Professional web design, Cumbria, North LancashireLike most businesses, we have had our share of disappointments and one thing that has kept us going during the difficult times is thinking and acting positively. I am sure you have experienced the usual problems of businesses large or small. After all, it is not all small businesses that suffer from poor management. Recently a prime example of a management team throwing the baby out with the bath water and not carrying out good risk analysis, or basing it on false premises would be Marconi whose troubles have been dwelt upon at some length in the national press.
Overcoming adversities or better still whenever possible preventing them, is an aspect of business that continuously demands attention, but too few owners and managers bother until it is too late.
Is it that they will be moving out of a cosy comfort zone to attempt such learning and implementation and much prefer to wait and see what happens, or is it that they simply do not know or don’t understand that there are ways to foster positive attitudes and boost morale?
I think it is a mix of knowing that there are ways of boosting morale/fostering positive attitudes and not knowing what they are or where to find them.
Perhaps another aspect is that the search for these intangible tools for use in the firm requires a move out of that comfort zone I mentioned earlier and the acquisition of some new knowledge and skills. To shift from the position you are currently in requires a move from the existing status quo to a new status quo.
When we decide to change one status quo for another we may loose or no longer need many of the competences which have served us well in the past perhaps because they are no longer adequate for the job. It disturbs our comfort zone! Chaos ensues while we learn the new skills necessary to make the altered status quo better or at least as good as the last one.
We all have the ability to learn how to apply positive thinking techniques but few of us take the trouble to learn them even less implement them when the need arises. So how can we create a culture in our business that: -
The fact is that much depends on your present culture and how receptive it is to new ideas and working practices. If your firm is open to new ideas and ways of working it will more readily adopt simple techniques to improve things. If it is not, then it probably wont, unless those who actually work there are desperate for change.
If your organisation is less open to the new then it can often be a case of having to chip away at the edges and eventually a major change takes place. If however, you and your firm are constantly looking to improve then you may want to look at trying some of the following.
If you say you will do it then make sure you do!
Businesses are full of managers who say one thing and do another, I am sure you will have come across them. Have you ever checked to see if you are part of that fraternity?
If you determine to do what you say you will, others in your team will follow suit
Be worthy of your team
If you have good people working for you then they deserve a good leader to motivate them. It does not hurt to do a bit of soul searching and analysis on yourself and if you feel you are not up to it have the commitment to either get yourself up to speed or step aside and give them a leader they can follow.
Lets face it, you cannot do everything and you should not be trying to do everything, but you should be the best manager or leader you can possibly be. It will benefit the firm in the short medium and long term.
Begin and end meetings on time
If you employ 3 people and have a meeting which starts 15 minutes late, then finishes 15 minutes late, you have lost 2 man hours from the day. Assuming you can charge out at £50.00 per hour you have lost £200. I leave you to do the calculation if you employ 30 or more and the same thing happens.
Meetings are a necessary evil but you hold the key to making them constructive and providing a valuable contribution to the firms productivity. More about meetings later.
Set Goals and Aim for them
Workers expect their leaders to set some kind of objectives and goals to achieve. Often this is because they never bother setting goals for themselves. Use this to set goals and make sure everyone (including and especially you) aim to hit them.
Give Credit where it is due
How many so called leaders have you met in the past that are only too willing to take all the credit when things are going well, but quickly look for someone else to blame when things go badly?
Good leaders give credit where it is due and when blame is apportionable take their fair share, but do so in a positive way which points out training and learning needs so as to minimise impact or prevent such events happening again.
Make sure you lead
To many managers and those who consider themselves leaders never actually lead. When this happens you loose respect and a leader without respect can only do what he or she is allowed to do by a disaffected team.
