission and vision statements are typically one or two sentences each. Value statements can be a few key principles, whether you choose several words and explain how your team lives them out or come up with a few unique phrases and define them.

Make your brand statements more impactful by making them different. Don’t try to mimic others in your market. Instead, consider:

• What sets your business apart from the competition? 
• What do you do differently? 
• How do you plan to change and improve the industry?
• How did your organization get started? 

Your story alone will help you stand out, even in a competitive industry!

Communicate Them Effectively

Once developed, communicate your mission, vision, and values throughout the organization. Ensure that every employee understands and embraces them. This will make them ingrained in your corporate culture! You can do this by: 

• Incorporating them into the onboarding process and explaining them to new hires
• Including discussions and activities in employee training and development to reinforce them
• Posting them throughout the workplace, such as office walls, common areas, or digitally on your intranet or internal communication platforms
• Including them in the employee handbook
• Adding them to job postings and recruitment materials
• Displaying them on your website, typically on the “About Us” page
• Sharing stories and updates via social media and press releases to demonstrate how the organization is living out its mission, vision, and values
• Recognizing and rewarding employees who exemplify the company’s values

Effective communication of your brand statements should be ongoing. They’re not static documents but living guides that shape the organization’s culture and decision-making!

Test & Refine Them

As your company evolves, your mission, vision, and values might shift, too. It’s important to revisit them occasionally to ensure they accurately reflect your organization’s identity and resonate with stakeholders. Consider reviewing your brand statements every two to three years or when:

• Your business experiences significant changes like mergers, acquisitions, rebranding, marked growth, or shifts in strategic direction
• Employees, customers, or other stakeholders consistently express that the statements don’t align with the company’s actions or culture
• Your business faces a crisis or reputation challenges, and you need to reaffirm your commitment to ethical conduct and corporate responsibility
• You feel your statements no longer stand out or sound too similar to your peers or competitors
• The company experiences high employee turnover or low engagement, which could signal a misalignment

Whether you recognize one of these trends during a routine review or a major occurrence has you revisiting your brand statements, you can test and update them by first discussing and gathering feedback from your internal team. Then, you may seek feedback from clients and partners.

Regardless, ensure your mission, vision, and value statements are aligned, clear, and consistent during every review. And always ensure your team approves and relates to them!

Building a Brand with a Mission

Your company’s mission, vision, and values guide everything from your marketing to your operations to your community involvement. And how you live them out will influence your brand’s reputation. 

As for your people processes, your brand statements are vital to attracting, developing, and retaining talent while fostering a culture that aligns with the organization’s goals and principles. They serve as a compass for HR decisions and actions, ultimately contributing to the success and sustainability of the business.

While BlueLion may not develop mission or vision statements or values, we are passionate about helping you and your team embody yours! If you need guidance on strengthening your workplace culture and incorporating your brand message into more of your HR processes, contact BlueLion today at 603-818-4131 or info@bluelionllc.com.

The information on this website, including its newsletters, is not, nor is it intended to be legal advice. You should contact an attorney or HR specialist for advice on your individual situation.

Forward-thinking organizations have finally realized that setting goals and expectations once a year, never to revisit them (ok, maybe until next year), simply doesn’t work. The most effective managers are those who practice daily performance management. 

So, what does this look like? And how can your leadership team incorporate performance management into their daily routine? Read on for our top tips.

1. Recognize the positive, too!

It’s easy to call employees’ mistakes and reprimand them. But everyday performance management doesn’t mean ONLY addressing the “bad stuff.”

Remember to give kudos to employees when earned—even for those seemingly small things. From a job well done to outstanding examples of teamwork, acknowledging a staff member’s wins will:

• Boost morale and confidence
• Increase productivity
• Reinforce those positive actions and behaviors

You might do this via an official recognition program or by simply telling the employee they did a good job. Either way, make your positive feedback specific by tying it back to their goals and noting how they thought outside the box and went above and beyond.

2. Address issues immediately & appropriately

Of course, performance management will occasionally involve critical feedback and may even call for corrective action. The key is in how and when you handle it.

Address issues right away, whether performance- or behavior-related. Waiting around and hoping the problem resolves itself doesn’t serve the employee, their coworkers, or your company.

Next, determine the most appropriate course of action. Does the matter call for written documentation? Or would a brief chat suffice? While we’re all for documenting essential performance issues and conversations, immediately writing up an employee isn’t always necessary and can send the wrong message. Imagine documenting a new employee for a simple mistake—sounds harsh, right?

