Your employees play a crucial role in growing your business. To get the very best out of your people, you have to invest in them in a way that creates value that they may not get from your competitors. One of the ways to achieve this is by building on the strengths of your employees. So, how do you go about doing this? Here are a few simple steps you can implement in your business.
Invest the time to get to know your employees
Go beyond what you learnt from the interviewing process. Get to know your employees as people: what motivates them, what stresses them, what their goals and aspirations are, etc. Doing this gives you a better idea of who you’ve employed and what their strengths and ambitions are. You’ll also be able to get a clearer picture of how you’ll need to communicate with everyone to get the best out of them.
Once you’ve identified these strengths, you’re able to better align responsibilities according to your team’s capabilities. Because you’ll have a better understanding of their strengths and ambitions, you’ll be able to trust that each task is assigned to the person who can deliver the best result.
Upskilling your employees
In the event that you notice a skills shortage in your team, you’ll be able to communicate the need for upskilling in a way that gets everyone’s buy-in. Too often, employees are enrolled in training courses “because the boss said so” and not because they see any value in attending. This often results in employees feeling like they’re being used for Skills Development points and not because they're actually valued by the business.
A business owner that knows their employees’ strengths can enrol them in training courses that they also see the value in attending. This is also a great way to get them to understand how crucial their training is for growth in their career and within the business.
Communication is key
The better your communication is, the more valuable the feedback. Adopt an open-door policy and encourage your staff to be honest about issues they feel are barriers to their productivity. It’s likely that they already have innovative solutions to overcome these barriers and encouraging this type of behaviour could result in your business running more efficiently.
Not only does better communication help build trust, but it also allows you to create an environment where your employees truly feel like they matter. It’s important to note that employees who feel valued by their employers are more likely to put more effort into maintaining a higher quality of work.
Celebrate the wins
Communicating staff achievements, no matter how small, is a great way to build up your employees. We all enjoy feeling valued, so why not do that for your staff? Taking a few minutes to publicly congratulate an employee’s achievement not only boosts their self-esteem but also motivates others to work towards getting their efforts celebrated.
The bottom line
Building up your employees’ strengths requires you to know them on a more personal level than before. By getting to know the person you’ve hired, you’re able to strategically grow them and their place in your business in a way that is both authentic and profitable.
