Running a business is tough. There are decisions to be made, customers to be attended to, and employees to manage. If you’re a business owner, manager, or supervisor, then there is heavy responsibility on your shoulders, as you strive to help your business or organisation be successful. As many entrepreneurs and accomplished business people know, employees are the backbone of any great organisation, and their work can truly make or break your business. Unhappy employees will leave your employment or underperform. So how do you ensure you’re getting the most out of your employees and treating them well? There are a lot of ways to show your employees the respect and appreciation they deserve…but these 7 ways aren’t them. In fact, doing the opposite of these 7 behaviours is a great way to assure your reputation as an excellent boss. In no particular order, here are 7 sure-fire ways you will annoy your employees:
1. Lacking to provide a clear structure.
Businesses run better when there’s a clear structure of processes and an apparent hierarchy. This creates a comfortable consistency that allows employees to get into a routine. They know what to do and who to report to. A lack of such structure can be frustrating and confusing.
2. Flip-flopping on decisions.
Your employees may not always agree with your decisions, but they’ll respect you more if you make decisions and stick to them. This adherence and confidence garners respect, and makes you a more dependable boss.
3. Micromanaging.
Employees despise when you nitpick every aspect of their work and try to control precisely how something is done. Demonstrate trust in your employees by allowing them to complete tasks away from your micromanaging gaze.
4. Not respecting their time.
Employees’ time is as important as yours, and recognising that earns you major points and loyalty. When you don’t respect an employee’s time (consistently asking him/her to stay late, or contacting them on weekends or holidays) resentment breeds.
5. Show favouritism.
Nothing is as irksome as a boss or manager playing favourites. This reflects poorly on you as a superior and tends to break down morale. Employees who aren’t shown favouritism may take less pride in their work and become less productive. Those on whom you show your favour may also earn the dislike of their fellow employees, creating friction and drama.
6. Throw them under the bus with customers.
Many business owners hold to the adage “the customer is always right.” It’s important that if you maintain such a credo, you do not do so at the expense of your employees. If a customer has been abusive with an employee or has criticised or accused the employee of a certain action, maintain composure with the customer but do not immediately vilify or blame the employee. This erodes the atmosphere of trust and camaraderie you want to build in your business.
7. Taking undeserved credit.
It is vital to show your employees genuine appreciation for their work and their efforts. This also means giving credit where credit is due, and never assuming the credit for the work completed by an employee. Passing an achievement off as your own when that is not the case leaves a bad taste in the employee’s mouth and may cause them not to work as hard in the future.
For more ways to run a successful business, keep reading our employment blog, updated frequently with tips and tricks for the workplace. And if you’re looking for excellent workers in any capacity, contact our team at On Line Recruitment and Labour Hire today for more information on permanent and temporary recruitment and labour hire solutions.
