At some point as a business grows, the business owner needs to hire an employee…or two…or three…or more. At some point if the right steps aren’t taken, the inmates will be running the asylum and the business will implode.
Unfortunately, the majority of business owners begin their company because they love what they do, whether they be artists or bookkeepers. Add employees to the mix and they’re stuck as managers, a job many of them abhor. So they use passive/aggressive tactics to deal with people issues, confuse their employees and sometimes run afoul of the law because they don’t want to address the issue.
This becomes a huge stumbling block for business growth.
Solving the Employee Problem
If you are ready to solve this problem, here are the steps I suggest:
- Develop a clear organization chart. Who reports to whom? Who has management responsibility and who has input to the employees job?
- Write clear job descriptions with 10 to 15 key responsibilities. For each job, create a 2-3 sentence purpose that relates this job to the company’s business objectives.
- Sit down with each employee and develop goals for a period of time–whether it be the quarter, half-year or year. Be clear about what the job will look like to you when it’s complete. It’s important to be specific because if you leave it to chance, you won’t know what you’ll get.
- At the end of the period, review the goal and the completeness of the work. If it didn’t meet your standards, figure out why. Was it the way the employee approached the job or the way you explained it?
These steps, while not simple, will help you manage your employees in a way that will save you time and aggravation as you create the business of your dreams.
Need help? Please contact the Phoenix Support Services division for help in preparing these documents.
