This is follow-up to my previous blog.
One of the biggest issues an employer has is finding the right people with the right attitude for the job. It is not only important to find the people with the technical qualifications to do the job, but also the behavioral requirements needed by the job.
Finding the right person is a hit or miss affair. It might even be disastrous for small businesses.
Systems have been developed, such as a serious of interviews and tests, to get the person most suited to the job the job. Yet, this is no guarantee that person hired will perform well on the job.
Here are a couple of things I have learned from my experiences so far.
1. Money does not always motivate people. You need to get to provide them or show them a higher purpose on why they should be doing the job you asked them to do. Money can only get you so far. You might also consider Maslow's hierarchy of needs.
2. Leadership is an inverted pyramid. As a leader, you support and provide, as much as possible, for the needs of your employees. They are looking at you for direction and guidance. You must provide those things for them. Some times your employees are not only treating you as a boss. They see you as an older or wiser family-member. Take time to listen and relate with them.
3. Establish clear lines of communication. This may sound strange given my second advice. What I want to point out here is that even if you get to know them and relate with them, certain barrier must be maintained. They should respect your position. If the respect is eroded, you will have a hard time deciding on difficult decisions.
4. Lastly, work doesn't define the person. If you see that the person is not performing well on a certain task, don't immediately judge him and think that he is a failure. Take time to find out if what he is doing is really fit for his personality. Remember the phrase, 'fitting a square peg on a round hole?' There might be a mismatch somewhere.
