4hb.com :
Start and Run a Business
:
Working With Employees
By Dr. Robert Sullivan
Dealing with employees (contracted or yours) is always
challenging and will tax your best management and leadership
skills. The following listing, based on a good deal of
experience, are items to consider that will help keep you out of
trouble when dealing with your employees:
* Be willing to pay for the best. Remember, you get exactly
what you pay for ... no more and no less.
* Everyone has their own way of doing things. We all seem to
forget this and insist it be done "our way." A better approach
is to give instructions as to what is needed and allow the
individual to provide the method.
* Remember to always criticize in private and to praise in
public.
* Remember that EVERYONE needs to feel appreciated. Talk to
your employees and make certain they know they are providing a
valuable service.
* Stay visible. Make certain all your employees see you at
least once a day. Your employees need to know you're involved
and interested.
* Keep your promises. If you say you're going to do something,
do it! There are no good excuses in the eyes of your employees.
* Ask your employees for suggestions on a regular basis. Do
this personally ... not just with a "suggestion box."
* Allow your employees to fail! It is well documented that
successes are generally preceded by one or more failures. The
employee who is afraid to fail will be less likely to be
innovative. It is up to you to see that none of these failures
is fatal to the business.
* Every employee must know exactly what their responsibilities
are and what authority they have for carrying out these
responsibilities. This usually is accomplished by very precisely
written job descriptions.
* Manage by objectives. Each of your employees should be
assigned (by mutual agreement) specific goals to be obtained
within a certain period of time. These goals must be measurable
and you will periodically review them so that corrective action,
if needed, may be taken to get back on track. Managing by
objectives stresses real results as opposed to a job description
which only lists the individual's responsibilities.
* Constantly motivate your employees to do a good job. Talk
to them about their job and its importance to the business.
Maintain an "employee-of-the-month" program with an appropriate
certificate and a traveling trophy. Make the monthly
presentation with fanfare.
* Implement an effective training program to encourage
promotion. Any employee who thinks they are in a dead-end job
will not perform up to expectations.
* Remember the "Peter Principle"... to paraphrase: Everyone
rises to their level of incompetence. See that this does not
happen in your organization.
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This article is an excerpt from "The Small Business Start-Up
Guide" by Robert Sullivan, which is available from the
publisher, Information International, Box 579, Great Falls, VA
22066, at $16.95 plus $3.50s/h. 800 375 8439. Visit "The Small
Business Advisor" at http://www.isquare.com
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