Greater Milwaukee Jobs

2 GREATERmilwaukeeJOBS • February 18, 2016 more than welcome. "Our industry may be unique from a technician perspective," said Shannon Murphy, vice president of sales and marketing for the association, which represents about 2,500 companies. "You don't need a college degree. You can come out of a technical high school or a tech jobs ... from page 1 Let your best teams lead the effort to boost overall performance & A Q A. How well do you know these managers? There are probably clear dif- ferences in their styles and skills, and getting closer to them will help you determine your next steps. In fact, this would be a good opportu- nity for doing a comprehensive assess- ment without singling anyone out. If you don't already do this, set up a 360 feedback process. It should go without saying that it needs to be confidential; ideally, you could have a neutral party conduct it. Be thorough, gathering information from team members, peers within the department, and other inter- nal partners. If relevant, you could even reach out to external clients. Also tap into insights from exit interviews with departing staff. Does this sound too basic? Bureau- cratic? Or like overkill? You'd be amazed at the number of firms I talk to where there is no feedback mechanism for employees, so unhappy people give up and leave. At the end of this process, you'll have the material for determining what makes the good teams operate well and the unsuccessful teams struggle. Now the hard work begins. There is no "one size fits all" solution here, so determine root causes. Poor management can take many forms, from neglect to intimidation. And if you've been hands off in leading the managers on your team, you'll need to bear some responsibility for the current situation. Then clarify and share your expecta- tions for your managers. The "to-do" list can be informed by best practices from your successful teams, and should include items related to treating people with respect, holding them to high stan- dards, communicating promptly, being fair and not playing favorites, etc. It's pretty common sense stuff, but putting it out in absolute terms will give you benchmarks for holding your leaders accountable. Talk to each manager about where they stand – strengths and need for improvement, alike. For high concern teams, set up regular feedback struc- ture with consequences if they don't measure up. And then follow through. You may determine that someone will be moved out of management, for example, or will be placed on an improvement plan that could lead to termination. If it's this severe, be sure you follow through or you'll lose credi- bility. Finally, share your leadership vision broadly. Communicate your standards across the team, and seek to create an inclusive and positive culture.This will help you stay on track by making it visi- ble. If poor performance is tolerated, any discussion about raising standards or moving to leadership excellence will quickly trigger corrosive cynicism. This work will take time and commit- ment from you, and you undoubtedly have a great deal on your plate. Howev- er, there is no substitute for good lead- ership, and this work is not part of your role that can be delegated. Make a commitment to bringing up the level of all teams, and both you and your com- pany will benefit. Q. There's a lot of variability in performance among the teams that report up to me. Some have managers that push them really hard – but their employees love them and stick around. Others have a lot of staff turnover. What's likely making the difference, and how can I get more consistency? By Liz Reyer Tribune News Service (TNS) Liz Reyer is a credentialed coach with more than 20 years of business experience. Her company, Reyer Coaching & Consulting, offers services for organizations of all sizes. Submit questions or comments about this column at www.deliverchange.com/coachscorner or email her at lizdeliverchange.com. Wait Staff Full or part-time, flexible hours, great starting pay, meals & great tips. Open Everyday Till 2pm Your afternoons are free to do what you want! Wooden Goose Cafe 11402 N. Port Washington Rd. • Mequon 262-241-5114 248725001 SALES PROFESSIONAL WANTED for a High End Children's Play Equipment Retailer in Waukesha. We are seeking a motivated, engaging professional who is ready to sell! Must be trainable, reliable, and accountable. Income is limitless, this is a career opportunity. Send resume to: rainbowtomg@gmail.com 248678002 248751001 More Home Time, Excellent Earning Potential! Seeking CDL-A driver with excellent driving/safety record for dedicated flatbed steel loads between Northbrook IL & SE Wisc. Driver should live in SE Wisc. Area. Competitive weekly pay + Stop-offs Full Benefits + Quarterly Safety Bonus No Weekend! INFO: greenlines.net or 847-562-2446 • D R I V E R S • H O T E L & R E S T A U R A N T • S A L E S & M A R K E T I N G • S K I L L E D T R A D E S tech training program, but you can mostly get on-the-job training." That's the theory, but I asked her how likely it was for someone without a degree or experience in the field to land a job. "There are about 21 million monitoring systems installed in the United States right now," Murphy said. "There is about a 25 percent market penetration in the residential market, with a huge opportu- nity for growth. There are lots of new (company) entrants in the industry. We're expecting to see market penetration numbers rise to the 45 percent range in the next few years." The growth, she said, isn't because of an avalanche of homeowner fear about bur- glaries. Rather, more people are adopting sophisticated technology systems that allow them to remotely monitor and control their home energy, lighting and security systems. Then, too, she said, "I can see what my dog is doing while I'm at work." Another growth trend lies in wireless technology sys- tems, the kind that appeal to renters who couldn't or wouldn't install wired sys- tems. Tech-savvy millennials, Murphy said, are buying sys- tems they can take with them when they move from apart- ment to apartment. In my opinion, here's the biggest incentive for appro- priate job hunters to look into the field: "An entry-level technician can expect to make $30,000 to $50,000 to start, varying on the place and the job," Murphy said. "And there are opportunities to rise in the companies." Murphy added that there's another strong job opportuni- ty in the industry: sales. She said successful sales repre- sentatives in many security system companies are making six-figure incomes. A publication of Conley Media Call Center Director: Cindy Shaske 262-306-5016 cshaske@conleynet.com Account Executive: Julie Sears 262-306-5008 jsears@conleynet.com Story Coordinator: Dan Muckelbauer 262-513-2626 dmuck@conleynet.com Production: Patricia Scheel 262-513-2690 GREATERmilwaukeeJOBS Volume 18 • Number 22 February 18, 2016 To place an ad: Call us at 262-306-5008 or fax us at 262-338-5271 deadline: Noon on Wednesdays Distributed by: Conley Distribution 262-513-2646 ©2016 by Conley Media, LLC Waukesha County Independent and Locally Owned GREATERmilwaukeeJOBS is published weekly by Conley Media – Waukesha County, 801 N. Barstow St., Waukesha, WI 53186. Contents of this publication may not be reproduced in any form without the written consent of the publisher. GREATERmilwaukeeJOBS assumes no liability for any error in copy or content. 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