And the benefits for you.

You may not realize that keeping employees happy actually benefits you in the long run. Everyone knows that a person who enjoys their life on a daily basis will give more to a company, and a sour employee will never be happy, but did you realize that it’s partially the employer’s job to keep them happy?

Many times people take a job because of what they’re told the position will entail. They’re excited to finally use their education and skills to benefit the company and themselves, however midstream something happens. Some call it job creep, others blame the economy, but like it or not many times the job evolves over time into a mere shadow of what it was once supposed to be.

Here are 3 ways to keep employees happy, and how it benefits you:

1. Utilize their strengths – After you’ve done behavioral assessments and a 360 review, you will have a clearer picture of what their strengths and weaknesses really are. Sure they may tell you their strengths, or things they enjoy doing, but nothing can beat an assessment. The benefits are two-fold: You get an employee who is passionate about what they do day-to-day, and you reap the rewards of hard, quality work. It may even benefit you to keep a few key words in mind when thinking about that employee. Every time you hear their name you should think of three strengths that stand out about them, and be sure the task you’re considering for them matches those strengths.
2. Help them grow – You can’t always give employees only the tasks they love, they also need room to be challenged and to grow. Even the most passionate person needs to feel like they’re becoming a better-rounded person and growing, so by all means feel free to challenge them appropriately. Key word appropriately. If you have a person who is an accountant for example and hates writing, you wouldn’t ask them to write a blog or newsletter, but maybe branching out to try different software to make their job easier isn’t too far-fetched. People should always be learning and growing, especially if it’s not too far off base from their original strengths.
3. Invest in them – If you want the happiest and best employees you have ever seen, try investing a little time and effort in training them for something that benefits you both. For example, if they are experts in marketing and have all of this knowledge stored away in their brain somewhere; invite them to contribute once a quarter to the monthly newsletter or blog. Showing your clients that your team or organization has multi-faceted talents on board is not only good for business, but also employee exposure. And what employee doesn’t like being noticed for their expertise?

In conclusion, keep in mind that every employee is different and has the potential to bring something new and great to the organization, if only given the chance to excel.

For more employee tips and tricks contact us for a consultation!

In my last article I explained the benefits of using a business consultant. One of those is that new leaders can be coached to the betterment of the entire company. I would like to explain this in further detail.

Many people would give a resounding yes please! if asked if they’d like free training to help them improve on the job. Most of us want whatever is best for the company and if we can become more well-rounded as a manager, all the better!

New leaders are sometimes unsure about explaining the strategy of the business to their team or department, while also ensuring tactical objectives are achieved. That “in-between” role is one of the most difficult in the organization, and essential to leadership success. Here are 3 reasons why business coaching changes everything:

1. It helps new leaders grow – As my previous point describes, new leaders can sometimes be unsure of themselves, or struggle with getting the respect they deserve from their peers and direct reports when first starting out. They may have a different leadership style from the rest of the team, or the company for that matter. Business coaching helps them find their rhythm or place in the organization, and ensures they are staying on track with the overarching goal of the organization.

2. It helps with team cohesion – Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses, so after discovering those in behavioral assessments or with 360 reviews, you can take steps towards team cohesion. There are always times when a team has issues or conflicts, but how they handle those conflicts, both individually and as a team, are what makes or breaks a leader, department or company. Business coaching helps a team and company smooth over the rough patches, and gets things moving in the right direction.

3. It helps an organization grow – No one is an expert in every field or area of a company. There are times when people step into new roles or departments because they’re great at something, but other things are later discovered that need to be improved upon. An organization going through change is the perfect one for a business coach. Opportunities for growth exist at the leader level, and ultimately, the organization as a whole will grow.

Contact us today for a consultation and to learn more about our business coaching services. Our proven record of success speaks for itself, but we are happy to discuss your personal company issues and possible solutions to meet your goals.