Business Education

3 Sure-Fire Ways to Exhaust and Infuriate Good Employees

No manager or business owner sets out to sabotage their employees. But, that’s sometimes the end result, brought on by a number of different behaviors. For instance, it’s well known that holding unnecessary meetings is a great way to agitate and irk team members. After all, they know superfluousness when they’re unwillingly subjected to it. So, it only serves to bother and anger people. But, that’s not the only way entrepreneurs and managers alike aggravate and annoy employees, there are others.

Employees’ Needs are Important

Your employees’ needs must be met in order for them to respect you. That doesn’t mean giving them everything they want. But, it does mean treating them the same way you’d want to be treated if you were in their shoes. For instance, unclear communication. Being unclear is just as bad as being unkind. Without clarity, you’re not providing ample direction and that is a real source of frustration for your employees.

Toxic company culture often starts at the top in the active bad behavior of a senior leader or by those who have supervisory responsibilities. To get the root of the problem follow the toxicity wherever it leads because people don’t leave companies, they leave managers. —Entrepreneur.com

Conversely, there’s also such a thing as providing too much detail. It’s the true-life version of drinking from a fire hose. You’re providing way too much information to process. This inevitably results in bewilderment and/or confusion. Unsurprisingly, employees don’t really understand the overall picture because you’re losing them in the minutia.

3 Sure-Fire Ways to Exhaust and Infuriate Good Employees

Although the above examples are ways to run down employee morale, three other behaviors will outright cause them to sour. Here are the three ways that entrepreneurs and managers effectively ruin their teams:

Micromanaging. This is probably the most hated and counterproductive managerial trait of them all. By not giving people their independence and autonomy, you are disrespecting them. Plus, this stifles them intellectually and creatively. Moreover, it results in feeling unappreciated and resentment builds. In short, there’s nothing good that comes from micromanaging.
Making too many changes. While change can be a good thing, and sometimes it’s absolutely necessary, too many changes will only cause chaos. Employees will lose track of what is acceptable and what’s not and will eventually fail to recall the latest policies and procedures and even goals.
Being indecisive and too emotional. When you lead with enthusiasm and vision, that’s a great way to get your team members excited. But, If you lead by raw emotion only and worse yet, can’t make a decision at critical moments, you’ve clearly demonstrated your not cut out for a role in leadership. Yes, there will be difficult decisions and times when emotions will run high or low, but you have to stay calm and avoid rash decisions. Or, failing to make any decisions whatsoever.

What other managerial behaviors do you think irritate and/or undermine employees? Please share your thoughts and experiences by commenting!

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

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How to Spot Bad Business Ideas to Avoid Wasting Precious Time

April 19, 2018 No Comments

Whether you’re running a business currently or looking for a business idea to get started, you definitely want to avoid bad scenarios. While there are stories of companies defying the odds and becoming successful, these are few and far between. The reality is the majority of new businesses fail. (Or established businesses trying something new that ultimately fails — think New Coke.) How to Develop Good Business Ideas Before we get into the bad, let’s take a quick look at some good ideas. If you’re already in business for yourself but want to branch out, there’s probably a reason why you feel that way. Take a little time to seriously reflect on this notion. Ask yourself if you’re no longer interested in your core product and/or service. Also, think about a product or service that can really complement your current offerings. If you want to make more money sooner as an entrepreneur, you need to learn how to spot dead-end business ideas and say no to them so you can focus on the good ideas. This is especially important when the ideas are coming from your inside your own head. It’s easy to be protective of your own ideas because they feel like your own children, but you have to learn to be more objective if you want to create something profitable. —Entrepreneur.com You can seek objective advice from your peers. Other business owners might easily spot something that’s totally eluding you at the moment. If you’re not already a business owner but want to start the process, then look to your favorite hobbies. Imagine how you can monetize what you most enjoy. Ways to Spot Bad Business Ideas If you’re looking for a business idea, you want to settle on something with real promise. But, how can you peek into the future? Well, there is no magic crystal ball to foretell precisely what will unfold. However, there are some red flags which typically accompany a bad idea: It doesn’t meet a real need. If the idea doesn’t immediately solve a problem or fulfill a need, that’s a giant warning sign. After all, how do you market a product or service that doesn’t meet an actual need or take care of a problem? It isn’t scalable to other markets. Another problematic scenario is if you can’t imagine how it will scale to a larger market. While this doesn’t mean you need to abandon it, it certainly means you need to rethink the idea. It can’t stand out over the competition. Ask yourself if the idea can compete in the real world against its closet competition. If you can’t readily answer that question, you’ve already got a big problem. It’s too complex to easily explain. Any business idea you can’t explain in an elevator-pitch style will typically experience a lot of problems. Put another way, if you can’t explain it in simple terms, consumers won’t understand what it is or how it works. How do you spot bad business ideas? What other advice do you have to avoid wasting time with different ideas? Please comment and share your thoughts and experiences! Interested in learning more about business? Then just visit Waters Business Consulting Group.

