What is one of the biggest challenges for most business owners? Managing employees.
And where do you get trained to do that? Think about it: Raising children can provide some insights, but you never have to fire a child. Being on a team when you are in school and watching a coach can provide some insights, but in this age every child needs to be a winner, so there’s not a lot of help there.
What if a family member works for you and that person sets their own rules? What if an employee in a key position is “great” at what they do but does not permit you to manage them? What do you do?
Get Clear About Why You Were Crazy Enough to be the Owner
Most business owners didn’t start their business to manage employees. There was some compelling sense of possibility, some sense that you could make a difference.
Then you find you need employees. All the work entailed in doing that makes you lose sight of what got you going in the first place.
Keep that vision front and center all day, every day when you are running the company. You are the only one who can do that.
Teach Your Vision
A business owner must preach their gospel. Often companies have a mission statement and core values, but those documents are never referenced. Bring them up as a matter of routine. Use them as a point of reference when making decisions. Let your people see you doing that.
Keep the mission statement and core values posted in your office, in a format that is large enough so it can be read across the room. Keep a copy in your meeting space and where proposals are presented to clients. Post a copy on every jobsite. Let your clients, trade contractors, vendors, and building inspectors see them.
This takes work. This work is part of your job. Don’t like it? Stop running a business.
Everyone Is an Employee
Is someone in the company a relative? Not when they are at work.
When my wife and I ran our company, we were two professionals who happened to work at the same company. We needed to be as objective as possible to be who the rest of the people in the company need us to be. When we were at home, we were two people in a committed relationship. When our children worked in the company we set up the same construct.
It is hard when you have a sibling working for you. Okay, acknowledge that. And move on. If you treat everyone the same when working with them, doing what is necessary as an owner and manager becomes a little easier.
The Superstar Who has His Own Rules
You can’t teach attitude. That comes with the employee when you hire them. If they are fairly well-balanced and their parents did a good job, you might be able to work with them. You can’t teach aptitude. That is the innate ability to be good at something or to learn how to do something well.
If you have someone in the company who has great aptitude and has a bad attitude, you feel like you can’t win. How can you fire them if they are so good at what they do? And how can you show up at work every day kicking yourself because you allow this person to work there?
The same goes if you have someone who has a great attitude but no aptitude. All they do is make more work for others.
Can’t Deal with Letting Them Go?
Do some reading. There are several books that help with having difficult discussions. Learning new things is one of your responsibilities that comes with being an owner. Talk with a mentor or a coach or both. Get their perspective. Ask them the questions you feel uncomfortable asking everyone else.
If you think the block is inside you, visit a therapist or counselor. Most of the people you know have done so in their lives. Knowing you need this kind of help can be the beginning of the rest of your life.
The Whole World is Watching
All the people in your company and outside your company can see what is happening, even if you can’t. Keep that in mind when you make a decision about what to do. You are what you do, not what you say, so be careful about what you do.
After all, who’s running this joint, anyway?