"Why would he think it is okay to speak to a customer in that manner? I have to fire him!" A frustrated client recently spoke these words to me while nervously beating his foot against the floor. His face was purple with anger.
My response to this client was to ask if he spoke to his employee regarding the encounter with the customer. I already knew the answer to this question, but I had to ask it regardless.
"I haven't had the chance to talk to him. I should have known, since there were some problems with him right after I hired him. I cannot spend my time looking after him, so I will just drop his hours. He will give up and move on to a new job if he isn't getting hours."
I have met with more small business owners with employee problems than I care to admit. It seems that most small business owners do not have the training they need to properly manage and guide their employees. Since they are also notoriously short on time, it makes sense that they have so many frustrations dealing with employees. Once we get into the issues, I often find that small business owners have not discussed their concerns with their employees before complaining to me. Once I approach the idea of coaching employees, so many business owners are confused. They think coaching is what they do when an employee needs reprimanded. They are clueless about coaching their employees so reprimands are not needed. It is not surprising that most of these small business owners have never been little league coaches, either.
The strategies coaches use to control and lead their little league athletes can be directly applied to the management and leadership of employees. Here are seven things little league coaches could teach to small business owners:
1. You must take the time to thoroughly explain each employee's job description. You should make sure every employee knows what their role is within the company and why they are important to your company. They are an important piece to the overall puzzle, and they should know exactly what they do and why.
2. Never assume that your employees naturally know what they should be doing while in the workplace. Break it down for them and make sure they know.
3. Show your employees how to do tasks by performing those tasks as a demonstration. Coaches always show how a new skill is to be performed before expecting athletes to perform the skill. Your job as a boss is to do these demonstrations while giving tips on how to do it properly.
4. Allow your employees to demonstrate their mastery of tasks to you. This is their chance to show what they have learned and what they can do for you.
5. Incorrect actions should be corrected immediately and in a respectful fashion. When you see an employee make a mistake, right away repeat your demonstration of the task and tell them how they can improve their performance on the task. Your job is to respectfully coach them into doing it correctly. You must also be fast to tell employees they did a good job when you see tasks being performed correctly.
6. When an employee is struggling to master a particular task, you must be empathetic and understanding. Tell the employee that you have faith in them and know that they can succeed at their job. Even if it is difficult for you to watch the employee struggle, realize that everyone struggles to master some tasks in life.
7. Do not abandon an employee after a single coaching session. You have to be a consistent coach by following up with employees and giving them ongoing support to reach their goals. Your employees should know that they can come to you when needed, but they should also know that they are responsible for learning and reaching their goals within the company.
If you want great employees, you have to be a great coach. This means being patient, observant, respectful, and encouraging. Just as a coach would push his little league athletes to perform their best, you should encourage your employees to be their best. Start doing this and see how even your worst employees turn around.
My response to this client was to ask if he spoke to his employee regarding the encounter with the customer. I already knew the answer to this question, but I had to ask it regardless.
"I haven't had the chance to talk to him. I should have known, since there were some problems with him right after I hired him. I cannot spend my time looking after him, so I will just drop his hours. He will give up and move on to a new job if he isn't getting hours."
I have met with more small business owners with employee problems than I care to admit. It seems that most small business owners do not have the training they need to properly manage and guide their employees. Since they are also notoriously short on time, it makes sense that they have so many frustrations dealing with employees. Once we get into the issues, I often find that small business owners have not discussed their concerns with their employees before complaining to me. Once I approach the idea of coaching employees, so many business owners are confused. They think coaching is what they do when an employee needs reprimanded. They are clueless about coaching their employees so reprimands are not needed. It is not surprising that most of these small business owners have never been little league coaches, either.
The strategies coaches use to control and lead their little league athletes can be directly applied to the management and leadership of employees. Here are seven things little league coaches could teach to small business owners:
1. You must take the time to thoroughly explain each employee's job description. You should make sure every employee knows what their role is within the company and why they are important to your company. They are an important piece to the overall puzzle, and they should know exactly what they do and why.
2. Never assume that your employees naturally know what they should be doing while in the workplace. Break it down for them and make sure they know.
3. Show your employees how to do tasks by performing those tasks as a demonstration. Coaches always show how a new skill is to be performed before expecting athletes to perform the skill. Your job as a boss is to do these demonstrations while giving tips on how to do it properly.
4. Allow your employees to demonstrate their mastery of tasks to you. This is their chance to show what they have learned and what they can do for you.
5. Incorrect actions should be corrected immediately and in a respectful fashion. When you see an employee make a mistake, right away repeat your demonstration of the task and tell them how they can improve their performance on the task. Your job is to respectfully coach them into doing it correctly. You must also be fast to tell employees they did a good job when you see tasks being performed correctly.
6. When an employee is struggling to master a particular task, you must be empathetic and understanding. Tell the employee that you have faith in them and know that they can succeed at their job. Even if it is difficult for you to watch the employee struggle, realize that everyone struggles to master some tasks in life.
7. Do not abandon an employee after a single coaching session. You have to be a consistent coach by following up with employees and giving them ongoing support to reach their goals. Your employees should know that they can come to you when needed, but they should also know that they are responsible for learning and reaching their goals within the company.
If you want great employees, you have to be a great coach. This means being patient, observant, respectful, and encouraging. Just as a coach would push his little league athletes to perform their best, you should encourage your employees to be their best. Start doing this and see how even your worst employees turn around.
About the Author:
Parts of this article where researched on various Lean Frog blogs. Learn more about Lean Frog at leanfroghuntsville.blogspot.com.
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