Big Benefits of Business Coaching

May 16, 2017 No Comments

It takes a lot of determination, grit, and optimism to start and grow a business in today’s environment. The duality of the web is that you can broadcast further than ever before, reaching more potential customers, but so can your competition. The internet certainly changes the dynamics of business, but it’s not your only tool. You have more at your disposal, and for many entrepreneurs, they don’t look to much else. That certainly creates a problem, but it’s one that can be overcome, with the right attitude and mindset. Put another way, business owners succeeded before the advent of the web, and, those who are now growing do so making the most of what’s available. These entrepreneurs understand that ultimately, business is all about people, and, having the advice of an experienced professional does so much. The Big Benefits of Business Coaching You’ve heard about business coaching but might wonder why companies utilize their services. One advantage is gaining insight into what growing a company looks like from someone that’s been through the process time and again. Often times, companies lack experience in dealing with problems not faced before. They simply don’t know where to begin, or, what tack to take. Business coaching is not just for entrepreneurs with small to medium sized enterprises. In fact, studies have shown that over 58% of large corporations have expanded their use of business coaching over the last few years. Why? Because it works. —Enterprise Hub That’s a really a bad place to be and decisions made with uncertainty rarely have good outcomes. It’s not just fear that fells companies and alters their direction, but also, lack of preparation and not having an adequate, workable system in place. There are still more reasons companies benefit from business coaching, including the following: Organization and time management. A huge problem for most business owners is that so many things compete for their attention. That can easily lead to becoming disorganized, and, to poor time management. With someone helping to set priorities, schedules, and boundaries, a lot more will get done with the most important tackled at the right time, with limited distraction. Setting achievable goals to build momentum. One thing that can weigh down a business and get an entrepreneur stuck is lack of achievement. The reason material is taught in a incremental, tiered fashion, practically no matter the subject, is because it works. People are naturally motivated to reach other goals when they’ve had success. Sure, there is always the possibility of failure, but when it has a small impact, it’s a lot easier to overcome. Making team members accountable. A hobgoblin of business is one the wreaks havoc both subtly and overtly: little to no assigned accountability. For team members, as well as owners, to be truly productive, creative, and deliver their best, everyone in the organization needs to be held accountable. The trouble with this scenario is those on the inside usually have difficulty seeing the forest for the trees. Put another way, it’s hard to assign accountability to each team member because you’re dealing with personalities and emotions. A third party will have a much more clear view. Smart financial projecting and planning. It’s not easy to make financial projections and plan for the future when you’re trying to run a business. While you likely have a grasp on potential, there will be contingencies. Here again, having an experienced hand will take off pressure and keep you from diluting the numbers for a variety of reasons. Creating a better, more open environment. When everyone in the organization feels valued and is encouraged to contribute creatively, there’s a lot of good that will come as a result. Tapping into those resources must be done in a positive, proactive, and genuine way. [shareaholic app=”follow_buttons” id=”26833294″]

Stop Enforcing These Dumb Office Rules That Make People Quit

September 6, 2017 No Comments

If you want success, you’ve got to stop doing certain things. And, these include enforcing dumb office rules. Let’s face it, there are a number of do’s and don’ts in the workplace we all seem to recognize as unnecessary. But, for some strange reason, we follow tradition — even when it’s doesn’t really make sense. Giving into the “ways it’s always been notion” simply hinders us in different ways. Okay, rules are fundamental in business but too many rules stifles your employees. 5 Most Hated Office Rules that Drive Employees Crazy Think about it this way — more freedom means more business. Put another way, the more rules applied, the less freedom your team members enjoy. That’s simply creates artificial barriers they must overcome. Which means, it’s a waste of time (and ultimately money) and that’s not going to propel your business forward. When there are less rules, there’s more enthusiasm. Fewer rules also means more creativity. Companies need to have rules—that’s a given—but they don’t have to be shortsighted and lazy attempts at creating order. When companies create ridiculous and demoralizing rules to halt the outlandish behavior of a few individuals, it’s a management problem. There’s no sense in alienating your entire workforce because you don’t know how to manage performance. It makes a bad situation that much worse. —Entrepreneur Now, there are reasonable rules. It might apply to workplace social media use. Or, about limiting overtime. But, there are probably at least a few rules that your employees hate. These cause unnecessary stress and can easily become too overwhelming. If rules are stringent enough, you might lose good talent. Obviously, you need to retain the best talent and attract more. But some rules will make that quite problematic to achieve. Here are five of the most hated office rules that drive employees crazy: Time off rules. We all get sick, tired, and have personal needs. So, if an employee doesn’t feel well, don’t make it a bigger burden by requiring a doctor’s note. And, be flexible. If an employee feels lying is the best way to take a personal day off, there’s something wrong. Treat your employees with respect and you’ll definitely reap the rewards. Approval rules. Try this thought experiment — every time you make a purchase decision or other kind of decision in your personal life, stop to consider how productive it would be to seek an approval. Now, there are reasonable limits but you should trust employees to do what’s in the best interest of the company. Performance rules. Performance evaluations aren’t necessarily the best use of time. In fact, there are plenty of good arguments they just drive people nuts. What’s more, these are often dreaded, boring routines. So, ask yourself if you really need performance rules to meet performance guidelines to reward someone during a performance evaluation. Internet use rules. Unless you’re dealing with super-secret information, there’s really little to no need for internet rules. Your team already knows what is and what isn’t acceptable. Give them the power to do the right thing and they’ll feel respected. On-site attendance rules. The office isn’t always the best place to get things done. Sometimes, working from home or outside the office is better. Requiring people to be in the office or on-site from this time until that time daily simply won’t produce the best results. What hated office rules have you eliminated? Which office rules do you find the most productive? Please share your thoughts and experiences by leaving a comment! Interested in learning more about business? Then just visit Waters Business Consulting Group. [shareaholic app=”follow_buttons” id=”26833294″]

3 Sure-Fire Ways to Exhaust and Infuriate Good Employees

Employees’ Needs are Important

3 Sure-Fire Ways to Exhaust and Infuriate Good Employees

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How to Spot Bad Business Ideas to Avoid Wasting Precious Time

Big Benefits of Business Coaching

Stop Enforcing These Dumb Office Rules That Make People Quit