Happy New Year! Time to Rethink Your Business
This is the time of the year when most of us plan for the new year. For many businesses I have approached, hiring more employees is still high on the list. To attract and keep employees, it’s important to plan for how to train and manage your new hires as well as your whole staff.
An article I found in Inc. by Marcel Schwantes tackles that topic. Schwantes discusses a study by Google focused on the most valued characteristics of great managers in today’s work environments. The article talks about the five traits they all shared. This includes:
1). Being good coaches
This is more than just on-the-job training; you must help your staff identify their strengths and stay engaged with them to help solve problems.
2). Not micromanaging
Google found more empowerment of people and less micromanagement in their best managers. You need to trust your people to do their jobs.
3). Showing interest in their employees’ well-being
Leaders need to look at a more holistic view of their employee’s health, including mental and emotional health, stress management, and preventive care options for the whole person.
4). Listening to the team
Few behaviors enhance a conversation as much as attending to what people say. It signals respect and a sense of curiosity about what people have to say.
5). Helping employees with career development
Managers need to show an interest in their jobs and career aspirations and create learning and development opportunities for their people.
I always believed that the most important rule is listening. We always ask each employee to answer a simple question every year. What can we do differently? It is always amazing that the people performing the job will always have some of the most creative responses. As an owner or manager, you may have a good handle on the business, but the people doing the work daily are the real experts in their areas.
Getting everyone involved and letting them know how things will be measured for success is also vital. The business has changed for all of us over the last three years. You will be surprised by the answers you get from the simple question: What can we do differently? If you really listen.