Success is not final, failure is not fatal, it is the courage to continue that counts. -Winston Churchill
Top 10 Common Sense Pieces of Advice That Will Make Your Company a Dream to Work With.
It seems like every company these days treats their employees as customers and their customers as employees. That’s frustrating because it’s so obviously a massive waste of potential. And while most companies will give you folders full of guidelines, policies and procedures the moment you ask for advice on how to make your business a dream to work with, the best advice we’ve heard in years is simple: This world is built on common sense. It might be second nature for you - after all, you have been working in this industry for years - but trust us when we say that these pieces of advice are far from common sense for most companies out there. So, if you want to stand out from the crowd, follow our top 10 common sense pieces of advice that will make your company a dream to work with:
1. Make sure everyone knows the company’s mission and vision.
Whenever someone starts a new job, they are going to be looking for a sense of purpose both from their colleagues and from the company’s leadership. The company’s mission and vision can be a fantastic way to set expectations for both parties. It’s something that you’re already doing, but if you’re not, now is the time to start. When every member of your team knows the mission and vision of the company, they’ll be able to take their job to the next level by having a solid understanding of why they are doing what they’re doing. No person will feel like they’re going in the wrong direction; they’ll feel like they’re going in the right direction with their colleagues.
2. Take care of your employees and they will take care of your customers
We’re not going to tell you that you should treat your employees like gold because it’s the right thing to do; we’re going to tell you that because it makes sense. If you want your customers to feel valued, your employees must feel valued first. Being a difficult company to work with is something that will hurt your bottom line eventually. If your employees are happy, they are less likely to leave and they will have the energy to put into their work. If you have a reputation for being an excellent company to work with, word will spread, and you will have more job applications to get the positions you need filled.
3. If a change is going to be difficult for your team, it should be difficult for you too.
This is a tough piece of advice for many managers to hear, but it’s one that will make your company a dream to work with. If you have a major initiative coming up that is sure to be difficult for your team, make it difficult for you to manage too. If you’re asking your team to work on a Sunday to finish a project, be there to work on a Sunday too — even if it’s not required. If employees are going to be stressed out or overworked because there are too many projects, be stressed out and overworked with them too. This is a simple gesture that can show employees that you’re there for them and that you really care.
4. Be open with communication and transparency.
This is something that many companies are doing these days, but not every company is doing it well. You can set yourself apart as an excellent company to work for by simply doing what you say you’ll do and keeping things transparent where you can. If you’ve set a deadline for a project, keep to it. If you said you are going to have a meeting, have the meeting. If you’ve decided, let your employees know why you’ve made it. These are simple things that can have a massive impact on the happiness and productivity of your employees.
5. Continuously evaluate what’s working and what isn’t — don’t be afraid to make changes.
As mentioned above, you and your team need to be open and honest with each other. You also need to keep an open mind and be ready to admit when something isn’t working and make a change. If you’ve had an employee benefit in place for years and it’s not relevant anymore, get rid of it. If you’ve been following a procedure that seems like it doesn’t make any sense, change it. The longer you wait to make these changes, the longer it will take your employees to trust you and to trust that you are making a difference.
6. Treat your employees like gold; they are the backbone of your company.
If you want to take things to the next level, treat your employees like gold. If you want your company to be a dream to work with, you must make it clear that you want your employees to be happy and that they are an integral part of your company. If you treat your employees like gold, they will treat your customers like gold. If your company is known as one that treats its employees well, you will have a huge advantage over your competitors because it will be hard for them to follow suit.
7. Don’t talk over people or act like you know everything: trust your employees to do their job well.
This one is tough, but it’s important: Don’t talk over your employees when they are presenting to you or to others in your company. If you’re going to be talking over them, it will be because you don’t trust them to do their job well. That’s not the message you want to send. At the same time, don’t be afraid to ask questions if you don’t understand something. If you have an employee who is presenting an idea and you don’t understand how they came to that conclusion, ask them to explain. If you’re constantly asking questions and challenging your employees to prove that they know what they are doing, you’re going to get better results. If you talk over them, you’ll be proving that you know everything, but you won’t know anything.
8. Don’t apologize for asking questions or showing that you don't know something — Admitting when you're wrong is a sign of intelligence!
We’ve seen this happen a couple of times in board meetings and other high-stress situations — someone will say, “I’m sorry, I don’t know that much about [insert topic here].” Don’t be this person. Instead, use this as a chance to show that you are confident in your employees and in the decisions that have been made, but that you also have a genuine desire to learn more. Don’t apologize for asking questions; apologize only if you have made a mistake. That’s a sign of intelligence. It means that you’re open to feedback, you’re self-aware and you know that you can always improve.
9. Always end meetings with a plan of action, no matter how small.
The last thing we want is for you to read this entire article and think, “Well, that’s all good and well, but how do I even begin to make my company an excellent place to work?” Plan — no matter how small — to implement these tips and advice at your company. When your employees and colleagues walk away from a meeting with you or a team meeting, they should know what they need to do next. They should leave feeling like they know what’s expected of them, that you trust them and that you’re there for them. This is something that every company does, but you can make it stand out by setting a new standard and making it a priority.
10. Get it done
These are the top 10 common sense pieces of advice that will make your company a dream to work with. What is holding you back? These are simple yet effective sensible things to incorporate into our business. Now, just make it happen. They will make your customers happy and your employees proud to work for your company. Follow these tips and you are sure to have a better company culture, have happier employees and have more customers than you ever expected.
