Business Education

Business Leaders This Responsibility Rule Exemption Doesn’t Apply to You

“You’re not responsible for the irresponsibility of others.” Or, “You can only control you, not other people.” Both are great pieces of advice to live by. Except, when you’re in a position of leadership. When you’re in charge, you are responsible for the actions of others. It’s a stark contrast to the peer-to-peer world. Because, your employees aren’t your peers. Sure, they’re good people. But, they aren’t your equal. At least, in terms of business structure. You are the authority. So, when a team member is irresponsible, you’re the one the customer will blame. It’s not fair, but it’s reality.

Why Employees Act Irresponsibly

Everyone does something irresponsible at some point. But, there are people who just can’t seem to get it together long-term. However, these are the exceptions, rather than the rule, a tiny percentage by comparison. You might have even been one of them, but eventually “grew” out of that phase.

In almost every workplace, there is bound to be someone who isn’t pulling their own weight. When you’re an ambitious, hard-working [business owner] who is committed to growing your career and the company, it’s frustrating to work with someone who seems interested in only doing the bare minimum.
—Fast Company

People act irresponsibly because they just don’t take their jobs seriously. To them, it’s just a paycheck — a paycheck they can get almost anywhere. Of course, this is very short sighted but it speaks to their mindset and overall attitude. When that personality shows up in your business, you’ll have to deal with it. There is no passing it off.

How to Deal with an Irresponsible Employee

If you’re in this unenviable position, you’ll need to deal with the situation directly. While it’s tempting to pass this off to a subordinate who is above the person in question, letting him or her know their behavior is known at the top is very powerful. (This alone could be enough to correct him or her.) But, it’s best to be clear. Here’s how to deal with an irresponsible employee:

Put the onus on him or her. Ask him or her how they can improve. Let them be a part of the solution right from the beginning. If they are unwilling or standoffish, that’s a big red flag that probably signals his or her time at the company is coming to an end.
Persuade but don’t preach. You can (and should) remind him or her of the company’s policies and procedures. But explain why, instead of just hitting him or her with a litany of do’s and don’ts. Enter into a discussion rather than just making proclamations.
Always lead by example. This is something you should already be doing routinely. Showing leadership not only helps others to reach their goals, it inspires others to succeed in more ways than one. Otherwise, you’re not really leading the company, you’re just a figurehead and people will instinctively understand that fact.
Follow-up regularly. Obviously, you’ll need to follow-up with him or her. But, think twice about doing so on a set schedule. The element of surprise will motivate him or her to do the right thing. If they don’t, it means you’re dealing with someone who just doesn’t care and isn’t a true asset to the business.

What other suggestions do you have for dealing with an irresponsible employee? Please go ahead and share your thoughts and experiences by commenting!

Interested in learning more about business? Then just visit Waters Business Consulting Group.

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Dunkin’ Donuts just Streamlined Its Menu — Is it Time for You to Do the Same?

January 22, 2018 No Comments

Dunkin’ Donuts just reduced its menu offering by 10 percent. While that doesn’t seem like a big decrease, it actually is. The company is removing afternoon sandwiches and some other items, starting New England, then onto the rest of the country. The reasons are obvious — some food choices just don’t sell nearly as well. But, it also represents a sound business practice. That is, the strategy of streamlining. Why Streamlining should be a Top Priority Business owners are go-getters. They look for the right people and avoid toxic personalities. But, they also can easily fall into a routine. After all, once a measure of success is achieved and maintained, it’s actually difficult not to fall into a routine. However, this usually presents a problem. It stops you from innovating or looking at things through a different prism. In short, it’s a comfortable but dangerous place. Streamlining your business removes wasteful or redundant steps to improve efficiency. Streamlining may involve modernization of your equipment, outsourcing organizational activities, and minimizing low-performing products and services to focus on what your company does best. In business, time is money, so a small business achieves several financial and operational advantages from streamlined operations. You reduce costs, attract more customers through nimble response times, drive higher revenue and compete effectively. —Biz Fluent.com It’s dangerous because you can no longer effectively see your blind spot. And, seasoned business professionals know once you stop seeking out an edge, you’re in for trouble. Take the defunct Blockbuster chain. One time a huge success, it fell prey to its own slow and stubborn adaptation of streaming. The list it joined is very long. This is where streamlining comes into play. It forces you to rethink a lot of things; and, that’s good. How to Streamline Your Business But, what can you streamline if you feel your company is already efficient? The answer is likely longer than the following suggestions. Think of these as a good jumping off point. From there, you can take more steps. Here are some helpful tips for how to streamline your business: Go paperless. While there are certainly industries where paper is a logistical and legal necessity, there are far more which simply don’t need paper. Go paperless wherever you can. This way, you’ll cut down on sorting and sifting when you need to find a specific document. Outsource. This is a great way to increase overall productivity. It’s also some entrepreneurs worst nightmare because it gives a level of control to others. But, the benefits far outweigh any negatives. So, give outsourcing a go and reap the rewards of higher productivity in shorter amounts of time. Automate repetitive tasks. Every business has those monotonous, repetitive takes. Identify these and then seek to automate them. Doing so will free up a little more time and also take the boring feeling out of doing them. Reduce your travel time. Let’s face it, when you need face-to-face meetings, you don’t have to travel across the state, county, or country. You can use video and voice conferencing. This not only cuts down on travel time (which is generally unproductive), it also reduces travel expenses. What’s more, it’s very convenient. How do you streamline your business? What steps do you take to make it more efficient? Please share your thoughts and experiences by leaving a comment! Interested in learning more about business? Then just visit Waters Business Consulting Group.

