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There are a lot of factors that you need to consider when running a successful business, but one of the main ones you might overlook is yourself. You are at the forefront of your business, the one behind the steering wheel and how you act will strongly influence the employee behaviour. If you need a helping hand with leadership and management, the York, North Yorkshire and East Riding Growth Hub should be your go-to support system. We’re a free service, all you have to do is give us a call and we’ll point you in the right direction for funding support.
Understanding your leadership style
If you know your leadership style, you’ll be able to spot what your strengths are and maximise those to improve your employees' performance. Equally, you’ll be able to make adjustments for where your weaknesses lie and become more efficient.
Some of the leadership styles proposed by the psychologist Kurt Lewin include:
- Democratic: you like to share some authority with your employees. This is a useful style to increase staff morale and make them feel valued. However, you may be sharing too much authority which could prove difficult if you have to reprimand a member of your staff.
- Autocratic: you don’t tend to consult your employees on decisions, even if their opinion could help. This is useful if you need to make quick decisions, but it could be demoralizing to your team.
- Laissez-faire: you give your team a lot of freedom in how they do their work. You can provide support when needed, but don’t tend to get too involved. Your team may have high job satisfaction because of their control. However, this autonomy could backfire if your team don’t carefully handle their work.
There are alternative styles available and you may find that you can’t box yourself into one definition. This is useful to become more self-aware and understand where your strengths and weaknesses lie. In the long run this will help you to better manage your staff and improve efficiency.
For more information on understanding your leadership style, contact the Growth Hub. It won’t cost you anything and it’s up to you when you call. But we’re here to point you in the right direction for funding support, such as the Manufacturing Growth Programme that provides a grant to cover some of the cost of a consultant. Alternatively, the Skills Support for the Workforce will cover the costs of training courses on improving leadership skills.
Role of the director
Your director is assigned to manage the day-to-day business activities and finances. They must act in a way that promotes the success of the business. They’ll also strongly impact the behaviour of employees, so it’s important that you pick the best person for the job.
The Companies Act 2006 outlines a statutory regime for directors’ duties, which consists of seven principle requirements:
- To act within the powers granted to them in the articles of association.
- To promote the success of the business.
- To exercise independent judgement in all decision-making.
- To use reasonable care, skill and diligence at all times.
- To avoid or declare any conflict of interest.
- To avoid the acceptance of benefits from third parties or using their position to make private profits.
- To declare an interest in a proposed transaction or arrangement with the company before it enters into such a transaction.
That is just a general overview of how the director should behave, and they clearly have an important part in your business. By being aware of the responsibilities of the director, you can ensure that you appoint someone that is able to handle those jobs. You don’t want someone who’ll cave under the pressure. If you’re confident in your director, your employees are more likely to feel the same, and will be able to follow their leadership better.
A director for a business cannot be under 16 years of age, bankrupt, someone that has been disqualified or someone acting as auditor of the company. Apart from those guidelines, there’s no necessary qualifications to be a director, but you should choose someone that is capable of handling the necessary duties.
If you need help choosing or handling your director, you may need the support of a consultant. If you’re based in York, North Yorkshire and East Riding, get in touch with the Growth Hub. We’ll direct you towards relevant funding, such as the Manufacturing Growth Programme which can cover some of the expenses of hiring an expert.
Influence and motivate people
Money is always good for motivation, but it isn’t the only answer. You can incentivise your staff and improve employees' performance without it costing you a lot or even anything. If your staff are more motivated then you’ll reap benefits, such as improved quality of products and efficiency. One example of a free motivator is to provide your staff with challenging and exciting work. Of course, this won’t always be available, but make sure your staff aren’t doing the same monotonous jobs day in and day out. By giving them the occasional, new challenge, you’ll keep them on their toes and more motivated to get stuck in with the work.
You should recognise when your team achieves goals – this doesn’t have to be with expensive rewards. Sometimes a simple compliment can help to incentivise your staff to work at a higher level. If they feel valued, they’re more likely to work harder. Communication always goes a long way in business. An open door policy and a welcoming environment will help you have more influence with your employees. If they feel like you care about their opinions and want to listen to them, they’re more likely to listen to you. After all, treat people how you want to be treated.
To develop your employees, you should also look at what roles their playing and ask yourself, are they in the right job for their skills? Your employees won’t stay motivated for long if you’ve set them a challenge that doesn’t suit their skillset, or against what they believed to be the requirements of the job. You don’t want to lose out on efficiency, so motivation starts at the earliest stage when you’re hiring. Be specific about job responsibilities and you’ll find people who are passionate and best suited to the role. When possible, offer autonomy to your staff. People will work harder if they have more independence and feel in control.
