Are You Connected to Your Staff?
Kerri Lawrey-Jones | Operations. Accounting. Organization. | Tuesday March 30 2010My job, by nature, is to fix what is broken, or improve what is not productive. Oddly enough, when I am hired to fix or improve business operations, my assessments often do not find that a company’s procedures or general operations are the main issue – what I do find, however, is much more damaging – I find a complete disconnect between the owners, managers and staff.
When the leadership is not connecting properly with their staff, everything suffers – moral, commitment, processes, customer service and revenue. Even if a company has textbook operations, if the staff is not connected to the leadership, the company will inevitably fail.
I cannot tell you how often I hear small business owners say… “I am not a manger”, “I do not want to be a manager”, or manager’s say, “I am doing everything I can, but the staff just doesn’t care”. Unfortunately, these are not only excuses for failing to be a leader; they are going to sink your ship!
Staff IS your organization – they are the face and the power that can make your organization soar. If you do not nurture them, teach them, admire them and lead them they are not going to produce the results you desire.
If you are a business owner or manager, you need to create ways to connect with your staff. Here are some ideas:
(1) Be honest. If you feel your staff is not meeting the requirements of the job, talk “with” them – never “to” them. Share with them your concerns and inquire as to why they are struggling. Often times you will find it was merely a misunderstanding – the expectation was unclear, training was inconsistent, or perhaps your employee has far too much on their plate.
(2) Job descriptions. When hiring an employee it is imperative to have their responsibilities written, in detail, on paper. This document will serve as their daily road map and it will manage their day when you are unable. Additionally, if you are over-taxing them, it serves as a reminder to you. It will detail what is expected of them and ensure you are not being overly demanding. Sometimes, as owners and managers we get lost in a mountain of things to do and forget that our staff takes on more than we know, or should expect.
(3) Employee appreciation. It is important to not only recognize and appreciate your employee’s efforts, it is important to reward. Setting up a profit-sharing plan, bonus plan, or giving small gifts for meeting milestones goes a long way in making your staff feel special. This is a small investment compared to the increase in revenue you will see when your staff is productive and your clients are happy.
Always remember… this world is full of all kinds of people, and in the world of Entrepreneurship, you have leaders and you have supporters. If you did not, everyone would have a single person enterprise without the support of staff. This is good news in that, as nature always does, it provides a balance. Nature does its job to provide; now it is up to you to make proper use of this gift. Help your staff succeed, and you will succeed in kind.
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Kerri,
Great post. I could not agree with you more. I see the same thing day in and day out. Well said!
Grant