7/15/12

Do You Have What It Takes To Manage Your Employees?


Do You Have What It Takes to Manage Your Toughest, and Often Best, Employees?


If you think leading employees in your small business is hard, try being responsible for opera divas, television news reporters, egocentric physicians, mercurial musicians or high-strung brides. You know the types whose pictures could appear next to "high-maintenance" in the dictionary.

     It takes special skills to get such folks to perform at their best. After all, the most accomplished and talented people don’t think they need guidance.  A lot of them, one way or another, always had been able to get what they want, as they have never tasted failure.
     The challenge in leading such personalities—if your small business is lucky, you’ve got them—is that they are often extremely sensitive. Use the wrong approach and they may work against you.
     As it turns out, most of them have a lot in common, and those shared characteristics seem to be the very ones that explain their effectiveness as leaders.  For starters, all are willing and able to demonstrate genuine respect for their employees and clients—no matter the industry or area of interest.
     All are refreshingly unassuming about their abilities and effusive about the skills of the people they work with and for. If anything goes wrong, the true professional blames himself and not the team.  All of them also are able to establish credibility with those they lead. They do it by demonstrating excellence in their field, and by being transparent about their goals. The "what you see is what you get" approach engenders trust. And it takes many forms.
    These leadership skills are, no doubt, difficult to acquire. But they are crucial to running a business and retaining staff.  Talented people aren’t as motivated by money as they are by the opportunity to improve themselves and their work. They are always asking themselves, "Am I getting what I need?"
     If the answer is no, they won’t hesitate to leave, which could leave your small business in big trouble.  It takes special skills to get such folks to perform at their best. After all, the most accomplished and talented people don’t think they need guidance.  Handling them is a skill that is inherited or needs to be learned.
     So there they are—leaders to learn from. Let the class begin or in the alternative, contact me George Mancuso and I promise I can help.

Regards,
George F. Mancuso, CPC, CEO
Client Growth Consultants, Inc.