» Management
» Health
LEAD OR MANAGE?
Build loyalty, retention and results by creating a culture of connection with your staff. BY ROD MACDONALD
their interests. If, for example, you dis- cover that one person loves cars, you might pick up a couple of tickets to a local car show to reward his good per- formance. Knowing your staff mem- bers’ interests and acting on this infor- mation demonstrates thoughtfulness and encourages them to work harder for you. Remember that to your employees
W
hat is the culture of your company? Certainly you have a mission or vision statement that speaks
to what your company is trying to achieve. But do you define how you do it? Have you spent time creating a vision for the kind of workplace you want to work in and provide for your employees?
Managing expectations
The people you work with all have
expectations about their work envi- ronment. These expectations were es- tablished when they first heard about your company, either as a consumer or a prospective employee, and were blended with their general ideas about being an employee. Regardless of when or where they were established, you need to ensure that their expectations
28 Fitness Business Canada September/October 2009
are met – or you need to reset their ex- pectations for them.
Recognizing the individuals around you
Everyone on your team is an indi-
vidual with a unique background and set of experiences. By appreciating these differences (instead of trying to make everyone a clone of yourself) you foster a culture that values differenc- es and positively affects the way your staff members treat your customers. During the hiring process, ask people what it means to them be an employee, how they see themselves contributing to the company and how they describe the ideal boss.
How to connect
If you aren’t sure how to connect with your staff, simply find out about
and managers you are the “big boss,” and to be as effective as possible there is an intimidation gap that you need to bridge. Creating situations where you level the playing field creates con- nections and lets people know you are a real person. Ask them how they are doing, and be sensitive to the work-re- lated or personal challenges they may be facing. Don’t be afraid to share oc- casional good or bad news from your personal life with them. It’s impossible to leave your personal life at the door 100% of the time. This humanizes your image and allows you to lean on your staff when you need to, and vice versa.
When things aren’t working
Everyone makes poor hiring deci-
sions. Perhaps the person was decep- tive in the interview process, or maybe you didn’t listen to your instincts and were in a rush to fill a position. When you find yourself with staff members who aren’t contributing to the suc- cess or culture of your business, you need to remedy the situation immedi- ately. If it is a minor issue, you may be able to coach the person. But it’s more likely that you will need to let them go to find fulfillment elsewhere. Get some legal advice or contact your minis- try of labour about rules surrounding termination. Usually you can dismiss people with enough notice or with pay in lieu of notice when you want them out right away.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71