Some Thing Bosses Never Tell Employees
Jon liked this article because he's a business owner and he worries about everything. He thinks he agrees with every single one of the points in it.
Do you? Post your comments below!
Jon Dale
Small Fish Business Coaching Byron Bay
www.smallfish.com.au
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The HRMWEB Recipe for Better Customer Service
...whipping your staff admin processes into shape!
Your workforce is your most important, and often your biggest, business asset, so better structure and processes around managing your staff offers many obvious benefits such as time savings, money savings, better staffing decisions, increased control and peace of mind. However, there are benefits that are not always so obvious... one of those is better customer service!
Essentially, your staff are your business. They are your representatives, your front line, the driver behind your day to day operations. Your product and service offerings, customer service and reputation all rest on your staff - so you need to ensure you manage them effectively.
It’s easy to understand that when your administrative processes and your workforce are well organised and working effectively it results in a professional looking business (which consumers do notice) and happier staff - and that means better customer service and a better overall customer experience!
See our three key ingredients to gearing your workforce towards better customer service...
1) The “right” number of staff
It’s the thing that keeps you up at night - figuring out how many staff you need working at any given time, who will work what shifts and what's it going to cost you. It's called rostering and if you don't have processes around how you do it, it will cost you time and your business money.
Not enough staff rostered on - customer’s won’t get the level of service they expect, you'll lose sales and the staff you do have on will be overworked and stressed. Too many staff rostered on - it’s a waste of resources and money... and your staff are bored and frustrated.
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REAL LIFE EXAMPLE: You are at a bar... the line up is 5 people deep. It’s slow, it’s frustrating and all you want is a beer or a wine or maybe even just a soft drink. Is that too much to ask? It is a bar after all – isn’t serving drinks their staple?
Rather than wait you bail and go to the bar down the road (there is always a bar close by!). Not only did that bar lose your business, you’ll tell everyone about that bad experience you've had and you’ll think twice about going back there or maybe you’ll never go back there again!
All that bar needed to do was make sure it had more staff members on to serve... imagine the extra cash that business could make by putting just one extra person on. Now, what if they could use software to predict their “busy” periods and suggest appropriate numbers of staff. Or what if they could see it was getting busy and send a broadcast SMS to all the staff the system knows is free to work a shift at that time – a staff member could be there within 15mins! This is all very possible!
2) Organised and informed staff
If you want your staff to feel like a part of your business "team" then treat them in a way that shows you respect them. Keep them well informed and manage them in a way that is consistent.
Your staff want to be kept in the loop and want easy ways to communicate with each other and with you. Most importantly they want to know you have things under control. They want to be able to come into work and do their job. No one likes surprises!
When your staff feel secure in your ability to manage them and run your business that attitude of calmness and confidence is passed onto the customer.
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REAL LIFE EXAMPLE: Joe comes to work and does his hours, he fills in his paper timesheet... it’s hard because he has to rely on his memory quite a bit but he uses some post it notes to jot down his times every day to make it easier.
Every time his pay is deposited into his account he goes through it with a fine tooth comb making sure to match it up with the post it notes he has been keeping. It’s such a hassle for Joe but he has to do it because his pay packet is sometimes wrong. Joe doesn’t want to be underpaid or overpaid because every time there is an error it is such a hassle to chase up and takes a lot of time for him to do so.
All he wants is for his work hours to be documented accurately and his pay to be correct every time. Is that too much to ask? He does his job properly why can’t he be paid properly? Eventually frustrated, Joe goes and finds a job with another business that has automated systems in place that make his life much easier! Joe was a great worker and the customers loved him... he was a great asset that is now lost.
If only Joe’s employer had an automated roster, timesheet, pay rate calculation system. That way Joe could fingerprint on and off his shifts, have his hours automatically recorded, have his pay rates calculated automatically and then that could all be sent through to payroll. With the reduced reliance on human intervention in that process, Joe could ditch his post-it notes and have the confidence in knowing his pay packet is correct!