Don’t be afraid to hop on a quick call or Zoom meeting before making it official with documentation. Sometimes, all it takes is a face-to-face chat to clear things up.

For example, brief feedback can likely correct a minor work error. However, ongoing errors or a problematic attitude addressed previously could be another story and require more extensive measures, from documentation to a performance improvement plan.

Giving critical feedback is never fun, but you can make it constructive by keeping it professional and not getting personal. In other words, address the problem behavior, not their characteristics. 

For example, if Sally has been consistently showing up late for her shifts, bring it to her attention and remind her why arriving on time is important for the company and the rest of her team. Avoid accusing her of laziness or a poor work ethic, as this personal criticism could make her defensive. 

Sometimes, there may be more at play, like personal matters the employee is dealing with affecting their work. Taking a thoughtful, constructive, and empathetic approach can help them improve and allow you to provide additional support if needed.

3. Document performance goals & expectations

When you do meet with employees to discuss their goals and your expectations for them, document it! This ensures you’re on the same page and they understand their responsibilities. And if there is a discrepancy, writing things down allows for questions and clarification. You can even send a recap email after performance conversations.

This documentation should outline what you discussed, what you are looking for from the employee, the goals you set together, feedback, and performance issues (if any). 

Many managers fail to clearly communicate expectations and guidance to support employees in achieving their goals. A survey by Custom Insight found that 49% of disengaged employees point to issues with their direct supervisors. And 15% of them cite poor accountability, communication, direction, and feedback.

Instead, set your team up for success with documentation and direction to help hold them accountable.

4. Provide goal breakdowns

Speaking of goals, consider how to make them less intimidating. You might give an employee a significant goal that will take six months or a year to achieve. Without specific milestones and guidance, this could be overwhelming!

Instead, support your team by breaking their big goals into smaller items, or micro-goals. You could outline these as monthly or quarterly goals, then give them daily and weekly tasks and responsibilities to work toward the larger goals. Discuss what will work best for the employee and create a performance plan. This will give them a clear path and increase their chances of reaching their big goals.

You can then use your regular check-ins to discuss each employee’s progress, determine where they may need more coaching and resources, and assess if and how to adjust their goals. This is just another reason why regular communication is vital to effective daily performance management!

5. Update goals as needed

On that note, sometimes goals will change over time. A plan you and an employee set at the beginning of the year may no longer suit the business’s overarching strategy. With everyday performance management, spotting these shifts and making necessary adjustments is easier.

Schedule consistent, frequent meetings with team members to check on progress and stay ahead of these changes. It can be demotivating if an employee spends significant time and energy working toward something that never comes to fruition but could’ve been caught earlier. 

However, modifying their goals in a timely manner keeps them on track to success, aligns their daily work with the goal, and boosts productivity.

Enhance Your Everyday Performance Management

Think of it this way: You likely take a weekly, if not daily, look at your organization’s financial performance. Doesn’t the performance of your people deserve the same level of attention and management? 

The most successful businesses no longer rely strictly on annual performance reviews—especially those with virtual or hybrid teams. They are incorporating performance management into their daily routine. In turn, they’re increasing employee engagement, productivity, and retention. Not to mention, it fosters stronger relationships between employees and their managers.

If you’re looking for new performance management strategies to add to your practices and policies, BlueLion can help! We have first-hand experience building a talented team and a positive culture of transparency and feedback, and we’ve helped numerous businesses do the same. Contact us today at 603-818-4131 or info@bluelionllc.com to learn more about our outsourced HR services. 

The information on this website, including its newsletters, is not, nor is it intended to be legal advice. You should contact an attorney or HR specialist for advice on your individual situation.

How can he maintain a genuine connection with employees and ensure they are comfortable coming to him with concerns?

He explained that he believes he has a strong connection and relationship with his staff. But he’s noticed they still hesitate to approach him with complaints, although he welcomes all forms of concerns and feedback. 

While this is generally the nature of being a “top dog,” there are steps and leadership skills that small business owners can take to establish a rapport with employees and mitigate the fear of speaking up. We asked a few of our own team members—both leaders and staff—for their best leadership tips from both perspectives, so check them out below!

Consider yourself part of the team, not the boss.

“I NEVER refer to myself as anyone’s ‘boss,’” says BlueLion co-founder, Toni Runci. “I understand the point of the term, but in my opinion, it creates a lack of connection between my team members and myself.”

Her leadership tip: Get to know your employees on a personal level to build a deeper connection and empathy!

“I try to work with my team more as a peer, who at times has to make more elevated or escalated business decisions,” Toni continues. “I want to know what is happening in their lives, with their significant others, their children, their parents. I like knowing what they did over the weekend.”

