Niccolo Machiavelli writes in “The Prince” that it’s better to be feared than loved. That may be applicable in some cases. But really, what head of a company these days chooses to operate on fear rather than respect? As a business owner, what you really want to do is to make sure that your employees are happy and satisfied with their work, and with the regulations your company puts in place. It’s a much better way to motivate them rather than constantly making sure they work out of fear of getting laid off, and contented employees will be more eager to turn out quality work at all times and be more willing to do their best to make sure that your company is in top form.
So how can you make sure that your employees are pleased with the way you run your company? There are some things you need to keep in mind.
1. Are you a micromanager or do you hire micromanagers? People generally appreciate guidance, but not constant supervision by someone who niggles at every little detail. Take a look at yourself and your company supervisors and figure out whether excessive feedback and guidance are actually hampering productivity.
2. Are tools and equipment available to make work faster? For example, does your HR department wade through cabinets full of documents or are they able to use a human resource management system to allow them to focus on policies and on simply doing their jobs? You also need to see whether your employees do have the software and computers needed to allow them to accomplish their work.
3. How are the working relationships between your employees, or between departments and divisions? When one team isn’t working efficiently, it affects the others and causes disputes and a lot of ill feeling. Don’t hesitate to step in to get your company back on track.
4. Are your rules a little too rigid? Sometimes, a little flexibility will make things easier for workers. Healthy, happy, and balanced workplaces are the perfect thing to have nowadays, allowing people to do their work and have the opportunity to take a break in order to recharge their minds and energy for the other tasks ahead of them.
Be aware of any feedback your employees have for your company, and make sure you take quick action to respond to them, whether you need to have in place an employee database software to make HR more responsive to people’s needs or if you need to overhaul certain processes and regulations within your company.