3) Happy staff
It's simple. If your staff are happy it will influence how they behave with your customers. It's all about positive vibes - most customer experience goes beyond words - attitude and actions is where it really counts.
A major gripe of staff is how they are managed especially with regards to administration or as we like to call it "the paperwork". For instance, staff want to be allocated shifts based on their availability and they want to easily see what shifts they are working. They want to do as little admin paperwork as possible - they see it as a waste of time, and it usually is!
Having sound processes around how you manage your staff will make their lives, and yours, easier!
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REAL LIFE EXAMPLE: Susan always makes sure her manager knows what times she is available to work. She studies and works part time at another job so she has to manage her time effectively and make sure she is super organised.
Even though she goes to the trouble of detailing her availability in emails and post it notes her manager is always losing them or not looking at them when he does up the roster. So many times she finds out about shifts less than a week in advance or she is rostered on to work at times she has already said she can't do. She has had to amend other parts of her life many times to accommodate shifts that she didn't know she was working.
Every time she is given an incorrect shift she gets frustrated and often the manager asks her to help out and find a replacement. Eventually Susan becomes so frustrated that her "needs" are not being taken into account that it starts to show when she is dealing with customers. She still does a competent job but she is less than happy and customers see that - they walk out of the store saying things like "gee, it would have been nice if I could have at least gotten a smile". They will get that smile somewhere else and then you lose their business.
Staff feel respected when their employer takes into account that fact they are human and have lives outside of work, that they like to know what they are doing in advance and that they can't just drop everything and work a shift. If only Susan's work had an automatic rostering process. She could enter her availability online and the rostering software would take it into account when building rosters. Then the system would sms her the shifts she is to work, well in advance! She could sms back to confirm she can work those shifts and if for some reason she couldn't work a shift wouldn't it be great if the system could find a replacement for her. How easy would that be for Susan! How easy would it be for her manager as well!
...and of course with any good recipe there needs to be a binding ingredient: Technology.
To enable the above three ingredients to be achievable you need to add a fourth “binding” ingredient that pulls everything together – and that of course is, technology.
The days of rostering via Excel spreadsheet, staff availability scribbled on bits of paper, phone calls to communicate shifts, written timesheets based on memory, calculators to add up hourly rates and fat fingering numbers into payroll, are over. Those frustrating, error prone tasks are now able to be completed quickly, easily and accurately by software solutions that are geared specifically to helping administer a business workforce.
Look for a cost effective, web-based, easy to use software product backed by a provider who will deliver you a fully supported solution. Web-based is the way technology is moving (you will hear “the cloud” mentioned a lot these days!) and it’s great because you can access your system from anywhere with an internet connection – so you can run your rostering, payroll, check what staff are on duty etc from home, work, Hawaii – wherever!
Look for guarantees as well - like metrics on exactly how much time and money the product is likely to save you. Also your provider should be able to do continual evaluations and analysis of your “savings & benefits” for a couple months after the software solution is implemented - just to check its working properly for your business.
Be careful of big up-front costs. Older desktop based solutions will cost a lot up front as you are paying for expensive and probably already out of date hardware. Look for solutions that have small set up costs, require minimal hardware and charge an ongoing monthly rate that is calculated on a “per person” basis – that way you will only pay for what you need.
...and most importantly look for a provider who will actually get to know your business processes before they even suggest a solution. The more they find out about how you currently manage your staff the more value they can offer in terms of streamlining your processes and matching software to your business needs.
In Summary...
Streamlining staff admin processes will result in better staffing choices and a smoother running and happier workplace for owners, managers, and employees. The flow on will be obvious as a better work environment will result in a better customer experience.
Streamlining may seem like it’s a difficult or costly thing to do, but it’s not. There are tools out there that can be tailored to your business to quickly and easily streamline your staff admin processes. Just be sure to look for a cost effective, web-based, simple to use product that does everything you need and is backed by a provider who will deliver you a fully supported solution.