The Pros and Cons of Hiring Remote Workers

May 17, 2019 No Comments

Hiring remote contractors or employees, like anything else, has its pros and cons. It’s a difficult decision, particularly if you haven’t done it before. When you need more hands on deck, you might wonder if it’s really necessary to bring in a full-time person into the workplace. With all it entails, it’s a big leap, no matter how many times you’ve done it before. So, what about hiring someone to work remotely? What are the pros and cons of hiring remote employees? Let’s take a quick look. Remote Staff Cons Hiring remotely can mean having to make a few adjustments, including time differences. You might find a great fit in a candidate who lives in another time zone. Sometimes, even an hour or two can make a huge difference. Hiring remote employees can be an efficient and cost-effective way to solve problems for small businesses. For many business owners, knowing the benefits of remote hires can open up a variety of benefits, from cost savings to efficiency. —On Deck.com Another possible stumbling stone is communications. Yes, today’s technology makes it far more easy to communicate over just about any distance. But, it still has it limitations, no question at all. Then, there’s the challenge of training. This might well prove the most difficult obstacle to hiring a remote employee or contractor. Remote Employee Pros Of course, there are some very good reasons to hire a remote staff member. Here are a few benefits to hiring a remote worker: Reduced cost. This can’t be understated. When you hire remotely — especially for a contract position — you’ll get the benefit of saving money on labor. A remote contractor can save money in the form of health care and other benefits. Plus, remote contractors might accept a little less in the way of compensation for their own convenience of not having to commute. Skill-set access. Sometimes, it’s just too costly to hunt down the right person with a needed skill-set in your location. (That person might not even be available or live in your area.) In situations like these, needing a particular set of skills, a remote employee could be a great fit. Time advantages. What works one way can work another. Someone who lives in a time zone that’s a couple or few hours ahead of you can serve as a big benefit to getting a head start. He or she can produce what’s needed and do so before you even get into the office. Less office drama. One thing most people don’t think about when it comes to the benefits of hiring remotely is that it doesn’t add to any office politics. Someone who isn’t physically on-site won’t feed into the gossip, which is another advantage. What other points would you add to these? Please share your thoughts and experiences by commenting! Interested in learning more about business? Then just visit Waters Business Consulting Group.

Now is the Time to Get a Sweet Deal on Office Space

September 9, 2020 No Comments

In the midst of the COVID-19 shutdown, and the simultaneous rise of WFH or work-from-home dynamic, commercial real estate is steadily on the decline. With many businesses closing and others surviving on minimal staff, office space, retail locations, and other commercial real estate is and will continue to experience a huge vacancy rate. While that’s not good news for them, for savvy business owners, it presents a prime opportunity. Meaning, it’s very possible to lease (or buy) commercial property for a really good deal. The Buy Low, Sell High Strategy Everyone’s heard of the old “buy low, sell high” investment strategy. But, only those who actually act on it are the ones who benefit. When the market is down, investment advisors often tell their clients to buy why everything is on sale. However, too many people are just too risk-averse and don’t follow the advice. Asking rent prices have yet to fall, which is typical in a down cycle as landlords try to hold out as long as possible, says CBRE chief economist Richard Barkham. At the same time, Barkham says, landlords are eager to fill space, so they’re willing to offer a bevy of concessions to the right tenants, including rent-free periods, build-out expenses, and flexible lease terms. —Inc.com In fact, more people tend to cash-out when the market goes through a downturn. They “realize” an otherwise “paper loss.” The point obviously being that the adage of “buy low, sell high” really works. And, it works so well, it’s repeated over and over. The real trick is to just do it. How to Negotiate the Best Office Space Deal With all that said, now is the time to take advantage of the circumstances and land a sweet deal on commercial space. Here are some helpful tips for how to lease commercial space at a substantial discount: How long has the space been vacant? Learn how long the space has been vacant because it will give you a sense of how eager the landlord or owner is to fill it. Of course, the longer it’s been empty, the more motivated the landlord will be to sign a new lease. Are there other interested parties? If there aren’t any other companies interested in the space, that will definitely work in your favor. Simply put, the less interest, the better for you. After all, that means there’s no competition. Does the property have other vacancies? A property landlord or owner with multiple vacancies will be far more willing to negotiate in order to fill as much space as possible. Learn about subletting policies. If it’s allowable, subletting can help to offset the cost of leasing commercial space and make it even more affordable. Do your homework on similar properties. Another thing you can do is learn about similar spaces. Use this knowledge to negotiate a better deal. For instance, if another landlord/owner offers a better lease rate, you can use that as leverage to bargain on a property for less. What other suggestions do you have? Please share your thoughts and experiences by commenting and giving others some valuable advice! Interested in learning more about business? Then just visit Waters Business Consulting Group.