Your business can only grow as far as your hand can reach, which means you need employees. But your employees need to have a win/win relationship with you. Your employees are the engine that drives your business, but how well are you taking care of your most valuable asset? Are you focused on making sure that everyone on your team is driving in the right direction? Do you make sure your employees are comfortable talking to you? If you want your employees to work hard and be dedicated to you, you must do the same. Here are 10 things your employees need from you as a small business owner.
- Leadership – As the business owner, you set the tone for your small business. Your employees will always look to you for advice, or for the example of how to handle situations. Do you pay vendors chronically late? Do you work 14 hours a day and weekends, too? Do you go off when a customer complains? Do you come in late every day? Do you openly favor certain employees? Everyone is watching you and they will treat your business just like you do – or worse.
- Appreciation – You need to learn your employees’ love languages. And they all might be different. Is it time off, bonus money, public praise, or more responsibility they crave? You need to make sure that you are giving them what they need to feel valued. Your employees are the most valuable thing in your business, so you’d better be good to them or your business will suffer.
- Engagement – Do not hide in your office struggling to come up with all the answers. Engage your staff in brainstorming sessions to solve issues in the business. I have had many interns save the day.
- Communication – You need to have regular staff meetings to make sure everyone knows what is going on. In these meetings, be sure to hold yourself accountable, too. Don’t demand updates from everyone around the table without offering the status of your own projects. It will help you keep the lines of communication open with your team.
- Mentorship – You should be trying to grow the skills of your employees. Explain why you do certain things and when they are ready, expose them to clients. Invite them to go to certain meetings with you. If you get them fully engaged in your business, they will work harder for you.
- Patience – New employees and young employees need time to grow into their role. Often times as a small business owner, we want people to hit the ground running. But, do you have processes documented enough so that you can tell them what to do and how you like it done? Have a plan in place before you make a hire, so that you can give them a set of goals and manage your own expectations.
- Payment – You need to make sure people are paid timely. Set a payment schedule for every two weeks and not when they need a check. Use a payroll service to make it easy on you to deal with paychecks.
- Protection – Make sure your employees have a safe work environment. Are female employees walking alone to their car at night? Also, do not tolerate clients or other employees who mistreat your staff. No amount of money is worth having people feel like it’s alright with you that they are abused. I use a two chance rule. I will speak with a client who is inappropriate first. You do need to give them a chance to change the behavior. If it happens a second time, I would end the relationship.
- Understanding – There will come a day when one of your best employees will come to tell you that they are moving on. Hoping they will not go into business for themselves and try to take your top customers, (that’s what confidentiality and non-compete agreements are for in employment contracts), but you also need to be understanding and supportive. Never blame someone for doing what’s in their own best interest.
- Celebrations Find Reasons to Celebrate. You can throw a party with your team for any reason: big contracts, birthdays, baby showers, and holidays. As hard as you ask them to work, party just as hard when there is something to celebrate.
If you do these things, after 20 years in business you will have some your original employees still with you.
“Business Team Of Four Applauding” courtesy of stockimages / www.freedigitalphotos.net
Do you have any other suggestions on building great employee relationships?
Hi Melinda; I’m new, well sort of new at this “event planning” stuff. Well, in that I’ve never really been on the payroll when I’ve been doing the gig. But my last wedding was 10 maids/grooms and a wonderful reception! Pulled it off from coaching the proposal to the “I do’s”. I’ve done several gig’s centering on “rock n’ roll” and lots of concerts and plays for the communities. Now here I am over 50 and starting my own business. Absolutely no capital to speak of and a heart so big and full of desire. I need coached! I found a great DJ coach and I’m getting great advice from him. But what I need is someone to get my business flying. So am I talking to the “small business” expert that can really get me going?