Question: How do I gain buy-in from a technician who is already pacing ahead of his established Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)?How do I gain buy-in from a technician who is already pacing ahead of his established Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)?

Answer: Most high performers have a level of success that exceeds their peers, and they can become too comfortable in their habits. Even a Super Bowl winning MVP quarterback like Peyton Manning gets coached and fine tunes his game to reach greater success.

The first step is to ask the employee what his big-picture goals are for his career. You do this to get a feel for where he is coming from and it shows interest in him beyond what he currently contributes to the company’s bottom line. Once he shares his professional vision, you’ll have the opportunity to relate how the new process relates to his long-term performance. Share the method of scoring or measuring the new standard with him. Then give him an action item with a set follow-up date for the two of you to review the process and receive feedback from the employee on how it is benefiting or challenging him.

Work through the learning process with him. Many times the issue is that the benefit of the new process is not clearly defined. Make sure to explain how it will be measured and followed up to ensure proper execution.

Julian Scadden is the training implementations Specialist at Nexstar Network. He guides contractors to get the most from their technician training. To learn more, visit www.nexstarnetwork.com. If you have a question you’d like answered, email kylegargaro@achrnews.com.

Publication date: 8/5/2013 

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