Several years ago, I circled up all the Executives and had
them list their best staff. I asked them, “If you graded all of your staff on a
scale of 1-10, who would you give a 9 or a 10?”
Out of 300 staff, we had about 15% that we would give a 9 or
a 10. If you research, that is fairly standard. Statistically, 15% of your team
are the high performers and 15% of your team should probably be shown the door.
The other 70% are at varying degrees of average.
I brought our 9's and 10's together in several focus groups and
we talked about why they were better. I was hoping that we could “bottle up”
their spirit and hopefully move our number to 20% or 25%.
A funny thing evolved from the focus groups. They all said the
same thing. It was uncanny how the traits of a “10 Lifeguard” were the same
traits of a “10 Welcome Center Staff.” These 45 staff came up with the 7 Qualities of the Best Staff.
1.
Serve
Others First: Their job was all about the members and participants. They
help members, their peers, their bosses, etc. They are overly excited about
people hitting goals and are innately aware of when members are absent.
2.
Act with
Integrity: They go out of their way to make sure that every transaction is
clean and transparent. When they say they will follow up, they follow up. They
show up for work on time and are somewhat OCD about their timeclock management.
3.
Be a Part
of the Team: The best staff know the importance of staff meetings, changing
shifts with their peers, and helping in other departments on special events.
These are the staff that take extraordinary pride in recognizing others for great
work.
4.
Create
New Ideas: When they visit other Y’s they always bring back ideas. The best
staff suggest new and innovative ways to do their jobs.
5.
Be an
Expert at the Job: It is critical to stay up on the latest skills and
techniques of their job. You can see them practice and/or hungry to learn.
6.
Build
Relationships: They know everyone’s name, birthday and special life event.
They give these over the top welcomes. They are the staff that get the hugs.
These are the staff that you see cornered up listening to a member’s story.
7.
Take
Initiative: They don’t wait for a boss to say do something. They just do
it.