Irene Hazilias
Director, HRMWEB
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Using Teams in Small Business
One powerful tool often used by big business to boost productivity and improve outcomes is the use of Teams.
Teams are a small group of people (or staff) with complementary skills, who are committed to a common goal or purpose, set of performance goals and approach for which they hold themselves accountable (Katzenbach &Smith 1993).
Other essential elements of a team is that they have knowledge of each other, a skill to work together, trust, commitment and a shared identity. Teams are held together by their interdependence and the need to collaborate to achieve a common goal.
Typically teams are set up in large organisations such as the military, hospitals, government organisations, production or R&D facilities. They can be used for many and varied purposes such as assembling a product, providing a service, solving a clients problem, developing a new product or searching for new opportunities.
There is however great merit in using these same models in small business.
One of my clients for example is using a Team to roll out a new IT operations system in their business. The Production, Installation and Administration managers, along with the external consultant have formed a Team to make sure the rollout is carried out in the best possible manner.
Each person brings complementary skills to the table, and coming together for this specific task they have provided huge benefits to the rollout. There is a schedule, a plan, accountability and all aspects of the business are represented to make sure mistakes are limited and the rollout proceeds the best possible way.
This means that the business owner is free to overview the process relying on the depth of the business to carry out the actual work and make the best decisions.
Using teams in small business allows for a broader spectrum of problem solving, and if knowledgeable people are brought to the decision making process, mistakes are limited and a greater level of possibilities can be uncovered. It gives individuals more accountability and this can improve job satisfaction.
So if you have a problem, task or a new initiative in your business, consider putting together a team... it could be beneficial and increase the speed, efficiency, quantity and quality of the outcome.
Steve Eastwood
Small Fish Business Coaching Melbourne
www.smallfish.com.au
Ed Huntingford - William Buck (Vic) 07-Mar-2012 03:17 PM
Another great article Steve. It makes me think that sometimes a team would be better than a product champion when implementing something new into a business.
Delegation - How To Make It Work
We often talk about how do you make things easier and free up time to get things done. If you are going to achieve more you are going to need to delegate more as you can’t do everything yourself.
We are often relectant to do this: "no one does the job as well as me" is an often quoted statement. My answer to this is how well did you delegate? Delegate badly and instead of improving your day, your frustrations reach on all time high. Delegate well and you will start to see genuine progress.
The difference between these two contrasting scenarios comes down to one thing. How clearly did you explain the delegated task? Each time you delegate a task, understand that that the task must be clear before it can be succesfully completed.
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Connections. How does this relate to what I do?
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List of steps. What do I do know now?
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Expectations. How will I know when I’ve succeeded?
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Ability. What support will I have?
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Return. How will the company benefit from my efforts?
If you put these simple steps into place, your delegation will be succesful, freeing up time to get other things done.
Nigel Hobbs
Small Fish Business Coaching Sydney
www.smallfish.com.au
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Staff - Who Needs Them?
Staff are one of the biggest headaches for small business but are also something that you just can’t do without.
Over the last month I have been talking to the staff of different businesses. From this a number of things have become apparent:
- They didn’t have staff meetings or if they did then they weren’t effective – the staff didn’t know what work was in the pipeline and who was doing what. There was never any reflection on what was working and what wasn’t
- Processes, if in place, were not followed by all staff
- Communication between staff was poor – little issues were getting out of control while fundamental issues weren’t being raised.
- The owner/manager was too much on the tools.
- The owner/manager had a very different perception of what was happening in the business than the staff did.
The overall result was disgruntled staff – which means poor work performance...
So what can be done?
Someone needs to MANAGE.
Management is crucial because you don’t get paid for what you do, you get paid for what your employees do. As such you have to do everything in your power to help them be successful – you succeed when they succeed.
Employees need the person in charge to make time to:
- Provide understanding – talk about the strengths and weaknesses in the business and how you are managing them. Ask for their input and ideas for improvement.
