As unemployment rates have gone down, this complaint has become more common. Whether it’s tied to a feeling that the younger generation doesn’t fit the workplace (see previous post) or the anguish of watching a great hire crash and burn, getting and keeping great people for your company is usually one of the top frustrations we hear about from business owners. I’m sorry to say that it may not be economic conditions or the educational system – it may be you… The good news is, this is a huge issue in most companies so you’re not alone – and it can be fixed!
Okay, how?
Take a deep breath that includes a lot of patience – you’re going to need it. One big answer is Process. Then Structure. I know – boring. Not magic.
Well, let me take that back! It is magic!
Having a process to recruit, hire, and develop employees will force you and your leadership team to get clear about what’s working and what isn’t. Included in that process is a speech about your company values – your real, we-reek-of-them, they-are-core-to-who-we-are, values. Try to scare potential employees off! If they don’t love your values, they won’t love working with you and you won’t get what you want out of them. The magic comes from being on the same page and not having to fight about what is important.
Ditto for structure. Talk to everyone about your vision every quarter. Where are you going? How do you plan to get there? What do you expect from them to achieve that vision? Define roles and accountabilities, give every person a number to hit. Now expectations are clear. Energy is unleashed. Those who don’t have the capacity or desire for their roles will flush out. You probably won’t even have to fire them (very few leaders can stand firing people). Your best people will thrive. Your dreams will thrive. It really is magic.
Remember the deep breath? The patience? Implementing structure and process consistently is where the patience comes in. It takes guts, and determination, and persistence. But you’re an entrepreneur, so you have that. You might not have time to learn the best ways to implement, you may need help staying with it, keeping it consistent.
There’s a great book, Traction that gives you a simple, complete set of tools to take away 80% of the frustration called people. Download the first chapter here.
You’ll be joining 2200 other business owners who have found renewed joy in growing their companies.
