FEED THE MONSTER…
Are you giving your employees what they need? When you look at the talents and skill sets of the people you have on your team, do you recognize and respect each person for their individual attributes? Each person on your team is different and they are motivated and driven by various factors. It is important that you are able to satisfy those sources of hunger for them. As I have worked with many students who hope to be small business owners in a particular industry or field, I see many of them take jobs to generate some much needed cash flow. When they take a job in their desired area of expertise, it can be both beneficial as well as a detriment. The satisfaction that they get from working in this field often gives them “just enough” to keep them in that job and they lose interest in that immediate desire to start their own venture. It can be a double-edged sword so to speak.
As a business owner with employees, you must keep this in mind. If your employees are getting the recognition and the ability to use their skills to the fullest potential in their job, chances are they are satisfied and will continue to strive in their position. If they feel that they are not appreciated and are not able to put those skills to good use…they will find a way to use these skills in a way that brings them a sense of satisfaction. They may not even realize that they are doing it. You may not even know about it and before long…they are no longer giving 100% in the job they have with you. You might find yourself wondering what went wrong – when did they “turn” on you?
Be sure that you are feeding the monster or the monster will go looking for food somewhere else. If you have talented and able employees, know what makes them tick and be sure to give them the ability to use their skills in a way that satisfies them. Remember, we often just need to let people know that we appreciate what they do and give them some needed attention.
What do you do to bring value to each person on your team? How do you allow them to use their natural and learned skills to satisfy their desire to be needed?