It is a common practice for workers to complain about their bosses. In the same right, it is practically a right of passage for leaders in a company to complain about their employees when you should be helping your employees.
Let’s get this clear from the start. If you are a leader, don’t do that.
Control what you can control and do what you can to make your employees lives easier. In return, they will take notice and make your life easier as well.
It is important that any business owner or leader accept the fact that their employees will not care about the business as much as they do. This is not strange.It is not a character flaw. It is not their business. The success of the business is not as much of a priority to them as getting their paycheck and doing the work that allows them to support themselves and their family.
Some companies are adopting a new idea, along the lines of ‘my employees do not work for me, I work for them.’
This changes the dynamic of the employer-employee relationship in a powerful way.
With this mindset, leaders no longer focus on squeezing every drop of productivity from their workers but are more interested in putting them in positions to thrive. Here are some ways you can do this for your employees.
Here are three tips for putting your employees in a position to succeed:
1. Invest in Your Employees
Put money into making your employees lives easier. This could take the form of better operating systems, higher quality equipment, or hiring extra help. Be careful about doing this in ways that look like you are trying to win points with workers such as company dinners and team building retreats. This runs the risk of appearing like a lazy ploy to improve morale and can backfire if it feels like extra time required at work.
A great way to invest in your employees is by implementing quality HR Software. Human Resources is the bridge between the company and the workers. Spending money to make that bridge function at the highest level is money well spent.
2. Listen To Their Concerns
No matter what you do to build a comfortable environment for your employees, some of them will shy away from voicing their concerns. The curse of having authority means that people will not always be honest with you. See what you can do to give them an environment to express themselves without worrying about them impact. This could take the form of anonymous surveys.
The next step is the most important. Show them you are taking action on the suggestions that they make. Some of them might be bad suggestions. You don’t need to take every piece of advice to make everyone feel good. But, you do need to show them that their opinions are actually important to you.
3. Fire The Employees Who Aren’t A Good Fit
Sometimes there will be employees who are simply not a good fit for your business. You see, putting your employees first does not mean you should be a pushover. It does not mean you should work to fulfill their every request. It is about working to put them in a position for success.
If it becomes clear that they cannot succeed with your company, the best way for you to help them is to get them out. They will be better off with another company in another position. Communicate this to them if you have to, but do not hold them hostage in a job where they do not fit because they are scared to quit and you are scared to fire them. That hurts both of you.
Giving without expectations
If employees see that their well-being is a priority to the leadership of the company they work at, they will respond by making the well-being of the company important to them. This is the law of reciprocity. People want to help those who help them.
But if you make a show out of doing good things for your employees, they can also resent you for being ingenuine. The best way to know if you are doing something for them is to ask yourself if you are expecting anything in return.
If you have expectations, you are being insincere. Do it because it is right, not because it helps you.