In the life of every business there will arrive those times when productivity and motivation just isn’t what you hoped it would be. Some recent research published in the Harvard Business Review sheds some long needed light on how true leaders can go about changing the work environment.
- The first thing to look at is you and your management style. Not everyone can manage. Not everyone can lead. Unfortunately many small business owners and managers believe they can when all they are really doing is bossing people around. Any six year old can do that. You are leading grown adults with responsibilities. You need to motivate them and inspire them. You need to make sure they know how important they are to the success of the business operation.
- There will be challenges with your systems regardless of planning. The only ones who recognize these problems are the employees who have to deal with them every day. Find out what is slowing them down and fix it so that there is a flow and that the employees become less frustrated.
- You need to establish concise and easily executed goals. Everyone has their individual job and they need to be able to see how what they do affects everyone else. Make sure everyone knows what everyone else does and how collectively the company succeeds and stays in business.
- If there has been something in place forever and it no longer works, get rid of it and replace it with something that will. You simply can’t manage or boss. That’s easy. Anyone can do that. Your employees want to believe in you and your vision. Show it to them and ask them to help you bring it to fruition. That is what leaders do.
-Written by Kevin Sawyer
