KeyPlay Business Solutions

6. Key Employees

Key Employees: Your Biggest Asset !

Staff can be many things, some act in a manner with what is exactly required and some the complete opposite. Take it from experience, there is excellent, good, bad and worse. Employers have all said this, well, there will always be the one who will not conform and upsets the rest. My advice, ask them to leave or make them leave, of course within the boundaries of ethical and legal obligations. Don't rest until you are working with the people you want to. Finding your biggest asset in a small business takes time. Sometimes you have to move mountains, but its worth it. There is nothing better than working in a professional team towards the same goal. My many years playing Basketball taught me this outside the business environment. If you want to find a better chance of finding the right staff use the CATG process.

On the flip side, be the best employer you can be. Here are some of our Best Tips:

• Have a proper Hiring Procedure - Attract the RIGHT staff. Use PDs, Position Descriptions.

• Seek external advice - personnel companies (Remember Key Advisors),

• Use common sense - ask industry colleagues and best practice,

• Contracts - Do you have them ?  - They are Essential !

• Have a Performance Apprasial System (PAS) for your Staff.

• Give staff goals and KPI's to link their performance too - use a PAS.

• Let them know your expectations and get theirs - Have Weekly or Monthly Meetings,

• Reward good work both with recognition and $.

Your staff need to be your most valuable asset, all of them. It makes no difference what position they occupy. In the wheel of business life every person has a part to play and all parts make up the whole. Your business is only as good as the people in the front line.

It is never to late to make changes. Engage your team in the whole area of responsibility that they are expected to take on board. Tell them what you are not happy with, give them examples and be very straighforward and open about what is wrong, tell them clearly what is unacceptable and explain that a way must be found to move forward. Follow this with the positive experiences you have noticed, or been told about concerning your employees behaviour and attitudes. Good examples are very important here, they will set the groundwork for the development of your team.

Outline your plan of action and ask for feedback from all of them. Tell them, that you require also, an idea from each and every one to move the business forward and improve all the areas they are involved with. These ideas will be discussed and they will be kept informed on what can be implemented and the time scale. Some employers offer a reward scheme for good business ideas that are taken on board. Now you can either be a sergeant major or you can engage your work force. The very best results occur when you involve and recognise your employees.

I have known many employers talk the talk, and never make the walk.

Click here to download Tools, Forms & Templates to implement step 6 - Key Employees.