LPHR Magazine (March 2013) | Page 52

PRACTICES LPHR 3/13 TOUCH BASE GUIDELINES Review the employee’s business and personal goals. Review where the employee excels or needs improvement. Get general feedback and suggestions. Ask the associate how you, as the manager, can do anything to make their work experience more professionally rewarding. Discuss any specific events or incidents that occurred since last meeting. Leaders who practice Touch Bases on a weekly basis tend to further develop their skills and abilities when it comes to handling other human resource performance practices. When it comes time to conduct annual performance reviews, leaders can refer to the documentation from each one-on-one touch base session to assist in accurately, fairly and effectively rating employees. Plus, having a set time for open dialog nips any issues in the bud before they fester or become potential problems. Motivational coaches such as Tony Robbins are the first to tell leaders that “Repetition is the mother of mastery”. A leader who practices touch bases each month with all 12 of the product representatives they directly oversee, is sharpening their coaching skills 144 times more than a leader who is not. It’s an effective practice that takes no more than 15-20 minutes per session and serves as a continuous reminder of your shared goals, shared knowledge and mutual respect for another. MARCH 2013 | LPRH.CO FEATURE ARTICLE | Practices