Unmotivated staff could be costing you time and decreasing efficiency levels – something you definitely don’t want to happen. To get support on how to prevent this and keep your employees on the ball, give us a call at the Growth Hub. We’re a free service, all you need to do is dial our number, and we’ll find you the right financial help. For example, there is lots of funding around skills training. Skills Support for the Workforce will cover the full cost of training, whilst Apprenticeships will support and fund your hiring of apprentices.
Team dynamics, behaviours and skills and team building
Team building can impact the performance of employees. If you want a cohesive team that collaborates well together, you need to invest some time in team bonding activities. This doesn’t mean you need to head out on an expensive excursion. Just try to keep it fun and make everyone feel comfortable enough to get involved. What you don’t want is for some people to get left out and feel isolated from the team. If everyone’s engaged in the team building session, this could help improve mental health. A healthier team is more likely to work harder and reduce absenteeism.
If you’re unsure about taking time out for team building, here’s how it can benefit your business:
- Socialising opportunities – you might not think this is a priority for your business, but socialising can raise morale and increase productivity in the office.
- Strengthen your team – by working together in a fun, motivational activity your staff may have the opportunity to see where each other’s strengths and weaknesses lies. This could be useful for employees to find out how they could work with one another in the future.
- Encourage collaboration – employees are more likely to share ideas and support one another if they feel comfortable together. So, a team building activity can help to reduce awkwardness between staff.
The hardest part of team building will likely be picking the activity. You’ll have to consider your budget, but also encourage your team to chip in with their ideas. You want the team building to be inclusive, so what better way is there to decide then to ask the people who are doing it? Anything from bake offs to sports day can be great team building activities, especially if you don’t want to be put a strain on the budget. For help with team dynamics, speak to us at the York, North Yorkshire and East Riding Growth Hub. We’re here to listen to your problems then find you the right funding to suit your needs.
Discipline & grievance handling
Discipline is not a fun job to do, but sometimes it has to be done. If a staff member hasn’t been performing to an acceptable level then not speaking up about the issue won’t solve anything. Discipline can ensure that problems are solved head on and don’t escalate.
You should have written disciplinary rules which explain what behaviour is acceptable and unacceptable, so that you can refer back to this and explain why your employee may need to face a disciplinary.
There’s some key stages you should be aware of when taking any disciplinary action. You don’t want to go in all guns blazing before you’ve got the full picture. So, you should carry out an investigation first and establish all of the facts. This could include collecting evidence for a disciplinary hearing to demonstrate why you’ve felt action needs to be taken against one of your employees. You will also need to inform the employee of the problem and this should be done in writing, including information about the alleged misconduct. Then you will need to hold a meeting with the employee to discuss the problem. Your employee may wish to be accompanied at the meeting and they have every right to do so. You will need to decide on the appropriate action to take after the meeting, but also offer employees the opportunity to appeal.
If you need support on how to handle your disciplinary actions, give the York, North Yorkshire and East Riding Growth Hub a call and we’ll keep you on the right track through funding support, such as the Manufacturing Growth Programme, to hire a consultant.
Talent Management
Basically, talent management is exactly what it sounds like. It’s about finding employees who are particularly suited to your business needs and developing their talents, whilst also ensuring that they want to stay working with you. By managing talent, you’ll be less likely to have a skills gap problem and a shortage of staff. This should definitely be at the top of the list for HR.
A few processes that are part of talent management include:
- Job description development: be clear about what you want from future employees. If you don’t mention a required skill, you can’t expect them to possess it immediately once they start working for you. By clarifying specifically what you want, you can ensure that only people with those skills apply for the job.
- On-the-job training: you’ve managed to bag yourself some ideal employees, but your work doesn’t end there. Keep them incentivised and motivated with on-the-job training, otherwise they may become bored with routine and search for a job elsewhere. Also, apprenticeships aren’t just for new employees, they can also be offered to your current staff.
- Feedback and support: to continuously develop your staff, have 1 to 1s and feedback sessions. Listen to your staff’s opinions and they’ll feel more valued, but also give them constructive criticism to ensure they’ve constantly developing. If you’re short on time, don’t worry, these meet-ups don’t have to be weekly – just don’t completely neglect them.
If you’re looking to make some employment changes or upscale your current staff, it’s worth looking into talent management. For more information, get in touch with the Growth Hub and we’ll put you in touch with the right experts and save you time searching for details. For example, if you’re interested in hiring an apprentice so you make use of their talents and new ideas.
