3 strategies for solving what 7 out of 10 business owners say is their no. 1 hassle

Posted by admin on Sep 27, 2012 in General | 0 comments

If you are like most business owners you’re all too familiar with these three common challenges:

A lack of money (low profits, poor cash flow, earning less than what you could with a job),
A lack of time (and systems that mean business and your life is chaotic, stressful and lacking joy), and
Team challenges (your team is not up to scratch and / or you have problems hiring the right people).

From our business coaching clients 7 out of 10 put staff and team hassles are right at the top of their “challenges list.” Your staffing challenges typically involve how to motivate the team, how to get them producing quality work and how to hire the right people in the first instance!

So here are three helpful tips:

You must have a clear and concise job description for each role within the business. The job description outlines the key tasks, what knowledge, skills and experience are required and highlights the key result areas. Complete the job description prior to hiring. That way you are clear on what you are looking for in a team member.

Have regular team meetings (weekly preferably or fortnightly at the minimum). Make sure the whole team gets to share as meetings with the boss standing up the front every week are unlikely to generate much involvement. Holding a regular WIFLE (What I Feel Like Expressing) is a very powerful tool. The rules for a Wifle are as follows: Sit in a circle around the room. Starting with the person next to you, ask John (or whoever) “what do you feel like expressing?” John then has the right to say whatever he feels like without interruption, this is most important. If the team doesn’t feel safe to express whatever they feel, you are all wasting your time. Once he has had his say, he then asks the person next to him what they feel like expressing. When everyone has had their say (and only when everyone has finished) you then ask if anyone has any “burnings”. This is where everyone – in turn – has a chance to reply to the other person’s feelings or impression, either by apologising or explaining what actually happened. If these sessions are conducted correctly, you will find your team bonds together much more effectively and relates to each other as humans instead of just someone they work with. It is important to have everyone realise that any complaints are not directed personally, but to the behaviour of that person.

Map out your hiring process. Hiring is so important that a clear process from marketing for the role, qualifying applicants (so you don’t waste time chasing the “no-hopers”), interviews, job tests and reference checking is crucial. Don’t fall into the trap of making up the interview questions the morning of … you are bound to disappointed!

At the How To Unlock Your Business Profits workshop I’ll be talking in more details about addressing your staffing challenges and how to grow a great team. I’ll also be giving away actual job descriptions and ads our clients use for hiring staff. Trust me the ad makes a huge difference!

Here’s to profitable business

Tony

Our Business Coach