BlueLion team member, Amanda Shae, gives her take on leadership from an employee perspective. “Lead from a leadership perspective, not from a boss mentality,” she explains. “Leaders build people up, lead with emotional intelligence, and genuinely care for employees.”

Bottom line: Being a boss and being a leader are two different things! Effective leadership skills revolve around your actions more than your words. How can you show your staff that you care about them both professionally and personally?

Anyone can talk the talk—but can you walk the walk? When you tell employees you’ll do something, follow through! If you tell them they can come to you with complaints listen with an open mind and find out how you can support them or improve the situation. Then act on it.

Look for ways to have their back.

On a related note, the most effective leaders have a sharp eye for where and how their team needs support. Toni says if she encounters a staff member who is struggling with something, whether personal or work-related, she always asks how she can help or offer resources.

On the topic of work-related support, she emphasizes, “I am never above doing the same work they do. It keeps me connected to their ‘life’ day-to-day within the organization, so I can feel what they feel. I always have their back.” 

So, what does that look like? For one thing, Toni explains she never pushes back when her team members come to her with an issue. “I collaborate and ask, ‘What do you need/want from me here? Do you need advice, or do you need me to step in and handle it at an escalated level?’ I want them to know I am here to support them in as many ways as possible.”

Communicate your schedule and set expectations.

While it’s important to be there for your team to answer questions and handle situations, YOU are human, too! Knowing your limits and when to delegate is a vital leadership skill.

BlueLion co-founder Alison Milioto reminds small business leaders that there will be times you can’t respond right away, and it’s ok to take time for yourself. She recommends setting clear expectations of your availability well in advance (when possible), so your team is prepared for a delayed response.

Additionally, you should:

• Outline a clear chain of command so they know who to go to for issues when you’re unavailable
• Communicate your team’s priorities, due dates, and workflows while you’re OOO
• Define each task with clear instructions, as applicable, so employees feel prepared
• Trust your team! This means allowing them to work without fear of micromanagement because you know they’ll get the job done, even when you’re not around.

Help them learn, improve, and grow.

Another BlueLion team member shared a quote by renowned entrepreneur, author, and speaker, Jim Rohn: “A good objective of leadership is to help those who are doing poorly to do well and to help those who are doing well to do even better.”

As you interact with and evaluate your employees’ performance, take a deeper look. 

WHY is someone struggling? What is the root cause? How can you show them you care, help build their confidence, and improve their skills and performance? 

If a team member is already showing potential, how can you nurture their growth and help them take their abilities to the next level? Can you fuel their passion for certain types of projects or work?

The simple solution: ASK THEM! You can easily stay on top of this when you have regular meetings, a performance review process, and stay interviews in place. This way, you can find out precisely what they need to do better and find higher job satisfaction. 

And as a savvy leader, you know that showing your team that you care about their professional growth and passions boosts employee engagement and retention!

Remember your employees are humans!

For Toni, this is the number one rule that ties back to her entire leadership approach. “[My team members] are humans first and foremost, and I never forget that.”

Echoing her business partner’s sentiment, Alison advises quarterly check-ins to discuss not only work. “We are all fully remote, and I want to know how they’re doing as a human, not just an employee.” 

It is especially important for small business leaders with remote workforces, like ours, to remind people that you care about them and maintain that connection. Alison says this also means taking extra time to check in when you know an employee is facing challenges.

One way you can create a culture of transparency and trust is by establishing an open-door policy. Consider ways to make this an approachable, encouraging, and compassionate process. It may take time for employees to warm up to it, but when you show them you’re truly open to ideas and critiques and that it’s ok to make mistakes, their trust will grow.

Be a Leader Who Fosters Trust & Transparency in the Workplace

There are many essential leadership skills small business owners must possess. But in today’s ever-changing workplace, the most important are our soft skills, intuition, and team-oriented mentality. When we show our employees that we genuinely care, they’ll grow more comfortable approaching us even in difficult situations.

So instead of carrying yourself as the “boss,” view yourself as one of the team. And remember that you are all humans deserving of compassion and empathy!

Do you need more leadership tips or assistance with building a culture of trust? We’d love to share more about our own experience at BlueLion, where we’re proud to say we’ve built a team of talented individuals who aren’t afraid to come to us for support or speak their minds! Contact us at 603-818-4131 or info@bluelionllc.com to learn more today.

The information on this website, including its newsletters, is not, nor is it intended to be legal advice. You should contact an attorney or HR specialist for advice on your individual situation.