Planning, organising and delegating
Delegating is key in business, especially for efficiency. It isn’t just about passing off work because you’re too busy, delegating can also be used to make sure the people with the right skills handle the right jobs. For example, your to-do list is never-ending, so you think it’s time to share the load. You’ve noticed that there’s a few tasks where your weaknesses lie, but one of your employees has just been on a training day and is a much better match for the job. So, by handing over some of your work, you’ve managed to increase the quality.
If delegating is done effectively, it can also boost staff morale. By sharing some of the important tasks with employees, they’ll feel valued and empowered. Employers are often reluctant to do this for fear that they can do it better, but you need to have some confidence in your team, and you can always have 1 to 1s to check in on their progress. B careful you don’t hand over all the little awkward, small tasks that you don’t want to deal with – that could lead to the opposite effect.
If you want to save time and increase quality, you should give delegating a shot. At the Growth Hub we’re on hand to give you some guidance and point you in the right direction for funding support. So, give us a call whenever you’re free. Check out our article on Business Strategy as well for further guidance on the importance of planning in business.
Recruitment and selection
The best way to ensure you get the right employees is to be clear about what the job role requires and any skills or qualifications you expect applicants to have. That way you’ll be able to whittle down the crowd and get the people best suited to your needs.
Recruitment is all about identifying what your business needs and hiring someone to fill in those gaps. Selection then involves choosing from the applicants that have applied and are most suited for the role. There are advantages to handling this process yourself, rather than externally recruiting people. You’ll save money, which is always a bonus in business. You’ll be able to assess the strengths and weaknesses of an applicant yourself and get a better feel for how they will fit into your business. There is a risk of hiring someone from an external recruitment agency, as the person may sound better on paper than they are in real life.
If you’re unsure about handling recruitment and selection to get the best staff out there, then you might need some help from the Growth Hub. We’re a free service that is here to listen to your problems and point you in the right direction for expert support and funding.
Organisation development
Organisation development encourages continued improvement by making you aware of how your business structures and processes influence worker behaviour and motivation. If your staff are motivated and working as a team, their efficiency will increase and you’ll save money. By looking into your organisational development, you can:
- Make all staff aware of your business vision and encourage them to work to achieve it.
- Encourage employees to solve problems for themselves.
- Build inter-personal trust, co-operation, and communication between all employees.
- Involve all staff in the creation and implementation of your growth plan.
- Create a positive and motivated work environment.
- Encourage communication between all members of the business, regardless of position.
- Build trust on all levels so changes to the business are accepted and understood as part of the overarching business growth plan.
- Improve the health and safety procedures in your business.
If your staff are motivated and feel included in your business goals, then they will support the growth of your business and are likely to come up with innovative ideas along the way to help you achieve your goals. If you want to talk about the organisational development of your business, get in touch with the Growth Hub and see what support is available to you and your specific business. The Manufacturing Growth Programme could help you find funding to cover the cost of an independent experts who can help you tweak how you organise your business.??
Giving effective feedback
Regular feedback can be great for developing the performance of employees. You can explain what’s not working and keep them on the right track, so that efficiency doesn’t suffer in your business. Whilst complimenting them on their successes will make them feel valued and motivated. What’s important is to remember to be constructive. Some people take criticism better than others and see it as a chance to grow, whilst some employees may take the feedback as a personal insult.
Being effective doesn’t have to cost you anything, or take much effort. For example, make sure your employee is comfortable when you give the feedback. Having an informal chat with them 1 on 1 definitely beats discussing their weaknesses in front of a big team. If they feel safe, they’ll likely be more open to taking your comments on board.
Be positive as well. Keep a balance between the good and the bad, otherwise they may feel like you’re being unnecessarily harsh and become disheartened. Feedback shouldn’t be a battle – you’re on their side and want them to continuously develop.
Give specific details about how they can progress. There’s no point making vague comments such as ‘you’re too quiet in meetings’. Give them action plans, such as you’d like to hear them give a least one comment in meetings, as you appreciate their opinion. This way they know what’s expected of them and will feel valued as you’ve been positive.
There will be alternative methods you can use to increase effectiveness, but this is a good starting point. For more information, give the York, North Yorkshire and East Riding Growth Hub a call. It’s worth improving your feedback sessions with staff, as you could see improvements to their performance, retention and employee loyalty.
