Having worked on your own, you may find delegation hard work along with sharing your work space and/or home. You will need to have clearly defined policies for your company outlining your expectations and what you will allow in the workplace. For example is there a dress code? Can music be played? How long can lunch breaks be and are there core working hours that need to be kept? Putting together an employee handbook can be very useful, even if it's a bullet list on headed paper. Also include your complaints proceedure, how often appraisals will take place and if there is a probabtion period.
Being a good boss will encourage productivity and efficiency, here are some leadership tips:
- Keep financial issues private, especially if you have hit a rough patch,
- Keep personal and professional life separate. If you become too friendly with your employees you risk becoming a threapist if they have personal issues. Talk about serious issues that may be affecting their work but leave dating advice to their friends,
- Project a caring demeanour but know you can't always be nice e.g. refusing holiday requests or letting an employee go.
- Only give employees responsibilities related to work. You hired someone to do your marketing/design work etc, not collect your children from school or your prescription from the chemist.
- Show respect for an employees ideas. Give praise in public and if correction or constructive criticism is required, do it in private,
- Do not let small problems escalate for example too many private phone calls, surfing the internet or constantly arriving late,
- Accept that NO task is below you as it shows you are willing to be part of the team. Take out the rubbish and clean the tea mugs when it is your turn.
Have you got any tips about being a good manager? Share them here...
Coming next time: When your home work space is no longer big enough.
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