If you ask any employee, they will tell you that they resent being watched while at work. If you ask any manager, they will tell you that they are afraid not to watch, for fear that the employees will fail, and that the manager will pay the price. There often seems to be very little that anyone can do to bring the perspectives of these two sides together. However, let us give you some perspective on how you may begin:
- Hire Good People.
It seems like a simple concept. However, recruitment is crucial to your success and, ultimately, to your bottom line. I often tell employers to check their egos at the door when hiring potential employees. If you are afraid to hire a subordinate with excellent qualifications, because he or she may at some point take over your position, then you are doing both yourself, and your company, a disservice by settling for mediocre talent. Mediocre talent must be watched and corrected constantly, or they will fail to complete tasks, or complete them with such a lack of skill that a manager will have to make major adjustments before the finished product is allowed to go forward. Always remember: If you are having to continually correct your employees’ mistakes, then you may be hiring mediocre talent, and should reconsider your recruitment strategy.
2. Let Them Own It.
The best supervisor I ever had inspired us to do great work, and allowed us to reap the benefits of our successes, while the worst supervisor I ever had made me feel as though I were under the scrutiny of a maniacal hall monitor. Allow your employees to take ownership in what they do, and they will be proud of their contributions to the company. This won’t hurt your retention efforts, either.
3. Never Fail.
The greatest reason why supervisors hover is because they are afraid for their employees to fail. Well, there’s good news. We have an app for that! No, really we don’t. No one does. Failure is the cost of trying, and trying is all that anyone ever does. Each of us has failed at some task. The important thing is for the project as a whole to succeed. You can ensure this by setting proper deadlines. Never ask an employee to have a perfect product ready just in time to hand it over to the Vice President. Always build in a time buffer for necessary revisions. Have mentors available for your employees. Make sure that you reward good mentors for pushing new associates ahead, and teaching them valuable skills. In this way, your brain trust will develop your employees, thereby assisting your company as it grows.
4. Be Cool. Be Cool.
This was a favorite saying of my teenage relatives when I would threaten to explode over some of their more memorable exploits. Try and keep a level head. If you go off the rails, the rest of the team will surely follow. Utilize your experiences and your willingness to roll up your sleeves and help to inspire your employees to redouble their efforts and get the job done.
Is this a magic formula to convince your employees to be perfect at all times? No. However, it will give you some peace of mind to know that you tried your best to recruit and develop your employees, and that you always have some time to get it right when things go oh so wrong. Until next time, peace, pasta and, above all, Profits!