Q: I have my own small business about a year ago and has grown steadily. I like having my own business, but I'm having a hard time dealing with people. I have 5 employees and now I seem to spend half my time so that they do what they do and actually doing the other half of my time, who did not get done. Things were much simpler when I was a one-man shop. Any suggestions?
- Paul C.
A: Ah, Paul, to the wonderful world of the staff a warm welcomeManagement, the bane of many entrepreneurs there. I hope you have a full head of hair now, because depending on how quickly you can grasp in this situation, you might end early in a very short time. And if you start now all you can do is, put on a roof and keep reading.
Some business experts will tell you that managing people is an art. Others will tell you that managing people is a skill. I will tell you that the people management is more like herding cats is. Just whenThey think everyone has the same direction that will run away, and starts walking. And when you come back with the stray cat the rest of the herd was all gone in different directions. No wonder most entrepreneurs hate cats. They remind us how little control we sometimes have on our employees.
The hardest part of leadership is in control of your business, while the herd is running wild. To consider further push the envelope analogy: ifYour employees run your business instead of you, is a bit 'like the inmates taking over the asylum. Crazy things could start to happen, like losing customers and exit the market.
Here's the bottom line, Paul, or manage your employees or you can do it, it's easy.
The truth is the key for management is to adjust only the best people, train them well, they feel they have an interest in the success of yourBusiness, and expect only the best of them.
Notice, and if that employee rarely will do anything for you, you should go out of their way to good things for them to do, giving as an added bonus, raises, job security, responsibility, praise, a big turkey at Christmas, etc. . it's hard to find good employees. It is advisable to keep them happy not to be.
One of the most difficult tasks faced by any entrepreneur is to find good people to work in their activities. And by good people that Imeans honest, loyal, dedicated, hardworking individuals who give their best for the good of society and go beyond the duty to satisfy the customer.
It is these people as hard as ... well ... Herding Cats. Hard to do, but not impossible. Here are some tips to help you better understand the recruitment and management employees.
Only experienced, qualified people to take a proven track record of performance. Since employees are usually the most important pointContact with the customer, it is important that you hire only experienced and qualified to represent your company. It 'also important that the potential employee in such a long position, which he rented for as. If there is a sales job, you want someone to prove that he can sell it for rent. If there is, copy machine, you want someone who has proven to hire a professional to fix the copier. Forget the beginner setting and provides training in the workplace when it comes to keyStaff. Go with an old pro, every time, even if it costs more to do. The investment will be returned to you manifold.
Screen all applicants thoroughly. There are many candidate screening products on the market today that can help screen candidates for things like honesty, integrity, ambition, former drug use, past criminal behavior, etc. These products range from simple forms of fancy paper, Web-based applications. Find one that suits your needs and certainlyApplicant who passes through the door. You'll be amazed how good a screening program will help you eliminate problem employees before they are set to be excited.
Perform drug tests and background checks on key employees. I ask forgiveness of those "right to privacy" do-gooders who tell me that is the personal life of a person and the content of the urine are not my thing, but if I have to pay the salary of each week you can be assured that I will exercise the My right to verify that people so faras the letter of the law allows. The U.S. government tells me what I can do and what not when it comes to checking on potential employees, please. Go save a tree and let me run my business.
Always check professional references. This is a big mistake that many employers do. Ask for references, but never check the quality or legitimacy of the reference. Investigations have shown that the references more work or family or simply false, and friends who are willing to say, as they aresize of the applicant. Forget references from family and friends. Ask for the names of their last three employers will ask you to verify information on the application. Employers are more than law, what they can reveal about the applicant limited, but if you simply ask, would you hire this person to have another chance, you will learn what can be excited. The former employer will be able to respond immediately to stop the person or there will be a long pause on the other sideEnd of the phone. Anyway, you wanted to know.
Never hire out of desperation. Many employers are more interested in filling only one open slot to fill with someone qualified to do the job. You see this especially in fast food, retail and manufacturing, where the turnover rate is out of scale and finding good employees is like herds of mammals of the feline species (last update, I promise). Never hire someone just because they have a pulse. Thekeep coming back to haunt you.
Use a trial period to filter out non-artists. Please inform new hires that 60-day trial period where you regularly have their attitude and performance. If at the end of the probationary period the employee is not working, you thought they were pretty a final check and let them go. Most non-artists never reach the end of the period of 60 days anyway.
If someone does a good job rewardsthem for this. Incentives are a great way to improve employee performance. We are all like children. If we think we are a new toy (or bonus) for a good work we do get to meet more. It should reward the best and make a big deal because you do. You can do this with stock options or bonus checks or free vacations or what ever.
It 'important that all employees understand that if the company does well, they do it well. While theCompany grows, so will their salaries.
Here's to your success!