- Provide direction – 80% of the time talk about the future of the business. Let them know that they are a part of it.
- Walk the Talk – encourage and reinforce what you love about your business
- Understand the roles of the staff – make sure they are well defined and you have the right people in them
- Plan – set budgets or targets and review in team meetings – what is working what isn’t and Why? Delegate and mange workflows so that no-one is idle or too busy. Communicate what has to be done by when.
- Have procedures – how do you know something is being done effectively or not getting missed if you don’t have a benchmark to measure against. They don’t have to be complicated – it can be a simple checklist.
- Supervision – no one enjoys a micro manager but you need to take time to sit with each staff member every couple of months to see how they are doing their job. Ensure procedures are followed and ask for their ideas on improving them. Check that they have the training and tools to do the best job that they can.
- Give feedback – always respond immediately to a job well done or a job done badly.
Feel free to write a comment on how you manage staff issues.
Mariejan Bigby
Small Fish Business Coaching Toowoomba
www.smallfish.com.au
Frank Connolly 01-Feb-2012 11:43 AM
Based upon feedback in every organisation I have worked in, 95% of staff say that the meetings they attend are ineffective. Most now view meetings as a major distraction. This is a major issue because effective meetings are perhaps our lowest hanging fruit
in terms of getting things right in business. At a meeting we ideally have the right people in the room, for the right reasons and we have them face to face in real time when the best possible communication can occur. Unfortunately our processes and our thinking
tend to let us down. I favour the application of the "Six Thinking Hats" in meetings to ensure the thinking is sound, argument and rambling discussion are replaced with useful input from all and you have a clear focus and intended outcome. Meetings then become
shorter in duration and more effective. Try facilitating your meetings this way, it can make a huge difference.
Tips For Getting The Best Out Of Your Team
At Small Fish Business Coaching one of the areas we concentrate on to improve profitability is Increased Productivity. This means getting the best out of your team which leads to better performance and in the end –increased profitably.
After all, its Business coaching isn’t it?
Here are some tips for business owners and managers to improve profitability and performance in their teams:
- Communicate clear expectations - For people to perform well and continue to grow and learn they need to know what’s expected of them. At Small Fish we help business owners formulate a “Strategy on a page”. This clearly defines the Vision for the business, the VITAL FEW things that need to be done to achieve that vision and the individual strategies that must be accomplished. This can be shared with staff and strategies can be related to individual expectations, which become the standards by which performance will be judged. At least they will know – “this is what I need to do to achieve the strategies”
- Focus on specific areas that require improvement - To get the best out of your team it’s a good idea to pinpoint exactly what needs to be improved. If Sales are low and sales require quotes to be produced, then focus on driving improvements in the number of quotes put out. Monitor them and put KPI’s in place. Provide feedback and assistance to the Salesperson to make sure they are meeting their targets.
- Help remove obstacles - To perform anywhere near top capacity, individuals may need help in removing obstacles. Managers and Business owners should be that “snowplough” that keeps the road clear for their staff to perform at top capacity. For example if a staff member was having trouble getting work done because their computer was slow or old; it may be time to upgrade it so they can work faster. Keep your eye open all the time for obstacles that could be holding back your team and remove them. People have improved motivation when they see you actively helping them do their job better.
- Gain a commitment to Change - Unless you can get a commitment from a staff member to improve in any area, that member may not attain the higher performance. They must want to do it, and they should communicate that to you genuinely. There’s some skill to get an intuitive feel when employees are serious or not about performance improvement. Look out for clues like: over agreeing about the need to change and agreeing to change without any emotion. These may be hints that they aren’t genuine about it.
- Applaud good results - Always praise people when they’ve made their targets or gained that improvement no matter how small. There’s nothing like genuine encouragement and positive reinforcement especially in front of their peers to make them feel good about what they have achieved. Managers often forget this important facet of their role. Enforce that encouragement with a small gift like movie tickets or a book, because this makes them feel good about the achievement for longer, and gives them the opportunity to tell their family and friends about it.
