If you are trying to steer a new course, be sure your seasoned veterans and new recruits are on board!
It Takes Many Hands to Move a Ship
Maybe you have heard from, or commiserated with, other owners and managers who have been trying to “turn the ship” and feel that it is a solitary endeavor. Steering a new course is always challenging, but if you agree with the premise that it is easier to steer a ship when all hands set the rigging toward your intended heading, then it makes sense to bring your “crew” up to speed with your plans and not to consider them as adversaries. If you see yourself as solely responsible for bringing about change, your employees will probably wonder where, if at all, they fit into your plans. When they know “something”—but not “what”—is going on, they may fear that any action might hinder rather than assist your change, or they may take incorrect action. This can take the “wind out of their sails” and cause them to step back and avoid any actions that you may potentially welcome.
Keep an Open Mind
If you are coming into a new situation, keep an open mind about an individual employee’s performance. Most people perform differently under various circumstances. Evaluate any information given to you by previous management in light of your own observations. Communicate and interact with employees to learn more about their strengths and weaknesses and how they interact and work with others. You may be able to inspire a disgruntled or underutilized employee to step up and meet new challenges. Going into a new endeavor with a “clean house” approach usually becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy and can cripple your business, leaving it short on valuable experience. Better to go with a “clean slate” approach.
Address Employee Fears
Employee resistance to change is largely based on fear of change. If your employees appear to be resisting change, ask questions to find out why. They may fear that the company will not survive a change or that they will lose their job. Change may bring specific challenges to them that they feel ill-equipped to meet. Communicate your reasons for bringing change to the company and the negative consequences of not taking action. Listen to and acknowledge your employees’ thoughts. Try to minimize the hardships of change for employees. If job responsibilities are changed, offer an opportunity for training. If an employee wants to take this opportunity to try something different, see if this can fit with, or even facilitate, your plans. If you need to cut staff in some areas, retained staff will judge how you handle it. You might shuffle staff in different groups; give ample notice; or provide outplacement assistance, severance, or re-training.
Could this be a period of disruptive innovation by small business owners?
I marvel at the talent, innovation and speed of the entrepreneur. After spending many years in corporate America, I find the entrepreneur refreshing and challenging. Always keeping me on my toes! But, it’s that innovation and do it now movement that is setting the pace for this economic recovery. The entrepreneur doesn’t have time to lick wounds or trim fat – they run lean operations and are always on the lookout. And, they are willing to take risk and move quickly.
Call it: Disruptive Innovation.
Disruptive innovation is an innovation that improves products or services in unexpected ways, affecting existing markets. These innovative products and services are often offered at a lower price than similar existing products and services or to a different set of consumers. Tough economic times often bring out the best from small business professionals and can foster a period of creativity. That’s why Professor Clayton Christensen at Harvard Business School feels like this economy will have a positive effect on innovation. Small business owners have the ability to change quickly and shake things up. They can also benefit by partnering with larger businesses that may be too big or cumbersome to change quickly and may be in need of a swift change-up in technology, services, and products that small businesses can provide.
Small business employs upwards of 50% of Americans. Disruptive Innovation has my support – When SMARTBusiness Matters.
Great leaders know there is no sense in blazing a path if nobody will follow. You have to own the responsibilities of leadership as well as the trappings in order to create an effective team.
A simple definition of leadership is “the ability to lead.”
As business owners and management, you are expected to direct, guide, or command a group of people and a variety of business activities. Leaders are people who set the path of and the tone for their companies’ objectives. Hopefully the path you’ve chosen will be a good one, but it is important to remember that you also have to take responsibility for the weaker decisions you will ultimately make. More often than not, how you handle the bad times defines your leadership ability to your staff and others.
Recognize your strengths and weaknesses.
Nobody is perfect. We all have strengths, and we are all flawed in some way. Often, leaders are tripped up because they don’t recognize their weaknesses or their strengths. At other times, they stumble because they don’t realize that, if overused, their strengths can become grave weaknesses and that a weakness may, at times, be their strength. Great leaders are self-aware.
Be willing to learn what you don’t know.
Great leaders recognize what they don’t know and are willing to learn from their staff, associates, and others. They listen to their staff and customers, solicit input, ask questions, analyze information, and then make the best decision they can with the information they have. While they are willing to redirect their course when necessary, they don’t vacillate in decision-making.
Keep the lines of communication open.
