Business owners are often perceived as extremely self-serving, greedy, and manipulative. And for most, that is probably true. When you look back and research the history of the advent of unions and the period following the first Industrial Revolution, it’s just incredible to see the dangerous conditions workers were exposed to, with many sacrificing their own life either through accidents or exposure to chemicals.
Fortunately for today’s workforce, they enjoy a lot of protections that their predecessors did not.
In America, we are programmed to say that the greatest asset a company has is its “human capital” (employees). For the most part this is true. But, a great employee is only great when an innovative entrepreneur develops an idea or concept that he/she wishes to implement and execute.
But, what happens when the employee is not so great, or not even that good, perhaps even lazy? Is it wrong for us, as business owners, to be demanding of our employee without being made to look as a tyrant?
As a business owner, manager, supervisor, department head, etc… do you struggle with lazy employees and poor work ethic too?
I hire sales agents who get paid fully on commission. This is an easy read since productivity and performance are easily detected. But, in other corporations who pay employees as W-4 employees and pay them hourly or salaried wages, there is an expectation to earn that pay.
In the past, I have worked in various executive , management, and supervisory roles. When you take on added responsibility and title, you also give up the opportunity to say “me” or “I”, and replace that with “we” — because now your team is being evaluated, not just you. No one, in any circumstance in business, will ever transcend into management unless they have the ability to recruit, train, communicate, inspire, and motivate a new employee. Often, you may not even have a say in the recruiting/screening process… that person is just assigned to you.
Considering the high cost of turnover, being quick to fire someone, albeit one’s first impulse at the first sign of incompetency, will never showcase your ability to overcome those obstacles by coaching and guiding the new hire.
199 Readers
I have never been a big fan of e-mail solicitation. It could be one of the reasons I have been apprehensive about putting a newsletter out for this blog on a consistent basis.
