George S. May Business Blog

Being a manager – practice what you preach

Here are a few managerial tips I wanted to share for small business owners:

First and foremost, be who you want your employees to be. No one will follow through on your orders if you don’t follow through on them yourself. I used to work as a waiter weekday mornings, in a restaurant I will not name, with two other people. Our responsibilities were to get everything in the dining room set up (wipe down the tables, fill up salt and pepper, etc.) before it opened at 11:30am. Occasionally, one of those people would not show up. Rather than the manager on duty jumping in and helping to pick up the slack, she would just nag at us not to “chit-chat” as she sat at one of the tables stuffing herself. Needless to say, her and I never got along too well.

Stick to your guns. Don’t instate a rule and then not follow it. If people are not showing up to work on time, to the point where it is hurting your overall income, and you make a rule that penalizes those who are tardy, follow through with it. Furthermore, do not be late yourself! Also do not make a promise that you cannot keep. In order for people to work up to their full potential together, whether it be a small business, a sports team, or a marriage there has to be absolute trust. Trust can only be developed through honesty.

Make working a team effort. Be a leader, but don’t always act as if you are on another level than your employees. People want to work with their boss not for them.

Get with your employees and set goals, both individually and as a group. A huge fear in the work place is repetition with no end. Nobody wants to be the guy who has been doing the same thing for 25 years. By helping them to set and meet goals, you will be discouraging mediocrity, thereby encouraging growth for both your company and them as an individual.

Finally, reward your employees for a job well done. If you had a good year, even if it wasn’t the best, have a Christmas party for them. Give them tickets to a ball game. Give them an extra day off. The prize doesn’t have to be huge or elaborate, but give them something to show that you appreciate them enough to go out of your way and give them something other than a paycheck. Chances are they have gone out of there way for you at some point throughout the year.

Do you have any experiences working for/managing a small business that you care to share?

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