So there you have it ...- Five ways to improve productivity in your team.
Steve Eastwood
Small Fish Business Coaching Melbourne
www.smallfish.com.au
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7 Ways To Motivate Your Team... Without A Pay Rise
I was reading an article recently saying that 1 in 4 small business employees globally feel depressed and uninspired by their bosses. Read further at Perth now.
It can be costly to believe or have a mindset that giving more money or a pay rise to your team members equals happy employees.
Believing this is costing you valuable time, revenue, employees... Cash will always be a major factor in motivating people and a solid plan is critical to attracting and keeping key personnel. But the key is that additional cash is not always the only answer, and in many cases not even the best answer.
I have compiled some quick suggestions. Let's look at 7 non-monetary motivation tips that can be implemented today...
- Recognition/Attention. When your employees accomplish something, they have achieved something. Your recognition is appreciation for that achievement. Managers and owners don't give enough recognition for a good job done. Recognition is free! Do some spontaneous on the spot praise and of course a “Thanks” goes a long way too.
- One-on-One Coaching. Coaching is employee development. Implement a regular Performance review meeting.
Document personal development needs and feedback from your team. Your only cost is time. Time means you care. And remember your people don't care how much you know... until they know how much you care.
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Training. This ties in with personal development. You can never over train your team. As they learn and develop, so does your business. It might take some time and effort, but the benefits of training will continually enhance the performance of your people and the productivity of your business.
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Career Path. Your employees need to know what is potentially ahead for them, what opportunities there are for growth. This issue is a sometimes forgotten ingredient as to the importance it plays in the overall motivation of people. Set career paths within your organization. Do you promote from within? I hope you can answer yes to that. Although specific circumstances require you to look for talent outside your company, you should always first consider internal personnel. If you do this you are sending a very positive message to everyone that there are indeed further career opportunities within your organization.
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Good Work Environment. I heard of a recent industry study where employers were asked to rank what they thought motivated their people, and then employees were asked to rank what really did motivate them. Employers felt "working conditions" was a nine (or next to last) in terms of importance. What did the employees say? Number two! Working conditions are very important to the way employees feel about where they work. Some things to consider or ask yourself are: Does your office look nice?, Are there pictures on the walls, plants and fresh paint among other features that generally make people feel good about their environment?, Does their work space have enough room or are they cramped in a "sardine can?", What about furniture? Is the desk the right size, chair comfortable?, Is there file space and do they have the miscellaneous office supplies needed for maximum performance?, Is the temperature regulated properly so they don't feel they're in the Amazon jungle one minute and the North Pole the next?
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Casual Dress Day. This will apply more to the Business-to-Business world, based on the difference in normal dress codes from the Business-to-Consumer arena. For those required to "dress business" every day, a casual day becomes a popular desire. I encourage Casual dress Fridays for example. Retail outlets use holidays to create theme colour casual days, such as red and green before Christmas, or black and orange prior to Halloween. Major sports events are a perfect opportunity for casual days to support your local or favourite team with appropriate colours, buttons, and logo wear.
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Time Off. Implement incentives that earn time off. People will compete for 15 minutes or 1/2 hour off just as hard as they will for a cash award. Put KPI’s (key performance indicators) in place and when these goals are reached by individuals, teams or the entire staff, reward them with time off.
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Additional Responsibility. Encourage and support more responsibility and accountability from your staff. You will be surprised on how they will rise to the challenge and it will make them feel more as part of the team.
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Food days. Every now and then bring in or organise pizza, popcorn, or cookie days that will help break up that everyday routine and help people stay motivated. Because it is a natural tendency for people to get excited in anticipation of something, structure some of these days in advance. Then buy some pizzas or different cookies or even whip out some different types of popcorn.
LEVERAGE Your Way To Success
Paul Duncan
Small Fish Business Coaching Perth
www.smallfish.com.au
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