How to hire self managed people

When things are a bit hectic and several things seem to be going downhill I tell myself,

‘My job would be so easy if I didn’t have to deal with guests or employees’

This usually makes me chuckle to myself and reminds me that without those individuals I wouldn’t have a job. Naturally, it doesn’t mean that the better leader you are the more problems with guests and employees you create. The opposite is true. The goal is to minimize these challenges and not to have the same problems repeat.

The key to this as a leader is developing ‘self managed’ team members. This is especially true for young and inexperienced workers. If every day, you could be there in the morning to wake them up and get to work on time, make sure they clock in and out properly, be right with them on post to direct what to do and how to do it, then that individual would be well managed, right?

The concept I try to promote is to ask the individual,

‘if you were your own supervisor what would you do to make yourself successful in your current position?’

Here are the main areas and some (not all) of the important questions to ask to determine if someone is self managed,

Attendance

Plans their personal needs, (school, social, appointments and vacations) around their work commitment without having to frequently request time off.

Arrives 5 minutes early every day

Finds a replacement to cover their shift if an emergency comes up

Guest service Consistently displays friendliness and takes hospitality to the guests Turns difficult guests into happier guests by preventing and resolving complaints

Presentation

Displays or exceeds the ideal presentation standards without having to be instructed

Acts appropriately in guest view areas

Job Skills Individual keeps Safety skills current by attending facility training and self training Is able to perform critical safety skills without help when tested or required.

Teamwork Completes assigned work to high level consistently without supervision Cooperates fully with supervisors Brings an action plan involving themselves to supervisors when a problem is spotted.

These are just some examples of being self managed. If you have any other examples please let me know and I will add them to this article.

Remember being self managed is a basic requirement of a leader and it is a journey not a destination!