“Where can I find good people?”
“How do I keep them?”
“How can a small business like mine enable them to grow?”
In my consultancy work, these are three questions I frequently hear.
Maybe, you ask one or more of them too, from time to time.
My replies to those questions vary in the words used, but all three strategies are the same.
“Good” people abound, but often the system they have to work within is what’s wrong with the “situation.”
Usually, an exasperated manager or business owner with “problem” people in the team may have a system causing strife within the group or with an individual.
On the other hand, a client may raise the finding “good people” question because a round of interviewing has brought forth no suitable candidate for the role.
The answer may be to try again, perhaps by reviewing the job description and the package offered.
I would also look at sharpening up the statements about the mission of the business.
Happy and motivated people are those who believe in the values of their employer.
Increasingly (and dependent on the role), I also recommend training programmes that teach people with no direct experience the core skills of a job.
For positions that require manual skills, this is an excellent way to attract and retain new and enthusiastic people.
If you own or manage a small business, flexibility for workers is desirable, but so too is delegation and trust.
Giving somebody ownership of part of a process within the business is very empowering for them and you.
Give people the scope to “own” their area, and improvements and fine-tuning will often follow.
That last statement assumes a clear brief, with training were provided first.
One more thing you could do is supply your key people with relevant copies of The Quietly Good Newsletter.
Each is a guide to a specific subject like trade show marketing, sales management or handling objections.
Read it yourself, and then delegate specific tasks based on what you’ve read.
Give the newsletter to the team member responsible.
They will know what to do to achieve the objective set.
It’s a much more cost-effective (and faster) option than paying for consultancy.
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Very best,
David