Communicate your vision for the company and its programs. Outline the mission to be accomplished so that everyone understands in which direction the company is headed and what is expected of them. Encourage all your employees to communicate. You want to keep communication flowing up and down through the chain of command. Great leaders “connect” with their staff and others and have the ability to pull many people together to achieve their goals.
Build a culture of trust.
Be honest and open with your staff in order to foster a climate of mutual trust. Engage your staff’s talents and rely on their strengths and advice. Provide constructive criticism to them but also be a system for support and a sounding board for them. Hold your staff accountable for their actions, but be sure to hold yourself accountable too.
Recognize and applaud the efforts of your staff.
Let employees know when they’ve done a good job, and be sure that they are recognized for their hard work, their brilliant ideas, and their many contributions to the company. Resist the urge to take all the credit for a project. Your recognition is important in encouraging employees to reach new heights. Great leaders realize that they get more done by effective delegation to employees willing to take on new challenges.
Great leadership comes with experience and continued growth.
Assess your leadership style and skills, and continue to learn and grow in areas where you may lack expertise. Your staff will appreciate your abilities and your dedication to your responsibilities. If you lead, they will follow.
Your employees’ ideas and passion for their work can help your business grow and succeed. Are your employees giving your company their all? Do they believe that what they’re doing is important? Do they feel appreciated? Do they arrive for work filled with purpose?
If you can’t honestly offer an enthusiastic “yes” to these questions, consider how you can improve your work environment and relationships to encourage employees to work with energy and enthusiasm. The results could be profitable –– personally and financially.
Provide tools. Make sure your employees have everything they need to do their jobs. Ask each staff member, “Do you have everything you need to be as productive and successful as you can be?” Be willing to act on worthwhile responses. Be willing to reconsider any policies they consider counterproductive.
Set expectations.Clearly communicate what’s expected of employees, what the company’s values are, and how the company defines success. Employees need to understand their roles, where they fit in the big picture, and how they can make the company more successful.
Share information.Provide as much information as possible about the company. Explain where it’s making money, where it’s losing money, how its products are doing in the marketplace, what new initiatives are being considered, and why and how employees can contribute. Even when the news is not encouraging, people will appreciate your openness. And, it may help to spark some creative ideas that you hadn’t yet considered.
Get personal.Take the time to get to know your employees, especially their goals. Without prying, show a genuine interest in your team. When employees feel understood, they’re more likely to contribute to the team’s success.
Commit to training. Most people like to learn, to grow, and to improve their marketability, and the more education and training you provide, the happier and more engaged they will feel. Cross-train employees in a variety of jobs when possible. This not only improves productivity, it builds cooperation and appreciation when team members understand the challenges of other positions. Also, be sure employees are trained in problem solving and conflict resolution skills. These critical skills will help them communicate better with you, their coworkers, customers, and suppliers.
Be inclusive. Include your employees in planning and decision making. Facts “on the ground” may differ from perceptions at 30,000 feet. They may see issues differently and offer ideas for working smarter. If you need to create a more efficient delivery system, ask your delivery staff how they would improve the current system. Use their ideas, and give them credit.
Reward and recognize.Personally thank an employee for a job well-done. Specify what was good about it and why you appreciate it. For example, say: “Thank you for organizing that project so well. You made it very clear what should happen, when and why.” Remember to celebrate effort as well as accomplishment, to give employees working on long-term goals a boost.
Following these strategies will help employees feel valued and enthusiastic about their jobs. Not only is this more fun, it’s good for business, improves retention, and reduces burn out.
Quick and Easy Ways to Recognize Employees
Take care of your employees, and they will take care of your customers. Here are a few inexpensive ways to make staff feel valued.
Free time:
Let high-performing teams leave early to miss rush-hour traffic.
Give an afternoon off to employees who have exceeded expectations for a particular customer or project.
Free food:
Sponsor a free lunch or breakfast for hard-working teams.
Subsidize the price of food in vending machines.
Provide gourmet coffee (this will also help to reduce excursions to the nearest Starbucks).
More ways to say thanks:
Create an events committee to plan fun outings, such as trips to a sporting event, a picnic, or a holiday party.
Say thank you with a handwritten note.
“People are definitely a company’s greatest asset. It doesn’t make any difference whether the product is cars or cosmetics. A company is only as good as the people it keeps.”
– Mary Kay Ash, founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics
Call it: Disruptive Innovation. 
Your employees’ ideas and passion for their work can help your business grow and succeed. Are your employees giving your company their all? Do they believe that what they’re doing is important? Do they feel appreciated? Do they arrive for work filled with purpose?