If you own a business, or you’re leading a department, you’re probably well aware of how tough it can be to motivate employees. But believe it or not, one of the best ways to do this is by creating key performance indicators (KPIs) that clearly define what success looks like. Now, depending on what you think about KPIs, this might sound a bit counterproductive, but trust me on this. After…
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Retaining your best and brightest employees can be difficult, even in the best of times. But when inflation is through the roof, eroding the value of every dollar, employee retention gets even tougher. This is nothing new, though, as the relationship between inflation and people quitting their jobs has been well-known for years. According to an article from the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, research has shown that there’s a…
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When promoting employees, a lot of employers don’t put enough thought into it. From an employer’s point of view, it usually seems like a good idea, and it feels good to give employees more responsibility, recognition, and compensation. At the same time, when employers promote employees, they tend to feel like they’re doing them a favor, and they expect them to be grateful for the opportunity and the perks that…
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With so much at stake, you’d think more employers would know the difference between a contractor and an employee. Still, despite the consequences of not understanding this distinction, this is an issue I’ve had to help clients with time and time again, and it doesn’t look like it’s going away anytime soon. According to a survey from Gusto of more than 1,200 American business owners, since 2017, the ratio of…
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The last couple of years have been absolutely devastating for business owners, and even more so for those who run small businesses. Whether it was supply chain issues, lockdowns, reduced hours, increased cleaning requirements, or some other kind of restriction on how businesses are run, very few business owners made it through the pandemic unscathed. A survey from OnDeck, which took place from March through April 2020, shows just how…
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In an age when everyone seems to be attached at the hip with multiple different devices, you’d think responsiveness wouldn’t be as much of an issue, especially when it comes to your employer. But for whatever reason, people still seem to have a tough time picking up the phone, responding to a text, or replying to an email. Maybe doing most of our correspondence digitally has eroded our ability to…
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One of the biggest challenges for business owners is trying to keep employees engaged. According to a recent report from Gallup, despite a steady rise in employee engagement over the last decade, between 2019 and 2020, it decreased by about two points. This dip is certainly not a surprise, considering everything that’s happened between 2019 and today. But even with the uptick in engagement throughout the 2010s, in 2020, employee…
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If you’re a business owner in the skilled trades, you’re probably used to feeling like you’re constantly chasing a revolving door. Employees come and go as the wind blows, and skilled trades talent always seems to be in short supply, to say the least. As senior employees start to retire, you need to have people ready to take their place. Many of you might be thinking that this is just…
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One of the most important skills to learn as a business owner, manager, or supervisor is how to effectively communicate with your team. This involves many aspects, including things like how to clearly articulate ideas and expectations, how to promote mutually beneficial relationships by speaking to your team in the right tone, and how to properly delegate responsibilities. But despite being one of the most important leadership skills for successfully…
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We are experiencing a time of great employee turnover, one unlike any most of us have seen in our careers. There are so many opportunities right now for your best people to jump ship! If you’re a small business owner, that likely means you’re trying to attract new employees (see my tips on this here). And you are likely finding yourself conducting lots of interviews, too. Picking the right people…
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