Benchmark Business Group

Employee Development - 2015 Archive

The training and development of your employees is an important piece of business ownership.  If your business isn't learning and growing it means the competition is getting closer or worse further ahead.  Below are a collection of articles on training and employee development from our weekly Business Owner Insights.

Set Clear Expectations with Your Team

This month, as we've focused on how to cultivate an employee ownership mindset, you may have noticed that we've focused on what you can do as a leader and not on what your employees can do. This was deliberate. As a leader you can create the foundation for your employees to establish ownership, but they have to be willing to step up to the plate. This week we'll focus on how to ensure your employees know what is expected of them so they can step up to the plate.

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When your team is emotionally invested in your business

Quote: "When people are financially invested, they want a return. When people are emotionally invested, they want to contribute."
Simon Sinek  
 
Question: What does it look like when your team is emotionally invested in your business?

Our Thoughts: Business is complicated. Day to day operations by themselves take a lot of your time and energy and you have to find a way to balance that with business strategy and empowering your team.   Due to the constant distractions, it's very easy for business owners to become laser focused on "WHAT" is or is not happening and not "WHY" it is happening. As we discussed in, "Communication is a Two Way Street", understanding the motivation of your team will go a long way in making sure they are emotionally invested in your business.
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Trust and Loyalty

Last week, we discussed the importance of communicating your vision in order to create employee ownership.   Our next focus on creating employee ownership is to earn and establish trust and loyalty. If your team does not feel like they can trust the company they will not develop a sense of loyalty to achieving the vision and will not take on an ownership mindset.   Establishing trust with your team starts with you and your leadership team. Follow these fundamental truths for building trust with your employees:

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Communication is a Two Way Street

We often hear business owners ask how they can get their team to have more ownership in their work.   Make sure you follow us this month as we focus on how to foster ownership at every level of your business by cultivating an employee ownership mindset. In this article we are focusing on how communicating and engaging your employees in your company vision creates the foundation for taking ownership of their work, and in helping your business achieve its vision.

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Employee Check Up

This month we have been focused on conducting a business checkup so that you and your team are clear on what your business needs in the 4th quarter to finish this year strong and build momentum for 2016. We have discussed analyzing goals, developing next actions, meeting with your Accountant, and taking a critical look at your Marketing Plan and Sales Process. This week we turn the focus to the people that run the systems: Your team. They are active and vital players in your business. This week we will look at three areas to investigate when doing a staff check-up; Tools, Trainings and Measuring Results.

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Plan and Follow Up

This month we've been focused on dealing with employee issues. We've discussed creating an Employee Notification Form, being aware of your own reaction to the issue, and looking for the root cause of the problem. The final step is to create a solution that lasts.

 

Often times, creating a solution is not an interactive activity with the employee, but rather a lecture. This leads to solutions that are not long lasting. Here are a few tips to help you create a long lasting solution:

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Walk Around With Curiosity

What do you do if you have a headache? It's always fun to hear the different methods people use to treat a headache. Many ignore it or take an aspirin. Some turn down the lights or apply a compress to the back of their necks. The common theme is that most people treat the symptom and not the cause of the headache. This is similar to how most business owner's deal with employee frustrations. This week we challenge you to slow down when facing an employee issue. Don't give in to the temptation to treat the symptom right away, but walk around the issue with curiosity. In doing so you will come to see the real issue and be able to create a long lasting solution.

 

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Dealing With Employee Issues

We've all heard the saying, "It's not WHAT you say, but HOW you say it that counts." This saying is vital when discussing employee issues. As business coaches, we often find that business owners either let employee issues slide or end up handling them in a manner that doesn't create the most productive environment.   The reasons for mishandling employee issues vary such as:

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