In any business, it is the staff that deals with the day-to-day events. They make fast decisions on the ground and manage customers daily. As a business owner, you have to put a lot of trust in your employees. This means that they are the heart of the business. You need to have methods and strategies in place to treat the staff as well as you would the customer. Simply put, without well trained and intelligent people, your business is not going to get far off the ground. So, with that in mind, here are some ideas on how you can put the staff at the heart of your business.
Communication
A great way to make the staff feel more involved and more central to the running of the business is to have an effective internal comms strategy. It may be an idea to have a daily email update. Personal emails to staff to encourage performance, and such. Regular buzz sessions and weekly team meetings where a culture of open and honest conversation is advocated. Lead from the top, ask questions, and listen attentively to feedback. At the end of the day, if you want your company to improve, having an open dialogue with the people on the ground is essential for progress.
Facilities
Any good business has great facilities for their staff. Starting with their morning coffee, ensure you have a decent break out area which offers free tea, coffee, milk, and sugar. This is a great perk of a job. If you don’t provide this, think about it today. Think about their breaks too, where can they spend it? Is there a seated area with comfortable chairs and some entertainment? Somewhere they feel as if they have actually had a break. Having good toilets is a must too, ensuring that they are cleaned regularly, and smell nice. Also, it is worth thinking about safety. Investing in CCTV installation will not only protect you but will make the staff feel more comfortable speaking up if an incident occurs, as there will be evidence.
Emotional Rapport
There needs to be a system in place where staff can regularly discuss performance and any personal issues with managers. There must be a rapport between the manager and the staff member to address productivity, etc. effectively. The idea is to get to the bottom of any issues, to make the employee feel as if they are in a family who cares about them. The employee needs to feel reinvigorated to be their best self, and the best way to do that is to make them feel more emotionally connected to the company. You can encourage and offer training programs to equip them better. If you invest in the staff, they will invest in you.
Be Open to Change
If there are issues brought up, show your staff that you are adaptable by making changes that they have suggested. This shows them that they do have power and that their opinions do have an effect, and this is a great psychological booster.