Building high performance teams
Making the most of your business isn’t just about having the best machinery. To stand out from your competitors, you’ll need to look at a core part of your business – the performance of your employees. Even if you think you have the dream team on board, there’s always room for improvement and chances to get more out of your team. Plus, if you’re interested in implementing new systems (e.g. lean manufacturing, six sigma) then you’ll need to help your staff through the transition so that they are still performing at a high level.
Hammering down the skills gap could provide lots of opportunities for your business. Training staff on various technology will improve their flexibility for handling different machinery and could lead to improved quality on your goods. This is why it’s important to keep their skills up-to-date and you should promote learning and development. Training can also be a useful tool to boost staff morale.
There is support available for skills training if you’re worried about the costs of teaching your staff. Give the Growth Hub a call, let us know what you want and we’ll find out what help is available that could benefit you; from funding to cover the costs of training courses to support with apprenticeships.
Management development
Management development is about enhancing skills and competencies and should play a key role in your business. If you want to improve the performance of employees, they’ll need to be able to adapt with training support. You don’t want to neglect your employees, which is how management development can help.
Although this is about improving skills, it’s not all about attending external classes. You should think about implementing on the job training. People often learn better when it’s hands on and this will prevent disruption, such as travelling to an external class. Internal training could involve setting challenging assignments, so that your staff have to test their skills, cross-training or even schedule sessions for employees to share their knowledge amongst one another to improve flexibility.
The benefits of management development are that it can be specified to your business problems. With training days, they often need to be in general terms so that they can be applied to a range of businesses. But, management development is offered on your terms. Most importantly, it doesn’t have to cost you a lot either. However, if you did want to pay for your staff to attend external courses, Skills Support for the Workforce could cover the entire cost.
For guidance on management development, get in touch with the Growth Hub. If you’re based in the York, North Yorkshire and East Riding area, there’s lots of funding support available to you.
Succession Planning
When you think of succession planning, you might associate it with retirement and stepping down from your business. Succession planning is exactly that, but it’s also about ensuring you can improve performance of employees. Without succession planning, you could face two big risks. The transition into your retirement won’t be smooth and you may face unnecessary stress. Plus, if you decide to leave your business to a family member, you’ll have to think about legal obligations and you want to get this right.
Succession planning could also be about filling a gap if an employee is promoted. For example, if you have someone in charge of the supply chain and they’re the only employee to have a relationship with the supplier, what will you do if they get promoted or leave your business? You might struggle to fill their space with someone who has the same knowledge to succeed in the role. In this instance, an apprentice, intern of junior staff member may be useful. They can work side-by-side with your employee and pick up the relevant skills and knowledge along the way. Then if that employee is promoted, you have someone to fill their shoes and you’ll be able to run your business more smoothly. There is funding available to cover the cost of apprentices if you’re based in the York, North Yorkshire and East Riding area.
Without a plan for the future, your business could be at stake, so there’s no harm in making arrangements now rather than later. If you think of succession in terms of you leaving the business, you have a few options for your next steps. For example, handing the business over to a family member, selling or closing the business, or hiring outside management to run the business.
If you start planning your succession, you’ll see benefits, such as:
- Create stability within your business: if you know who is going to fill your shoes, or a past employee’s, you can get that person trained up in advance, so efficiency levels don’t drop.
- Sustain income: people won’t work for free and they’ll feel more confident in their role if they know that they’ll be paid and kept on after you step down.
- Identify potential within employees: succession planning involves identifying skills within employees and promotion opportunities. You’ll also pick up on weaknesses and if your current team need further training. There’s lot of funding around skills support if you’re based in the York, North Yorkshire and East Riding area. To find out more, get in touch with the Growth Hub.
- Improved performance: training must be put into place to provide employees with knowledge and skills to fill vacancies. By training them, you’ll see an improvement in efficiency and time management.
For support on handling succession management, get in touch with the York, North Yorkshire and East Riding Growth Hub. We can find out which will be the best funding support for your business. For example, the Manufacturing Growth Programme can help you access consultants to take you through succession management. Or, you might benefit from the wide range of skills funding that is available to you completely free.
Conclusion
The improvement of performance of employees relies on you as a boss. Everything from your leadership style to how you manage grievances and disciplinary action will affect how your staff behave. If you set a good example, your employees will soon follow your lead. So, if you’re ready to make improvements to your business then contact the York, North Yorkshire and East Riding Growth Hub. It doesn’t a cost you a thing, all you have to do is give us a call. Then you’ll be rewarded with an introduction to the relevant experts for guidance and how to apply for relevant funding.
If your interested in finding our more then you can get in touch at support@howsbusiness.org