Who is at the centre of your small business? Do you currently run your business alone, or do you have staff? In some ways, managing everything yourself is easier than taking on staff; time is always an issue but you know how to deal with your self. When you begin employing staff you need to quickly learn how to not only manage them, but also how to help them achieve their best.

It is vital that you, as an employer, provide an atmosphere that allows your staff to reach their potential; the better your staff perform, the better it is for your business, after all. So, how can you help your staff to fulfill their potential?

The semantics of helping staff to perform well obviously vary according to their role within the company. However, after many years in business I’ve learnt there are a few fundamentals that do not change.

Listen – Why would your staff have ideas, be creative and provide ammunition to take your business forward if you don’t listen to them. Allow your staff time to come to you with ideas or questions; you’ll learn a lot about your business and might even discover an avenue you’d never thought of taking.

Give – By giving I don’t mean physical or financial rewards. Rather, accept the principle of give and take. You may well be the boss, and your staff needs to respect that, however give and take is necessary to allow everyone in your business to flourish. Allowing staff to work flexible hours is an example; at WinWeb.com my staff work from home, with flexibility and consideration for their families needs. In turn, I have happy staff members who perform at their best because they are not stressed or unhappy about what is happening at home.

Trust – Trust is fundamental in order to secure a productive work environment. What is often overlooked is that it is vital that employees trust their employer. By being trustworthy, as well as trusting others, allows employees to feel comfortable and grounded; reducing staff turnover and increasing productivity.

Challenge – It is vital to challenge your staff. Bored staff members can become dead weight in a business. Make your goals and vision clear and then allow your employees to exercise their creativity and authority in order to meet those goals.

Accountability – Accountability is crucial in order to enthuse and motivate staff members. Holding staff members accountable for their performance enhances their desire to achieve and meet goals or targets.

Recognition – It can become all too easy to reprimand staff that do not meet your expectations, but it is easy to forget to express recognition and gratitude to staff that meet, or exceed, your expectations.

Customers are the lifeblood of your business; but in order to keep your customers happy and be able to fulfill their requirements your staff need to be performing to the best of their ability. It’s well worth investing some time in them!

For the latest information about SME Technology, follow me on Twitter or become a fan of WinWeb on Facebook. I look forward to connecting with you!

A small business quote a day keeps you thinking, inspired and entertained 

“It is only when a person has his own generator that we can talk about motivation. He then needs no outside stimulation. He wants to do it.”

Frederick Herzberg (1923-2000) US psychologist, Harvard Business Review (January – February 1968) 

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A small business quote a day keeps you thinking, inspired and entertained 

“The opportunities for distinction, prestige, personal power, and the attainment of dominating positions are much more important than material rewards in the development of.. commercial organizations.”

Chester Barnard (1886-1961) US management theorist, Organization and Management (1948) 

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A small business quote a day keeps you thinking, inspired and entertained 

“A reward once given becomes a right.”

Frederick Herzberg (1923-2000) US psychologist, The Motivation to Work (1959) 

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A small business quote a day keeps you thinking, inspired and entertained 

“If a man is producing nothing, nobody can be the worse for a reduction of his incentive to produce.”

George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950) Irish writer & critic 

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A small business quote a day keeps you thinking, inspired and entertained 

“I do not love the money. What I do love is the getting of it…  What other interest can you suggest to me? I do not read. I do not take part in politics. What can I do?”

Phillip D. Armour (1832-1901) US business executive 

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A small business quote a day keeps you thinking, inspired and entertained  

“Women are naturally good motivators, good at juggling different projects and issues at the same time, and more cooperative rather than aggressive and confrontational.”

Bridget A. Macaskill (b. 1949) British non-executive director for J. Sainsburys  

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A small business quote a day keeps you thinking, inspired and entertained 

“Almost every kind of fanfare was tried to create enthusiasm.”

Thomas J. Watson Sr (1874-1956) US founder & president of IBM 

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This checklist will hopefully help you encourage your employees to make smart decisions by themselves, therefore empowering them. 

1. Set Guidelines – It can be beneficial to your company to allow each employee to make financial decisions up to a certain value without consulting you. Obviously, high-value decisions must be approved by a superior or by you but if you can trust them to deal with small amounts it will make them feel more important and also save you a little time.
2. Regular Training – It is easy to overlook the importance of training, especially in a SME. By providing regular training you are ‘adding-value’ to the employee and make them a more important asset to your business. Some valuable training can even be provided at very little cost e.g. role-playing exercises.
3. Find Hidden Talents – Take the time to get to know your staff and encourage their input in brainstorming exercises. You may be surprised to find that your receptionist has a talent for coming up with marketing ideas.
4. Customer Care – Teach your employees the value of securing long-term customers. It is well worth making concessions when dealing with a high-value customer. An employee should be knowledgeable about this and empowered enough to make an on-the-spot decision to make a concession when trying to resolve a situation.
5. Reward Them – You may think your employees have done well but unless you show them this they are likely to feel unappreciated. Simple things like treating them to a party after securing a big contract will be great for morale.

A small business quote a day keeps you thinking, inspired and entertained 

“No longer directed by other emotions, I work the way a cow grazes.’

Käthe Kollwitz (1867-1945) German painter 

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