If you own a small business and manage other people, one thing you have to realize is that the success of your company depends on the success of your team. If you empower your employees, they will blossom into employees who work harder and make your business better. This is one reason why more and more businesses are working to find the top employee incentives that promote peak performance. Investing in your employees is an investment in the future of a business. Here are seven ways you can empower your employees:
How to Empower Employees
Give Your Employees Boundaries
Define boundaries and let employees make their own decisions within those guidelines. This gives them some freedom to make choices. People often think that boundaries hold employees back when, in actuality, boundaries tend to empower employees and give them a say in many situations where they would otherwise have to ask their manager for approval.
Listen Intently
It’s far too common — people in power try to get employees to say just what they want to hear. Instead, listen carefully to hear your employees; don’t just listen to answer and solve a problem. You want to hear the truth from your team and alter your behavior in response. For example, if your employees have trouble finding time to get out for lunch breaks, find out if they want a healthy lunch provided in the office kitchen — remember that healthy employees lead to a healthy company. Whatever it may be that your employees would like within reason, make sure they realize you hear them and that you care.
Provide Paths for Growth
Life — and people — change. Give people room to grow or they will either leave your business or become stagnant. Brainstorm ways to encourage your team — you could offer to reimburse employees for the cost of additional classes that will help them learn and obtain a license or additional degree that benefits them in their career. You could also give them additional responsibility (and compensate them fairly). There are several ways you prioritize the growth of your employees.
Work to Earn Trust
It is easy to support your employees in good times, but make sure you’re there during the bad ones, too. Many companies annihilate their employees when the going gets tough. Don’t hire people unless you are able and willing to support them through the thick and thin. You probably know that mobile apps are crucial for customer loyalty, but don’t overlook the ways to bolster employee loyalty. As you build your team’s trust, you foster unwavering loyalty and a team that won’t leave you.
Praise Effort
Do not focus solely on talent; focus on effort. In the long term, effort is much more important that talent alone. Praise effort to encourage people to learn and try instead of simply focusing on the couple things they already excel at.
Put Mistakes Behind You
Forgiveness is important in all aspects of your life. If your team is not making any mistakes, then you need to encourage them to reach higher. However, if you punish them for the mistakes they make, your team will become over-conservative and not take chances — chances that may have been your company’s next great idea. Make sure you establish differences between acceptable mistakes and critical offenses. As an example, it is acceptable to try a new method of marketing to discover it doesn’t work well, but not acceptable to take part in false advertising.
Believe In Your Team
Your employees will perform better if you trust and believe in them. Don’t wait around for your team of superstars because you will keep waiting and waiting. Pinpoint what each person does the best and find ways to help your employees support one another. Bring people together to collaborate and provide encouragement.
As you work to empower your employees, remember it’s not necessary to be the smartest person in the room. Talk less, listen more, and make it a point to hear and encourage your employees. Celebrate their successes and your entire business will succeed.
[“source-smallbiztrends”]
