Running a company is not just about sales and profits but also about proper human resource management. When it comes to successful organization there is no task more important than developing a solid employee structure. Your employees are your most valuable asset and an integral and vital part of your business. Therefore, you should know how to get the best out of them.
Your staff must be motivated to do what they are required to do. Following are some ways in which you can get the best out of your staff:
1. Communication
Good business owners will always make sure that the communication between them and their employees remain open. A manager/leader who talks to staff on regular basis will always be respected more as opposed to the one who rarely communicates with his staff. The relationship between an employee and a business owner needs to be developed and cultivated over time. Ensuring good communication is the way to become a better leader.
2. Criticism
While criticizing your employees openly in front of others may give you a feeling of power or authority, it won’t do nothing for the self-esteem and credibility of the employees. Criticism should be constructive and it should be delivered in private and in such a way that your employees have a chance to respond.
3. Respect
Respect for your employees means acknowledging their presence, disregarding their status or position, realizing their personal worth, and accepting their individuality. You and your employees are still human. If you expect your staff to be like robots in carrying out every task, then you will soon realize that it’s a very poor method of management. Treating your staff right will result in your employees respecting you in return and getting motivated to perform the required tasks more efficiently.
4. Empowerment
If you want your staff to perform well, then you must provide them with the expertise, training, tools, knowledge, and confidence so they can carry out the required work to a competent level. Employees who are not empowered to perform are likely to end up stressed out as there is no clear direction. As a result, their performance will suffer. As a business owner, it is your responsibility to make sure that all your employees are knowledgeable and confident to carry out their tasks.
5. Incentive
Every employee has deadlines or targets to meet. To get your staff to perform better, it is recommended that you put some incentives in place to reward effort and hard work. This will result in your employees exceeding the required targets.
6. Flexibility
When it comes to accommodating the needs of his staff, a good business owner should be flexible. Flexibility can become a great attribute which you can use to get the best out of your staff, as long as your employees do not abuse this.
Recognition
An employee must be recognized if he performs well, especially on a challenging or difficult task and where he has gone above and beyond what was expected of him. When consistent effort of an employee is not praised or recognized, it is discouraging and deflating for him. The employee will feel that there’s no point in putting more effort than his colleagues if the team leader is not going to acknowledge it.
8. Trust
A good leader/manager trusts his employees to carry out their duties without constant monitoring and supervision. As long as the staff does not betray this trust, the relationship between the employees and the manager will be productive. The staff must also trust the manager/team leader for their best interests and proactively find ways of further improving the relationship.
9. Care
The relationship between an employee and a manager should not be limited to just the working environment. It will not hurt to find out about your staff’s interests outside of work. You can use this to develop a personal connection with your employees. It will show that you are approachable and you care about your employees.
The Bottom Line
A motivated staff will be a productive staff. It is far better to have motivated, empowered, and happy employees than it is to have demoralized, unhappy, and bored employees. This goes far beyond how your staff perceives you. It encapsulates how they perform and how it will be perceived by people in general, both internally and externally.