Last Updated on Mar 27, 2020 by James W
Running your own business is one of the most rewarding and challenging things you can do in your career. One key aspect of running a successful business is your ability to manage and motivate your employees. Without the support of your workforce no matter how big or small that might be success may be hard to grasp.
A study by Dale Carnegie Training recently revealed that nearly 75% of employees are not fully engaged at work. For those that are engaged members of the workforce, the number one factor contributing to their engagement and productivity is their relationship with their immediate supervisor.
If you want to be a successful manager and business owner you have to choose to communicate, connect, and bring your full presence to those you lead. Check out these great types on how to lead and look after your employees:
Trust
There are few more important things in a relationship than trust. The same goes for workplace relationships between employees and managers. A great manager respects their employees enough to give them the truth, even when it might be hard to hear. An open culture of trust and communication is good for business – it’s a proven fact. Firms that practice a culture of open communication outperform their competitors by 270% in terms of long-term shareholder return.
Reward
Ignoring the health and wellbeing of employees in the workplace doesn’t make good business sense. Research has shown that FTSE 100 companies that prioritise employee engagement and wellbeing outperform the rest of the FTSE 100 by 10%. With as many as one in four of us experiencing mental health issues during the course of a year, organisations have come to realise that it is important to protect their employees however they can.
Provision of healthcare is the most popular request of employees’ when it comes to benefits and perks of the job, with 47% of employee’s saying that a company with a healthcare program is one of the reasons that they stay at a company. There are many different healthcare options available to businesses so it’s good to look around and understand what is included in a healthcare policy.
Other ways to look after employees’ wellbeing can include gym memberships and paid training and tuition reimbursement. 75% of employers offer fitness programs, with many gyms happy to provide corporate membership to companies no matter how big or small they may be.3
Leadership
When you are in the position of manager you have to learn to lead by example. The policies and culture of your company must be evident in the way you carry yourself. Showing that you believe and value what you are proposing or selling is key to adding followers to your flock and aligning them within your corporate direction.
Failing to show credibility and honesty in the way you present yourself will reflect poorly on the company and will result in a negative effect on your employees, who may begin to lose faith in your abilities.
Conflict resolution
Showing decisive leadership, as aforementioned, is an important attribute of a good manager. Successful mangers don’t avoid the issues – they tackle them. Office politics being what they are, and best laid plans sometimes going awry, it is a good talent to be able to manage conflict within your business. Serve as a role model for your team, and thereby inspire accountability and decision making in your employees.
Conflict is a constant in stressful, high pressure situations and it is important to learn how to manage it. Employees want a capable leader who stands up for them. Achieve that and you will make everyone’s lives much easier.
